THE AMERICAN
5
mm.
Brutal Attack on Baptist
Mission by Barbarians
in China.
United States Minister and and Consul
Fail to Offset Papal Power in the
Land of the Chines.
Bunyan's Pilgrim in bis journey to
the Celestial City passed "a cave where
two giants, Pope and Pagan, dwelt in
In olden time." He was able to get by
"without much danger," because
Pagan had been dead many a day, and
as for the other, old and stiff, he could
do little more than grin at pilgrims as
they went by and bite his nails because
he could not get at them. Could Bun
yan come to China at the present time,
we think he would come to the conclu
sion that Pagan was not quite dead
after all; and as for Pope, he would
find that, whatever might be said of
bis power, his will is just the same as
it always was; and when these two
giants combine their forces they are
still able to give pilgrims a great deal
of trouble. We have been having an
illustration of just such a combination
for the last two months or more. The
story is somewhat long, but the impor
tance of the interests at stake and the
principles involved will lustily our
giving an outline of the main facts,
which we will try to do as briefly as
possible.
A notorious bandit and outlaw, for
whose arrest the officials were com
pelled, something less than two years
ago, to offer a large reward, fled the
region. While away he came in con
tact with the Roman Catholics, and
was advised by friends to join them for
greater security. He fell in with this
advice, and a few months later re
turned to his old haunts, no less, but
rather more, a bandit than before. Ue
now boasted that he was a Catholic,
and had no fear of the magistrates,
who would not dare to arrest him,
even with the price on his head. Still,
at first he was a bit careful about stay
ing too many consecutive nights in the
same place. But his shyness soon
wore off, and his reputation grew apace
as the people saw that he really did go
about freely and was not arrested. He
60on gathered a lot of his old lawless
confederates about him, with many
new recruits, promising that those
who joined him and followed him Into
the church need not pay their debts
Dor other dues, nor government taxes
His boldness at last grew so great that
he took in hand a petty mandarin, the
magistrate of a market village. This
magistrate had rendered a decision to
the effect that a certain man should
pay part of a debt, 3,000 out of 17,200
cash (probably a rambling debt.) The
debtor, dissatisfied with this decision,
determined to attach himself to the
ole bandit, now turned Catholic, in the
expectation of getting help. He was
not disappointed. The case was taken
up, and in the absence of the father,
the village magistrate's son was seized
and beaten and only released when the
father had engaged the service of some
mediators, and agreed to the payment
of a sum of money nearly double the
amount of the judgment be had ren
dered, together with a fine of 2,000
blrecrackers as a publio acknowledge
ment that he had done wrong in re'
quiring a man to pay money, who after
ward attached himself to this outlaw.
So fearful was the magistrate of re
venge on the part of the ruffian and
his gang that he dared not report the
affair to his superiors. Of course the
ruffian's reputation increased amaz
ingly, and all the vagabonds and des-
perados of the surrounding country
were ready to join him as their leader,
and if there should be occasion for it,
to follow him into a church which
could so effectually shield him In his
lawless conduct.
All these things took place in or close
to a village where we have a most
flourishing station, opened about
twenty years ago. The members have
recently completed a new chapel on the
outskirts of the village, and they were
just reaching the stage of self-support.
They had been prospered beyond
others. Their faith was now to meet a
severe trial.
After humiliating the village magis-
trate, the ruffian leader openly de
clared that he had attended to one
case, and now one thing remained to be
done that where there was Lord of
Heaven (Roman Catholic) teaching
there must be no Jesus teaching
This threat was made, and intention
ally, in the hearing of some of our
people, and by them reported to the
rest. They had good reason for alarm
A man who could defy and punish a
magistrate with impunity, what might
he not dare to do to them? So they
at once informed the missionaries,
seeking their counsel and aid in the
matter of securing protection. The
Chinese officials are so notoriously
slow in their movements, and the case
seemed so urgent, that it was thought
best to secure prompt action, if possi-
ble, by an appeal to the magistrate
through the consul. The consul's re
sponse was immediate and energetic,
but even with this the Chinese efficlats
were slower than need be, and before
they had taken the necessary steps the
ruffian, with a large number of his con
federates, came about midnight and
attacked our chapel. The evening be
fore quite a numbar of our brethren
had gathered for the usual weekly
meeting, and while they were there
the ruffian leader and two of his lieu
tenants came and threatened and re
viled In such a way that our people
feared that serious trouhle was In store,
and perhaps not very far ahead. Later
in the evening a friendly relative, not
Christian, brought warning of war
like preparations, and said that there
as likely to be an attempt to seize
the preacher and school teacher of our
little company, as being especially ob
noxious on account of their position
and teaching. These two were there
fore advised to go to the village for the
night, leaving the rest, something
over ten In number, to stay and protect
the chapel with such weapons as they
had. It is quite the rule in that region
for the people of the villages to provide
themselves with weapons for watching
their fields and resisting robbers, and
our people were no exception to the
rule. So they had weapons to use, and
these were kept in one of the side
rooms of the chapel, as being close to
the fields to be watched.
