nstruction, outside your office. It would be advisable
for you to come out and pacify them, informing them what
you would do." When the Shengcheng came out, the audience
clapped their hands and shouted at the top of their voice.
Some even wept, and others cried "Liberty or Death" and
suchlike expressions. The Shengcheng said: "I am also of
your opinion. I will sacrifice my life, too, for the
maintenance of the territory entrusted to me for
preservation. And I can assure you that no foreigner shall
be allowed to occupy one inch of our territory in this
unreasonable manner."

It is pitiful to read these accounts and the telegrams sent to the
President of China and to Parliament, and to realize that the weak and
cowed government at Peking cannot defend itself against the foreign
aggressor. However, the Chinese people have taken affairs into their own
hands, to a certain extent, and have organized a run on the French bank,
the Banque Industrielle de Chine. One of the branches of this bank is
around the corner from the hotel, and all day long, for the past
several days, a long, patient line of Chinese have been standing,
waiting to withdraw their accounts from the bank of the country which
has treated them so ill. This run on the bank, conducted by a huge crowd
of quiet, orderly men and women, is a favorite Chinese method of
retaliation. They say the bank is losing enormous sums in consequence,
is obliged to buy great quantities of silver to maintain its credit.
Also, there are rumors flying about that a boycott of French goods is
shortly to be established.

The attitude of the English newspapers (those that represent the foreign
point of view) is illuminating. They are laying all these manifestations
of resentment to "agitators," refusing to believe in the indignation of
the people themselves. Every day the newspapers representing the foreign
interests are becoming more and more abusive. Here is one extract that
seems particularly insulting:

The Chinese agitator, particularly if he believes that he
enjoys official support, is invariably willing to fight to
the death for some cause that he professes to have at
heart, until there is some risk that he may be taken at
his word. Then he invariably beats an ignominious retreat.
And unless we are greatly mistaken, this is what will
happen in this case. We are familiar with the normal
course of events--pu