LETTER FROM CHINA
Suiping Honan China December 13, 1913
I am not sure how much foreign newspapers report on the frightful robberies and depredations taking place in much of China, perhaps worst in our province of Honan. Our mission friends may be interested to hear something more detailed about this and I will offer a few impressions that will serve to introduce them to the situation in the Republic of China at this time.
Here are many bands of robbers in addition to the famous "white wolf" with his robber band of some thousands of men. There are many other bands both larger and smaller in number but similar in what they do. Robber band leaders recruit peasants as "soldiers" and pay them up to four times what they could earn as soldiers in the government service. And what might not the impoverished peasant be willing to do for so much money!
It is said that in troubled times in the past that robber bands who have the occupation of stealing make their headquarters in remote mountainous areas. From there they pillage the nearby countryside. Since the beginning of the revolution (1911) the number in this occupation has grown rapidly. Towns and even cities are plundered and burned. The rich are taken captive and held for ransom until they can pay, or arrange for relatives to pay, amounts of hundreds or even thousands of taels (Chinese currency) for release. Young women and the daughters of the rich are taken hostage by the robber bands.
Our county seat of Suiping where we have our mission station has repeatedly been in danger of falling to the robbers. One night last week the robbers got to the city wall but fortunately were repulsed (by government troops in the city). The city would be a rich prize because the rich from surrounding areas have fled to within the city walls. The city walls bristle with cannons and the city gates are closed at night and defended. If any persons is on the street after 9:00 PM they are taken to military headquarters. Those who can’t account for themselves properly are shot.
Some weeks ago one our Christian Chinese was walking home after the 9:00 curfew. The sentries on the street took him in custody and brought him before the magistrate who asked him what he was doing after the curfew deadline. The man was so nervous that he could not speak a word. "What have you got here?" asked the magistrate looking a the New Testament and hymn book he was carrying. The man got his voice and explained. "Don’t worry" said the magistrate. "Just go home and go to church meetings as often as you wish. Be diligent and learn because in my experience Christian teachings make people good citizens"
Unfortunately, the soldiers in the local garrison are not much to depend on for protection and many of them are in cahoots with the robbers. The city’s leaders go fearfully to bed each night. The mayor is a good man and has made many efforts towards peace and order in the area. But as he himself has said, "I am one man and can do little when the assigned government soldiers work with the robbers. The soldiers sell cannon and ammunition to the robbers. There are times where an entire garrison of soldiers defect and join the robber band or become robbers themselves."
Soldiers may leave when a robber band approaches. Also, often the soldiers are worse in their treatment of people than the robbers. Some say the robbers are to be feared but the soldiers who are to protect us may be worse. There are few days when we don’t get reports of soldiers who plunder and steal. When there is opportunity they may take rings from women’s’ hands and strip earrings from their ears.
Last spring when there were unusually serious robber disturbances a prominent general with a large contingent of troops was assigned to launch a campaign to suppress the robbers. The general was paid extravagantly and proceeded to stretch out his assignment as long as possible. This gave the robbers ample opportunity to move their action elsewhere. On and on the general held his army back while living in high pomp and circumstance. The entire campaign ended without a hair being lost by a single robber.
Among all the tragedy and suffering we still can find a bit of comic relief. A few days ago a substantial market town some ten miles from here was robbed and burned. Some 50 or 60 villagers were taken captive and a number in the city were killed. The town yielded some 10-12 large piles of loot including gold, silver and clothing. It now came time to divide the spoils among the robbers. Quarrels broke out among the robbers about the fair distribution of the loot and the robber chief was seriously irritated. To quell the argument he ordered that the entire collection of loot be placed in one large pile. The chief then set fire to the entire pile which included even the robbers’ rations for the evening meal. For their quarreling that robber band went to bed that night not only without any loot but without any food as well!
Last week here in Suiping there were rumors that traitorous soldiers and agents of the robbers were negotiating under the table. The mayor advised the town leaders that he was helpless to control matters and the future would be in their own hands. He then disappeared for two days but then
emerged on the third evening and personally stood watch against robber attack on the city wall all night. In his absence the mayor had gotten word to China’s highest central authority to get help. As I write that military help is now here. A large contingent of national Yuan shi kai troops with cannons and full military supplies are now assigned to defend Suiping.
The president’s son appointed a high military authority for our city and even visited the city himself. Today we are told there are new comprehensive plans to rid the area of the robber bands. It is planned to attack and destroy the mountain lairs where the robbers hide out. This means that the old and young, man and women will be driven out or killed. Such actions cause us concern and we must ask --- does all the talk of a "new China" justify barbaric means in its implementation? The response is "Nothing else works, People’s old habits are evil and must be rooted out".
One wonders if a more humane program would not be possible. Women and children are self-evidently guilty of nothing and should be spared. Even men whose actions may have been with the robbers or assisted the robbers might well have their lives spared. Some considerations along these lines may in the end be the best that we can hope for.
How it will go with us is not certain. For the immediate future there is no danger for our city but we can expect the robbers to carry on and danger to persist.
Danielle Nesse
PS The above letter was published in Norway and in the US. Suiping later fell to the robbers and the Nesses’ were robbed. In their time in China this happened three times to Hans and Danielle but their lives were spared and each time they took up their work again at the next opportunity.