heathen at that, their feelings and reactions seem
very similar to what I imagine ours would be in similar circumstances--I
mean, if France should suddenly "claim" and "annex" three hundred and
thirty-three acres of ground in the heart of Boston or New York. Their
newspapers have broken out into flaring head-lines an inch high, and
are wild in their denunciations of what they term an outrage; an
infamous, high-handed act, a wanton, deliberate theft of territory from
a peaceful and friendly country. Really, these Chinese newspapers seem
to be describing the business in much the same words, with much the same
force and fury and resentment, as our American papers probably would
employ in describing such an episode if it took place in some American
city. Only, our head-lines would probably be a little larger. However,
the Chinese newspapers do very well, and what type they have seems to
convey their meaning--rage and indignation. Mass meetings of protest
against this outrage are being held in Peking, in Tientsin, in all the
provinces, in fact; the governors of the different provinces are sending
in telegrams; societies and organizations are telegraphing to the Peking
government; the whole country is wild with resentment and is sending
delegations and messages and protests to the poor old wabbly Chinese
Government, urging it to "act." To act; that is, to tell the French
Government to hand back to China this "acquired" land. What the outcome
will be, I don't know. Apparently the supine, terror-stricken Chinese
Government cannot act, doesn't dare. Three days have now passed, and the
French are still sitting tight, holding to their fruits of victory,
facing an enraged but helpless country. And they will probably continue
to sit tight till the matter blows over.

I was eager to find out what constituted the French claim to this
particular piece of territory, called Lao Hsi Kai. The French already
possess a large concession in Tientsin, and why they should have wished
to enlarge it, particularly in such a summary manner, I was anxious to
discover. Their excuse is this: they asked for this Lao Hsi Kai area as
long ago as 1902. That's all. Asked for it years ago, and have been
"claiming" it ever since. Have been asking for it at intervals during
all these years. When the first request was made, in 1902, the ruling
official in Tientsin considered it so insolent that he tore up the note
and threw it into the scrap-basket, disdaining a