CHINA AND MEXICO

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 71, 14 September 1911, Page 7

CHINA AND MEXICO

' THE TORREON MASSACRE. J A BILL FOR THE REPUBLIC,

New York, September 10.

Woo Chung-yen, a noted Chinese diplomat, lias arrived at San Francisco on his way to hold an investigation into Mexican atrocities and the shooting of Chinese at Torreon in May last. Compensation will be demanded. THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE. The fact regarding the wholesale massacre of Chinese at Torreon, on May 15, were variously reported by the Mexican press and by the dispatches of the American Associated Press. Writing of the incident in July the New York Post correspondent in Mexico said: Intelligent and patriotic Mexicans freely confess that it has been a great biot on the revolutionary movement; and in public, while trying to throw as much blame as possible upon lawless element which at the time could not be controlled, prefer to say very little/and to recognise the justice of all reasonable claims on the part of the Chinese Government for apology and indemnity. It was stated in the press some time ago that the Chinese Government would exact an indemnity of 100,000 dollars for each of the 303 Chinese subjects who were slaughtered, together with an extra sum covering value of banking and mercantile property destroyed.

Dr. Lim, one of the most prominent members of the Chinese colony in Torreon, was an American Presbyterian convert in Canton, studied medicine, came to California, and from there entered Mexico, taking up his residence at Torroen over twenty years ago. Torreon was then a hustling railroad centre with only two or three thousand people, but with a big future ahead of it as the centre of a rich mining and cotton district. Dr. Lim, having keen business instincts, began to dabble in mines and real estate, while he practised his profession as a physician. At the same time he associated himself with Foon Chuck, who had been put in charge of the railroad hotels on the international railroad lines. Foon Chuck is now reputed to be a multi-millionaire. He and Dr. Lim, with a few chosen associates, kept bringing over Chinese boys to act as cooks and waiters in 'the hotels, Americanising them in dress and habits, and establishing schools for their education. Later they have gone into garden farming, and, the establishment of small stores, and before tse massacre the Chinese community in Tblreon alone numbered about 000. i

At the date of the massacre they had some sixty stores in different parts of the city and had practically [monopolised the Torreon fruit and vegetable market. They had also established 4 flourishing Chinese hunk and were building an electric railroad connecting thie centre of the city with the flourishing extension which they had bought and] planned for a residence, district; This will largely explain the jealously that grew up against them on the part of Mexican washerwomen' (for they h(id also ex-, tensive laundries) and srab.ll farmers, who had "lost out" in their competition with the more industrious The added fact that the Chin ;se did not bring theif families with them; that there are very few intermarriages with Mexicans, and that the Mexican people formed an exaggerated ilea of the' amount of money that was being sent to China through the ban c tended to strengthen the feeling of hostility. During the revolution tl e town got out of hand on the date mentioned, and began looting the Chinese stores, and finally rounded up the Chinese anil killed them like sheep. ■;:•■: