The San Francisco call. [volume], February 13, 1898, Page 19, Image 19

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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WAR TRICKS THAT CHINA TAUGHT TOUR BIG NATIONS.
CRUELYiES THAT THE CHINESE SOLDIERS
PRACTICED ON CAPTURED
WHITE 'DEVILS.
THE nations of Europe «re eying China with a
good deal of curiosity now. They're wondering^
just how much she'll stand, and whether, when"
driven to a corner, she'll adopt the same tactics
she did in the famous series of wars that threw
or^n so many of her sealed ports to the commerce of
tre world.
The nations of the world, and practically the same
rations are taking a hand In the present game,
Earned more of Oriental trickery and Celestial sub
terfuge and cruelty In the short years oi that event
ful period than they had learned in as many of the
preceding centuries. The nations rather condemned
John Bull when he walloped the Yellow Dragon in the
"opium war" of 1542. But John Chinaman learned a
great deal of Caucasian ways and warfare in that
brief set-to, and when, nearly a score of years later,
the European concert came playing around his shores,
h« opened up the game in quite a confident spirit.
Yeh, the Chinese Commissioner at Canton, who
conducted affairs much as though he was Director-
General of the Orient, seized the "Arrow," a lorcha
flying the British colors, blew them to the winds,
flung the Chinese crew (who claimed to be British
subjects) into jail, and told the protesting representa
tives to go to Potsdam for redress or anything else
they wanted. Later this oily and independent diplo
mat, when he was cornered and forced to make some
sort of treaties and promises, readily and greedily
made all sorts of treaties and promises. He agreeably
signed all sorts of papers, but when the European
diplomats were out of sight he locked up the treaties
in an old box, instead of forwarding them to his
home Government, and forgot his promises. Later
these same treaties, dirt begrimed and soiled, were
discovered among his effects by the wrathful Euro
peans. They were found to be most useful then to
burn up what remained of his abandoned garbage.
The English finally determined to bring this oily
old Pooh Bah to time, so they sent four war vessels
to bombard Canton, his headquarters. That oily Pooh
Bah, Teh, knew a thing: or two in an Oriental way,
and he soon had the United States, Russia and France
pounding before the doors of Canton. But instead of
wrangling among themselves over the spoils, as he
had figured, they agreed that he ought to be burned
out. Yeh withstood them as long as his rice-fed sol
diers would fight; then, in an explosion of over
twenty-five big war Junks and the blaze of all of
Canton's public buildings, they ran him to Calcutta,
where he was locked up. The plenipotentiaries of all
the attacking powers rummaged among his papers,
and when they discovered how he had bamboozled
them In his crafty Oriental fashion, they determined
to make a lasting lesson on China. Through Yen's
deception, all their diplomatic work had been for
naught, so they began to consult on the best way of
dealing directly with the head of the Government,
and not through its tricky agents. This consultation
led to the famous advance on Peking by the combined
powers and the discovery of "mysterious" Cnina.
All the while all sorts of tricks, horrors and cru
elties were being perpetrated on the Caucasians when
ever the Celestials could catch them napping. The
white soldiers soon discovered that new tactics were
needed to meet the yellow soldiers' style of warfare.
Even after the first defeats the Chinese were not
to be trusted, and the allies had to be ever on the
valert to guard against their treacherous and cruel
An attempt was made, after the
rail of Canton, to poison the waters at Hongkong and
destroy the whole community, but, luckily, the plot
was discovered in time.
The advance of the war vessels of the four powers
to the entrance of the Peiho River was a memorable
event in Chinese history. Four great forts, deemed
to be impregnable, guarded that entrance. It was
the gateway to Peking. While the diplomats were
discussing what to do, and the plenipotentiaries were
bundling Mr. Astute Commissioner Yeh off to Cal
cutta, myriads of Chinese were actively at work
strengthening their forts on the river. But the four
powers, after several days' cannonading and shelling,
brought the Chinese to terms and they decided it was
prudent to sign several of the treaties that Commis
sion Yeh had dealt with so glibly and lightly.