After the meeting they went to bed,
but not to sleep, and about midnight a
sound was heard as of approaching
footsteps, and soon the punching ot the
roof tiles by the bamboo poles and
spears ol tnose wno naa come
outside. Our people sprang to
the defense of their property, and
opening the door, were met by a crowd
trying to get in. A short, sharp strug
gle took place In which our people,
though few in number, were able to
beat off their assailants, till, an alarm
having been raised, help began to ar-
rive from the village close by, when
the assailants withdrew. In the melee
a man who was in the forefront and
trying to get in was struck down,
stunned and dragged inside; and after
ward, when a light was struck, to the
amazement of all, proved to be none
other than the ruffian leader himself.
What to do with him they did not
know. He was a most dangerous prls
oner for them to have on their hands.
for when the other side should know
what had become of him, there would
certainly be an attempt at a rescue.
And If he were let go, he would either
take revenge, or take himself olT, and
then his confederates would come to
our people and demand that he be pro
duced, and if they could not do It,
would claim and represent to the au-
thoritles that he was put out of the
way by them. That would have meant
their ruin. There was nothing else to
do than to hold on to him and inform
the authorities and get them to take
charge of him as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, for safer keeping, he was
transferred to a house In the village
close by. This was done at daylight.
During the forenoon the ruffian's
confederates made an attack on our
people in their own part of the vil
lage, paying no heed to a couple of
messengers sent by military officers
to preserve the peace. The object of
this attack was partly to recapture
their leader and partly to pillage our
people. A desultory fight was kept up
till nearly noon, by which time medl-
atora appeared from other villages,
and presently messengers came fro m
the district magistrate's yamen, and
there was a cessation of hostilities
Fortunately no great harm was done
on either side.
It would seem as though the affair rs
above related gave the officials a very
straight and plain case to deal with
and that when the missionaries
asked them to take charge of
the prisoner, and to deal accord
Ing to law and justice with his con
federates In the assault on the mission
chapel and people, their course should
have been perfectly plain. But it was
not to be so. The ruffian leader's con
fidence in his backing was to I e fully
justified. From the very outset
strong influence made itself felt to
thwart justice in its course.
This influence first appeared in the
form of a native Roman Catholic priest
and then in his superiors, some French
priests, who came forward and claimed
the ruffian leader as one of their con
verts. While compelled to admit to
us his previous bad record, and even
the recent affair of the village magis
trate, they claimed that having joined
their church he was now a good man,
and therefore the story of the assault
on our chapel could not be true. The
humiliation of the village magistrate
was justified on the ground that his
decision in the case that gave offense
was not fair, etc., etc. Not only was
the assault on the Baptist chapel and
Christians denied, it was even claimed
that the truth was the other way, and
that the Baptist Christians moved with
jealousy at the increasing numbers of
the Catholics, had concocted a scheme
to kidnap that desperado on the Catho
lic premises and out of the midst of his
own followers flushed with their suc
cess In bringing a mandarin to terme.
It was now put forward that our peo
ple's appeal for protoction, made a few
days earlier, was part Of a "put-up-job,"
and that the real object was to
have some police on band to take
charge of the prisoner when he should
be Uken. Who would have believed
such a perversion, such an inversion of
the truth to bo possible? The Inno
cent victims represented as the guilty
conspirators and criminals.
What was the effect of this interven
tion of the prlesu, native and foreign?
lis first effect was to strenthea and
give confidence to the lawless elements.
