A COMMON ROBBER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2123, 15 April 1914, Page 6

A COMMON ROBBER

T.he fact that the bandit chief White Wolf can mm about the country dealing out do&th and devastation wlicr-evef he goes tends, to nndennine the reputation which Yuan ShIH-kai has gained ai, a strong ruier, who would soon restore order 'in China, and inaugurats a period of peace,' prosperity, and good government. It is diftkuit to believe the story which oomes iroin Vancouver that there exists a Chinese revahit-ionary society in Canada which is sending i-ifJcs and revolvers to China for the use of White Woli , and feis bloodthirsty gang of robbers. Attempts have been ftiade to throw a halo of romance oK-ci this robbe' - ehiqf, by people who live far a,way from the sphere of hi.s activities. He has been called "the Chinese .De Wet," and other' attractive names; but those who live ill daily dfesd of being murdered by tho \\ohv and his follower? may be excused for their inability to see anything romantic about eifchei' the bandits of fheir crini.es. The Shanghai correspondent of the London Tunes states that, •altkwigh Whiee Wolf been a.llowkl to develop into a draniatie figure of imposing proportiflfts, he is nothing more thai) a coromofl Hunau robW. (i fhere is not as ■atom of romance about liim except what tlie Government's lethargy has indirectly bestowed." fio Imb'thousands cif followers, but they arc without discipline,' and , infthy of them are mere boys, Phebidekt Yvxst jShih-kai has been able to swppress his political enemies,'and to make himself a dictator, and it is now about time that he took effective measures to protect the lives and property of peaceful people from the attack of An army of ji was the anarchy and bloodshed that I ■■ ■followed the establishment of con-1, stitutionnl govemment on European j i .inea that made tho Chinese welcome the high-handed action of tho PttEsi- i bent, who has now become Emperor j in fact, if not in iimne, and has also ] tlecidetl to exercise tho fiitietions -of high priest in eonnection with tho revival of the worship of Heaven. i As a nanttor of fact, the Chinese were i not; prepared for Parliamentary , jovfirnmesifc on Western Ums, anil ' ] the reckless rush of reforms in almost s every sphere of Hfo romplotoly he- ( ivil(l(>r«{l (lie inas.t of tiio ppopl»>, wh-o 1. ■an' by nature exiromely conscrva- 1 t-ivn. If the h.H-.jsi.oig.'T' won lit only ■' gmu-antw gnml govfrnwiit li.icv mi not likely u> wgrefc tlie i'tiiluiv! of )■ roiiresfiiit;itivn ifistHufioiis, n{ H \ I would pfobably «vcn M«iiii(\se<) }, in tho . oslublishmonl; of a j: new .dynasty with Yuan Shih-kai as '' Emperor.