Diplomatic sparring followed for two years; then
the Chinese thought themselves again in condition
to make a few changes in the old agreements. Each
ceding negotiations and warfare, so when they
stripped for the fray each knew it was for blood,
property and a historic record. Certain it is that the
little yellow fighters showed more ingenuity, skill,
trickery and cruelty than they had in all their pre
side had learned a good deal of the other in the pre
vious exhibitions pat together.
War vessels near Canton were never safe unless
A Shot From the Man-of-War StrucK the Magazine and * Blew the Big JunK to Fragments
the utmost vigilance was observed by tnose on duty
as floating torpedoes and fire rafts -were continually
being launched by the Chinese. Should one of these
have exploded it would have destroyed the whole fleet.
It was during this blockade that the British ship
Niger was made the victim of one of the most das
tardly and disgusting plots in history. Late one
very dark night, the Chinese launched a villainous
junk of strange build that floated Gown onto the
British vessel. An attempt was .made to tow it clear,
but before this could be done there was an explosion
that ripped the upper decks off the junk ami filled
tut- air with the most disgusting material and scat
tered it ovar the Niger from truck to water line. The
Niger was never used again. She was taken back
to England and dismantled.
i;ners who unluckily fell into the hands of
the Ohlnesi 1 were subjected to the most cruel and
brutal kind of tortures, which were made to last as
long as the victims had any life left in them, and
when that was about extinct they were finally sliced
to pieces.
One poor French bluejacket, who had imbibed a
little too much "Samshoo," wandered outside the lines
and fell Into the hands of the enemy, and although
every attempt waa made to rescue him, he was never
THE SAX FB Ay CISCO CALL, SUNDAY, FEBBTTABY 13, 1898.
The Chineee lost no time in strengthening the
approaches to Tientsin. The forts at the entrance to
the Peiho River were entirely reconstructed and more
heavily armed with superior guns, and the approaches
by sea and land made almost impregnable. The river
was "boomed" and rendered almost imm-.vigable, and
torpedoes were sunk at all points of the entrance to
the river, but fortunately they proved to be harmless.
In the summer the British fleet again appeared off
the Peiho River for the purpose of ratifying the
treaty made and signed at Tientsin the year before,
but this time to meet with defeat, for upon the gun
boats attempting to- enter the river the heaviest kind
of a fire was opened upon them and three vessels were
sunk. Of a landing party of about 1000 men who at
tempted to storm and, take the large fort on the
south bank of the river, 470 men were killed.
It was here that the Chinese again resorted to
their peculiar tricks. Ditches, dug in front of the
forts and filled with slush, were covered over with
grass and weeds so aa to look like solid ground. The
soldiers who attempted to cross them instantly sank
from sight and suffocated. Besides this, there were
scattered over the ground bamboo spikes that were
capable of cutting through the strongest boot and
crippling the soldiers. Then there was a sort of iron
frame that held a pointed spear pointed in the direc
tion of the attack. This was concealed by weeds so
that the soldier who ran against it with any force was
impaled and hung until death relieved him of his mis
eries. Noisome stuff was scattered everywhere.
During the attack Admiral Sir James Hope was
severely wounded while on the bridge of his little
"tender," the Coromandel. and did not leave his post
until the whole of the killed and wounded had been
recovered and the flotilla of gunboats had withdrawn
from beyond the range of the Chinese guns.
An incident occurred at this time which reflects
the greatest honor on the American navy. Commo
dore Tatnell, in his flagship, the frigate I'owhattan,
was with the English fleet. During the engagement
he was the guest and companion of Sir James Hope.
The two brave men stood side by side on the bridge
of the Coromandel. A huge round shot carried off
half the "pivot gun's" crew, and Commodore Tatnell,
quickly taking in the situation, called his coxswain
and boat's crew up from their boat to fill up the va
seen again by his countrymen. It was
learned afterward that he had been
gradually chopped to bits by having a
finger, toe, ear or some other portion
of his body amputated every day, this
gradual execution lasting several
weeks.
