National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

In spite of all tracasseries and threats, the baggage was transported, on March 21st, to Feng-t'ai outside Peking. The station-master at Feng-t'ai declared that there was nothing to prevent our setting out the following day. The situation grew more and more tense. We had determined to set out for Pao-t'ou with the whole expedition, although the threat of reprisals, if we took this step, still held. I was convinced, however, that their decision to make me and my expedition the scapegoat for European intrusion in China was not irrevocable. So far, no hard words or violence had been used. I treated them as our equals throughout; nor was it my feeling that Western peoples represented a higher cultural level than the Chinese. Friendship and a spirit of tolerance were the only roads that could lead us to our goal.

MAIN BODY OF EXPEDITION LEAVES PEKING

Major v. DEWALL, who was in charge of the German contingent, considered it his duty to follow his troop to Pao-t'ou; but as I needed him by me Major HEMPEL was given charge of the Pao-t'ou group.

This group consisted of BERGMAN, DETTMANN, HAUDE, HEMPEL, HEYDER, V. KAULL, V. MARSCHALL, V. MASSENBACH, MÜHLENwEG, NORIN and WALz. Their interpreter was Mr HENRY SzE, who spoke German. They were to leave on the 22nd and arrive in Pao-t'ou on the 25th of March. HASLUND, LIEBERENZ and ZIMMERMANN were to join them later on.

Accordingly, on March 22nd, the above-mentioned members left Peking for Pao-t'ou. The train was to have started at 12 o'clock; but the departure was somewhat delayed, as the two vans with our provisions and our equipment, a matter of 4o tons, had not yet come up from Feng-t'ai. I had been warned that angry crowds of students would storm the station, set fire to our baggage and derail our vans and carriage. I was told that the opposition was furious that I had dared this step in spite of the discussions and meetings. And now the departure was to be prevented with violence. But no battle took place and we saw no students. The train did not leave until 8 p. m., after a delay of 8 hours.

CHINESE REACTION

LARSON was instructed to go ahead with the purchase of camels. Excitement grew. Some of our Chinese friends had disappeared — rats leaving a sinking ship. Shanghai had fallen into CHIANG KAI-SHEK'S hands, an event that might cause our opponents to forget us for a time! The victorious Kuomintang Party was on its way northwards.

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