When the soldiers and police arrived
they would not permit them to have
quarters in the village ancestry halls,
which are usually placed at their dis
posal at such times. When about a
week later the chief magU trate of the
district appeared on the scene, he met
Ith a similar refusal and was com
pelled to take up his quarters la the
Baptist chapel which was cheerfully
placed at his disposal. When the fol
lowing day he summoned, among
others, the chief lieutenants of the
man who had been taken prisoner,
they refused to come be Tore him lor
examination. When a day or two later
be made a tour of inspection through
ihe village, he was confronted by a
howling mob, who demanded the re
lease of the prisoner, and when he
ould not accede to this demand, he
a. . , .1 93 1
was insulted and nusueu ana ariven
out ot the place with some scores ot
soldiers and other attendants. When
dav or two after that, the native
Catholic priest visited the village, ac
companled by a large rabble, with
great insolence of manner he called on
the magistrate, and made a demand
for the release of his convert.
It is a significant fact that from the
time of this visit of the native priest, a
systematic pillaging of the crops of the
Baptist Christians was begun, in spite
of the presence of the district magis
trate with at least 200 soldiers, some of
whom were armed with Winchester
repeating rlflos. When his attention
was called to this pillaging, tbo magis
trate declared himself powerless to
stop it at the time, and only told our
people to keep an account of their
losses, and he would see what could be
done about the matter at a future day.
This pillaging was kept up during the
whole of the magistrate's stay of two
weeks, and for many weeks thereafter.
The second effect of the Interference
of the priests has already become ap
parent from the foregoing recital. The
local authorities were paralyzed and
helpless. In spite of repeated requests
from the missionaries, through their
consul and also in person, that the
magistrate take charge of the prisoner,
and thus relieve our people of the dif
ficult and dangerous duty and responBi
blllty of keeping and guarding him, It
was not till after eighteen days had
passed since the capture, that he ven-
tured to do this, and then the transfer
was made by night, with the greatest
secrecy, and with every possible pre
caution against an attempt at rescue.
More than a month after the transfer
of the prisoner to the district city the
case came to a judicial hearing. And
such a hearing! Truth and justice?
These had no consideration In that
judgment hall. Some of us were pres
ent. It was our first experience of a
Chinese trial. We are quite willing
that It should be our last.
The magistrate who was judge, prose
cuting attorney and jury all in one.
alone had a seat, the judgment seat.
All others, hi9 attendants and the
spectators interested in the case stood
on either side, excepting the parties
immediately concerned, and the wit
nesses, who kneeled on the stone pave
ment in front of him.
The whole examination, the first and
main session of which lasted four hours,
was conducted by the magistrate alone,
through an interpreter. Much that
was said was lost in the interpretation!
Many things that our witnesses wanted
to say in their own behalf, they had no
opportunity to say, and on the part of
the magistrate many most obvious
questions in cross-examination were
not asked. On the other side the most
brazen falsehoods were unbluslngly ut
tered in the hearing of the priests, by
the men whom they were backing, men
whose connection with the Catholics,
in some cases dated from the time of
that midnight assault, or from the
events of the week preceding. Facts
admitted one day were denied the
next. Facts notorious through the
whole region, facts that the magistrate
himself knew from personal observa
tion, or from official records to be true.
were denied to his face. At some of
these barefaced lies the magistrate
could not contain his indignation
Under other circumstances he would
have summarily ordered the punish
ment, on the spot, of those uttering
them, the yamen underlings testifying
to this. But there stood the French
priests, and the magistrate's indigna
tion had to content itself with denuncia
tion, and with 6aying to the witnesses,
"Your teachers teach you to do well
Why don't you beed their teaching?
Why do you follow that outlaw?
When denouncing the one side or brow
beating the other he would raise his
voice and roar like a "bull of Bashan."
But the examination was a farce.
Had the magistrate deliberately pur
posed to avoid getting at the truth, he
could hardly have succeeded better.
Indeed it seemed to us that he did not
want to get testimony that would be
too damaging to the guilty parties, and
that would have compelled him to some
decided action. The fear of the priest
was before his eyes, and behind the
priests the power of the French gov
ernment. To offend them, by a Judg
ment against those whom they were
championing, might be dangerous. So
an attempt was made to even up thing,
to represent both sides as abaut equally
to blame, and thus force a settlement
of the cave by a compromise, a thor
oughly Chinese method In case of dif
ficulty. Such a mode of settlement we
could not for an Instant think of accept
ing. But the priest applauded it as
showing the discernment and fairness
of the magistrate. It was with them
like the woman In Solomon's judgment.
But the magistrate In this case ws no
Solomon, and the matter was not set
tled.