Upon another occasion, four British
marines were "cut off" near Canton,
and during the days of their captivity
were compelled to eat the vilest kind of
food, while their thirst was only al
lowed to be quenched by the most stag
nant water. Only one of them sur
vived the horrible tornture to tell
the tale. He died a day or two after
his rescue.
cant gun numbers, and thus, for the first time in
naval history, American and British tars fought side
by side. The round shot which severely wounded the
British admiral was the messenger of death to the
brave American coxswain, who fell dead while firing
a British gun. The commodore felt his loss keenly,
and remarked to Sir James, who was being "propped
"P" in an arm chair: "Blood is thicker than water."
This remark had a double meaning and is now a his
toric one in both navies.
The officers and men of the old Powhattan did all
they could to assist their wounded British cousins.
Lieutenant Semmes, of subsequent fame in the Con
federate navy, was executive officer of the Powhat
tan and behaved nobly on that disastrous occasion.
It was next to impossible to renew hostilities that
year, as it was found impracticable to capture the
place without the aid of land troops and artillery,
and nothing further was attempted until the follow
ing year.
The news of this disaster spread great consterna
tion among civilized nations. The European nations
began to dread that the Chinese dragon had at last
been roused. Great Britain and France lost no time
in meeting the threatened emergency. They set about
actively preparing fleets sufficiently powerful to cap
ture the whole coast of China if necessary. The
navy yards of those two countries were kept busy for
the better part of eight months in equipping and dis
patching the necessary war vessels to the China seas.
Merchant vessels were chartered to carry troops,
horses and the various munitions of war to the
Orient, and all the then-famed American-Chtna clip
pers were chartered by the British Government to
convey coal from Japan to the coming seat of war.
By the early part of 1860 there were in the Chinese
seas nearly 300 English and French war vessels of
all classes, besides an immense fleet of English,
French and American merchant steamers and sailing
vessels, used as transports.
The British army was composed of regiments of
regular cavalry, infantry, artillery, etc., besides drafts
from the most famed Indian cavalry and infantry
regiments. The French A\aa composed mainly of ma
rines, artillery and Algerian troops, Ooth armies
being well equipped as regards their commissaries,
hospital and other necessary non-combative corps,
in addition to whicl) the British had the C C. C.'s
(Chinese Coolie corps), a body of picked Chinese,
mainly recruited from Canton. (Many of these, it
was afterward learned, had been fighting against
them at that place.) This time they were officered
from the Royal Marines.
When hostilities were resumed, the Chinese ex
pected the same kind of tactics as had been employed
the year before, and were prepared for them. But
the English and French officers knew that the forts
were practically impregnable from the front, and it
was no part of the campaign to make the attack
that way.
All the cavalry. Infantry and artillery were landed
on both sides of the river, completely surprising the
Chinese, who had never thought of a flank movement.
The first fort was captured almost without resist
ance, most of the Celestials fleeing to tne forts fur
ther up the river. It was here that there was heavy
fighting that lasted two days, but ended in the almost
complete destruction of the forts. Heavy artillery
was brought up and the shelling was fearful. On the
last day the Chinese were driven out through the
front of their fort onto the villainous death traps
they had set for the English and French. Here they
were compelled to take their own medicine, and thou
sands were suffocated in the mud ditches, crippled on
the bamboo spikes and impaled on the spears. The
Chinese had been taught their lesson, and the author
ities were only too glad to sign treaties that opened
their ports to the world.
CAPTAIN GEORGE E. JACKSON.
HEROES OF HEBREW PLAY-WRITING.
FANCY turning out eight plays a year for the
stage. Yet that is what one of the dramatic
writers for the Hebrew stage does, and he
thinks nothing of it. Usually he scatters in a
half dozen extra plays for holiday productions.
