To the Editor of the "Nonra-Curx Dany News."
Sin,—On recently returning from a six-months! sojourn in the Chianghos region, T came to know that there had been some writing to the newspapers about the Japanese treatment of foreigners in Formosa, and as my residence here began thirty years ago, I hope it will not be considered unseemly for me to ask your kind insertion of a fow remarks on the subject.
It may help to a better understanding of things to note that the foreign community in Formosa is mostly to be found in the two northern ports of Tamsui and Twatutia, the others being located at Tainan in the south; with the exception of two missionaries whose station lies about eighty miles to the north of this.
Moreover, while the mission staff at Tainan numbers fourteen adults when all wether—sixteen, including the two just referred to—their official and commercial fellow-residents number collectively only sbout five. Nor is the smallness of the latter class owing to oppressive measures being directed against them by our new rulers; because "the man in the street" knows that South Formosa business houses and those connected with them were steadily decreasing during many years before the island was coded to Japan.
With regard to the foreign community in the north, T' am not myself aware that public complaints have ever come from it about anything like petty persecution on the part of the Japanese. On the contrary, residents there seem to feel fairly content with their surroundings; at least, that the impression produced on my mi when admitted to their kind hospitality on the occasion of my three visits within the past twelve months. I hope, too, it will not appear officious for me toadd that last, January they were much pleased at the Governor-General's recent gift of five hundred yen to their Photographic Club, and for his message that even the Emperor himself had graciously expressed an interest in its work.
Of course, we English Preshyterinn missionaries in Formosa are better acquainted with what goes on further south ior thirty of our stations are scattered over Central Formosa, and as far inland Pavlisia, while we have forty-three more between Kayi and the Tangkang River, besides four on the East coast and three on the Pescadores.
Tt need scarcely be added that our constant visitation of those stations brings us into direct contact with all classes of the people, and affords us exceptionally good opportunities of getting to know whift is taking place. A glimpse of this is seen in the fact that during my recent stay in Chianghoa, I had to see to the registration of no fewer than fourteen deeds of Church property, a troublesome piece of work which could never have been put through had not the officials at the various district offices acted in most obliging and helpful way.
In looking, then, at the charges which recent anonymous writers have been bringing against the Japanese for their treatment of foreigners in Formosa, I should like to single out for comment one complete crucial statement from An Occasional Correspondent" to the Hongkong China Mail" of 23rd June. After attempting to establish a somewhat far-fetched connection between the Boxer programme in China and such incidents as the intemperate language of a certain newspaper here which the authorities suspended some weeks ago, this correspondent, goes on to say—the italics being his own: My object, however, is not to describe or protest against any specific display of anti-foreign feeling, as affecting any given individual or group of persons, but to attempt to show how, during the last three years, this feeling has been initiated, fostered,' and intensified against all foreigners and everything connected with them."
Now, before offering any remarks of my own on the question thus raised, I should like to quote a few words from' published statements of two of my colleagues. Mr. Barclay has been associated with me here for twenty-six years, and what he says shows also how the suicidal conduct of the natives of Formosa, before they had any experience of Japanese rule, greatly increased the difficulties of the situation He writes as follows: " About five years ago, at the close of the war between China and Japan, the island of. Formosa was given over by treaty to the victors. The people of the land bitterly resented this action and when, by order of the Emperor, all the mandarins left, they set up a republic of their own, and prepared to resist by force the coming of the Japanese. These latter sent at once a military force to the north end of the island, of Which they took immediate possession, They then, marched southward, fighting the people step by step till at lst their armies courersod om Taineufu, A day was already fixed for the bombard-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.