Show I Huns Must Return Them 4 2 g 4 9 Stolen From Pekin in 19 I 1901 01 By Paris Juno 7 The The threads o of history running far tar Into tho the beginnings beginnings beginnings begin begin- of ot the world are invisible to most of or the generations who see nothing but their own problems They have a n wa way however of ot appearing appearing ap ap- ap- ap pearln now and then with a startling startling startling start start- ling reality and guiding contemporary contempo contempo- affairs Lon Long there was any such thing as modern society S with all Its wars and Intrigues long before Christ lived thero there wits was an ancient ancient an an- dent civilization rich In in culture t and md Invention That was China China who ho with the In the tho west made the first astronomical observances They were the first to attempt to plot the tho sk sky and thc they made tho the first Instruments Instruments instruments ments by which the they could read the stars At Potsdam today there stand five brone bronze treasures of ot ancient China five ve of oC tho the most exquisite examples of oC the art and science of or tho the east Poast harking back to this civilization cl which had grown old when European civilization cl was Just beginning Their surroundings are aro not congenial They seem to dream o of other worlds And so 80 the threads of history tugging are aro restoring them to their ancient seat seal Take rake Objects of ot Art This Is what happened In 1900 Baron Daron von on Ketteler was murdered In tho the Boxer rebellion in China The German government greatly outraged demanded reparation reparation reparation tion and Indemnity for tor the thc Insult Under tho the protocol of oC 1 1901 01 the German German German Ger Ger- man government was given special 11 h 3 in some 3 S. S wharves and barracks for the munitions munitions munitions muni muni- of oC warships and objects of oC art which they took from tho ancient ancient an an- observatory of ot Peking Amon Among those these objects were vere five of ot tho the most beautiful astronomical In Instruments Instruments Instruments In- In ever made rhey They were wrought In bronze and dated back to studies made as early as 2000 B B. B C. C Ono One of oC these Instruments Is a n large device resembling an equilateral which was constructed In the tho thirteenth century by Chou Ko astronomer astronomer astronomer astron astron- omer to the tho emperor of or tho the first Tartar Tartar Tartar Tar Tar- tar dynasty and founder o of Pekin It was Kung Ko who determined determined deter deter- mined with accuracy tho the obliquity of oC the ecliptic and made malle attempts to estimate the distance of ot the thc sun from the tho earth In this latter he lie failed because he assumed the earth to be flat One of ot the most ancient chronicles In existence tho the KIng re relates re- re lates how the emperors emperor's two chief astronomers Hi III and Ito Ho suffered death because the they neglected to proclaim proclaim proclaim pro pro- claim tho the eclipse o of 22 2137 B. B C. C Huge Quadrant Another Instrument Is ig a huge hUJe bronze quadrant which was sent to the Emperor Kan Kung Kang III Hi by Louis louls XIV XIA and a huge hUJe brown sphere of oC the thc seventeenth century The most beautiful of oC all however er Is the celestial globe made nade of or bronze seven soven feet In diameter It was constructed con con- In 1647 by one of ot the Jesuit missionaries Pere who had charge of oC the observatory of ot between 1661 and 17 1721 1 These monuments js to the ancient glory and scholarship of oC China were taken by tho the Germans who refused to return them after the looting of ot Peking Peking Pek Pek- ing when tho the armes of or Germany o Russia Great Britain and tho the United States entered the city to put It In order The Tho troops of oC tho the different dif dif- brent ferent nations were commanded d b by byField Field Marshal Count Counton von on A who was chosen In deference to the thc ha kaiser s e r. r fhe Tho observatory from which these I Instruments n s t r u rn e ii ts were v e re t taken talen a 1 en e eighteen I g h teen years a ago o. o Is a a. massive tower of ot medium medium medium me me- height situated In the tho southwest southwest south south- west corner of oC the inner elt city Its architecture la Is of or feudal character resembling more the old gates gatcH of or the fortified city of or tho the middle ages than thun thana thuna a Chinese structure Hero Here under kind o of shed that Juts out from the I left lett of ot the tho tower the tho instruments were sere kept Took Toole Ib Their Jr IJ Pick k kD D By some somo of ot those mounted on the ramparts of oC the observatory It appears appears appears ap ap- ap- ap pears that the Chinese anticipated by three centuries many Important Inventions In Ever er since B. B C. C the they have o had trustworthy record records records rec rec- ord and vcr very earl early attempts were made to proclaim the eclipses of ot the thes s sun n. n The Germans took their pick of ot the tho instruments and sent them to Potsdam Potsdam Potsdam Pots Pots- dam where they were were erected for public inspection and adoration But now thc they aro arc being returned to China Chinn The peace conference hl ha has hasso so dec decided 1 d ed Under a a. clause in tho the peace treat treaty Germany renounces In favor tavor of oC China all privileges and Indemnities ties resulting from the tho Boxer Doxer protocol protocol protocol proto proto- col of oC 1901 and all buildings wharves and barracks for the tho munitions of ot warships wireless plants and other pu public property Somewhere In tho the Celestial Heavens hear hear- ens ens- Ill ens-Ill Hi and Ho must have ha smiled when the they read this clause use |