TRAVEL IN CHINA

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1922, Page 4

TRAVEL IN CHINA

ATS TERiI((XR S**AN(D .CJJANqSS. ' (By A. J. Darker in the Sydney “Morning )dera!d.”) The chaotic state of China at the present time is responsible for many pf (he .hardships and dangers which are being suffered by foreigners whose lot is to have to travel in the interior of safe and usually most enjoyable journeying on the .lower reaches of the .Yangtze .Iviang, oil the nisgiijlkeiit British or Japanese-owned river steamers, the foreign-owned l>oats on the upper reaches of the river have already oil several occasions .been fired on by gangs of brigands, and even soldiers. It is. however, when the traveller leaves the main waterways and strikes across country, either by road or rail, that ho is liable to encounter unpleasant incidents, and may even .have a few hair-breadth escapes. The trip on almost anv Chinese-controlled railway is nowndvs an ordeal that is only to he faced under great compulsion, and, withal, with something like dread, for the traveller never knows what unpleasant experience may lie before, ■him.) All lie knows is that he will he a lucky man if he reaches his journey’s oild without running up against a few. the cause of all this is not far to seek wlieii we hear in mind that the native troops appear to rcg’rd joy rides in the trains (preferably in first class carriages) as- part of their perquisites. or. at any rate, as : ciiretliing of tlie nature of a quid pco quo for wages due and still unpaid. Time and aeniii have Europeans travelling cm such liin-s rs the .Peking-,Hankow liillwav had to suffer the greatest, indignities at the hands of these brigands in uniform. At limes they have beiui forcibly cp’ored from tlieir compartments for seats in which they had paid high fares in order to make room for officers or privates, who quickly made themselves at home, putting tli 'ir feet up on the cushions, and in

n short time converting the place into a> pigstye. Any appeal to the train officials would ho <jitito in vain, as these men are themselves at the mercy of the military. There are instantes of passen 'ers who, on making their way to the dining saloon, discovered the tallies already occupied bv soldiers, who had converted them for the time 1 ring into conches, and, clad in their filthy garments, were resting thereon. Anyone who wanted a meal could only obtain it by bribing an attendant to smuggle it into his compartment, unless he were lucky enough to lie allowed to occupy a seat. The higher military .officers sometimes go as far as to hold hack a train to suit their own convenience. Some time ago a general was travelling on one of the lines, and discovering that an eld friend was living in one of the towns at which the train stopped ordered that the iournev should not he resumed until he hid returned from visiting his -a< (piaintanee. Coming back after about two hours lie found that, if the carriage containing himself and his suite alone were coupled to the engine, the lost time could shout he made up. Thereupon ho commanded that the remainder of the carriages were to he left behind, and the unhappy passengers had to shift for themselves. Grant ns are the hardships of those travelling hy rail, they are often preferred to those met with hy people who journey by road. To anyone who has had the experience of spending a night in fdthv native inn, sharing a roam with coolies, pigs, and fowls, to say nothing of noeturuil maunders that have secreted themselves fi:i his bed, th r terrors of travel are sufficiently great. When to this, however, is added the fact tjiat most of the roads are infested hy brigands, the hardships are increased tenfold. Quito a number rf Tlritons have re-

contly been held tip by these men amt robbed of almost all their possessions. Some have even been kidnapped and kept for ransom. Of the litter some have had to suffer great indignities at the lends of these' canaille, who ap-

poor to take a special delight in humiliating any white Ilian who gets into their power, ami at the point of the bayonet, force him to obey their behests. Til the meantime, those supposed to he in authority in I’eiikitig protest that they are powerless to bring the offenders to justice. The foreign diplomats either cannot or will not lend any aid in bringing about a better stale of affairs, and at the same time “ Young China ” talks largely and glibly a|)out republicanism and | China’s sovereign rights.