The up-tc-date writers that provide Hebrew plays
for the stage are a peculiar lot. Turning out a pro
digious quantity of acts, scenes and dialogues in a
given time is not their most surprising qualification.
At present four of them furnish, ready made, the ma
terial for the Hebrew drama for the most of the world.
The Hebrew dramatic company goes stocked with
dramatic material wherever it travels. Mr. Greenbergr,
manager of the German-Hebrew Opera Company now
playing at the Bush-street Theater, carries the manu-
script of 200 plays. In speaking of this style of th«
drama as an industry, he said:
"Abraham Goldfaden is the father of Hebrew the
atricals — that is, as a profession and pursuit — in thi«
century. He started his first company in Roumania
twenty years ago. It failed there, but being trans
planted to Odessa, Russia, it succeeded. His company,
has since played in all the principal cities of Europe.
The past year the company has been in Paris, where
Goldfaden resides.
"Goldfaden is the best known author connected '
with the Hebrew drama. He has written over 100
plays. The entire repertoire of his Parisian company
is his work. The authors who are writing for the He
brew stage in America are Professor Joseph Lateiner,
Professor Abraham Horwitz and Professor Sharkan
sky. The most successful of this trio financially la
Professor Lateiner. He is 45 years old, of Roumanian
parents and has lived in the United States about ten
years. During that period he has written over 200
plays, the most successful being 'Moses in Egypt.'
"He is under contract with a New York theater to
■write not less than eight plays every year. He shares
the profits of the plays with the managers of the the
ater and gets no bonus for his manuscript. 'Alexan
dre,' one of his plays, ran an entire year in New York.
He does all of his literary work after midnight.
"The most learned and intellectual of these thre«
writers is Professor Abraham Horwitz. He Is about
60 years old and a Galician by birth. He speaks eight
languages. Over 200 plays from his pen have apv
peared. An indefatigable toiler, he has been known to
write constantly eighteen consecutive hours.
"About two years ago one of Professor Horwitz's
plays failed so completely that after the first night
the managers told him that they must take It off and
put on a tried play instead. Far from being down
cast, Professor Horwitz at once set to work and three
days later he called at the theater with three fin
ished acts of 'The Love of Jerusalem.'
"The play was at once rehearsed and staged ancl
scored an immense success. Professor Horwitz has a
weekly income of several hundred dollars, for most
of his plays have great and lasting stability. The re
ceipts from his play, 'Kouzri, or the Jews in Caucasus,'
have been over $50,000 to date. Upon the production
of his dramatic opera, 'King Solomon,' nearly $2000
was expended.
"Of Professor M. Sharkansky, the youngest of
these writers, not much can be said as yet, excepting
that in his work he gives promise of becoming the
foremost man of his kind when his present contempo
raries have written themselves out or have died. He
is about 35 years of age and has been in this country
only five years. He has written but two :>lays, both,
however, instantaneous successes. His 'Kol Nidre, or
the Persecution in Spain,' saved a Hebrew theater in
New York from closing its doors.
"He is the most eccentric and erratic of these
writers. He seldom works more than three hours a
day, v and takes months in the preparation of a play.
But^-hat he has written will no doubt be lasting."
"So many plays of this kind have already been
written," I suggested, "is it not extremely difficult for
these writers to find new plots and new ways of treat
ing themes?"
"Not at all," answered Mr. Ore^nberg. "You see,
the treatment in all cases is the same— that is, the
spirit pervades the treatment—and is absolutely fa
vorable to the Jews, of course. Otherwise it would
not be a play for a Hebrew audience. All the plays
are written around Biblical, Jewish historical inci
dents or Jewish folklore. One has but to read and cull
therefrom what he considers worthy and suitable to
dramatic treatment. And one must admit there Is no
limit to opportunity for plays in these directions.
Why, a mere incident will often serve as material for
a four-act play. Around David and his harp Pro
fessor Lateiner has woven his latest play. This has
been running for six weeks already in New York."
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