Nearly three months have passed
since the trouble began, and over three
weeks since the examination before the
magistrate, and justice ha not yet been
obtained; in fact the innocent have
been made to suffer more than the
guilty. The priests had told us at the
outset, that If the man captured were
not set free thorn would be serious
trouble. They were right. Tbey knew
whereof they spoke. The trouble was
to come from themselves. I have said
above that the magistrate was afraid of
the priests. This is no random state
ment, no mere surmise of our own. The
magistrate himself confessed that very
thing to one of ourselves. As a conso-
quenco of this fear, shared by his su
perior officials, repeated requests made
by our consular authorities for the ar
rest of the ringleaders In the assault on
our chaol, in the subsequent attack on
our people in their homes, and la the
pillaging of their fields, have been so
much waste paper considered as to
their results so far.
Is there no way of getting a hearing
fur the truth, and Is no justice pos
sible? So far as the Chinese local au
thorities are concerned, we are com
pelled to answer "No!"
Are we discouraged? Again, and
emphatically, "No!" We have often
been perplexed, as we have seen the
course of truth and justice blocked by
this combination of priests and hea
then, pope and pagan arrayed against
us. Bu , on the other hand, and we
should be most blind if we did not rec
ognize it, and most ungrateful if we
did not thankfully acknowledge and
record it, we have had many clear evl
dences of God's ordering of events, and
these have greatly strengthened us.
Our course has boen perfectly clear
from the beginning of the present
hour. There has been and is only one
path open to us that path that leads
straight ahead and we know that
whatever difficulties we may still have
to face, the end is all In the Lord's
hands, to whom these, his people, and
this, his work, are far dearer than can
possibly be to us. So we say to our
souls: "Hope thou in God."
It is a pleasure in connection with
this case to bear testimony to the
ready and sympathetic help so cheer
fully rendered by our country's repre
sentatives here. We are fortunate In
having at this time a consul and a min
ister who have been long in the serv
ice in China over ten years in each
case. They are not novices. They are
men of experience In dealing with the
Chinese. Further than that, they are
men in hearty sympathy with mission
ary work. They believe that mission
aries in their work are just as much
entitled to the protection of the United
LStates and its representatives as are
merchants and traders In their work.
Both Consul Seymour and Minister
Denby are men who deserve a good
word of hearty recognition at the
hands of the missionary body in China,
and we look upon It as otc of God's
good providences that they are our
representatives at this time.
It has been said above that great
Interests and great principles are in
volved in this case. Not alone the
welfare of the few tens of church mem
bers connected with a single station of
the Baptist mission is concerned, but
the question is raised, "Shall Roman
Catholic priests, or shall missionaries
of any faith, be allowed to step in and
interfere with the course of justice
toward criminals? And shall men be
allowed to make a cloak of religion in
order to violate with impunity the
laws of the land?" It will be obvious
at once that this Is a vital question,
and the answer Is far-reaching In Its
consequences. We believe that Prot
estants will be found to be of one mind
on this subject. We would that we
could say as much of Catholics; but our
experience forbids. We have person
ally known cases In which men have
sought the church as a shield in the
pursuit of some unlawful object or in
the evasion of some just obligation.
Only consent to such a use of the name
of the church, and scores, nay, hun
dreds, would be ready to profess Chris
tianity in any form and in any came,
as one would join an Insurance society.
In this very case many hundreds are
claimed to have joined the Roman
Catholics within a very short time,
some of them men whom we have re
fused to help in legal difficulties. They
are expecting great things from their
connection with the Catholics. If dis
appointed in this expectation, they
will, for the most part, fall away as
suddenly as they joined. This being
the case, one can see the importance to
the priests of defending! aaditrying to
save from punisnmeni me notorious
outlaw whom everyone knows to be de
serving of the severest punishment. It
would bo a tad day for the cause of
pure religion, a sad day for the cause
of peace and order In all this region, If
they were to succeed. But wo do not
believe that It Is to he so. llcv. Win.
Aihmtrt, Jr., in the ;;.( Afmsi'mturj.
Illiteracy la ew England.
The report of the commissioner of
education presents some curious and
Interesting facts with regard to Illiter
acy In the United biates. mis in
formation Is derived mainly from of
ficial record and deserves careful at
tention. It apiears that the number of
person over ten years of age who can
not read and write Is 6,324,70.!, or 13.3
per cent of the total population, ac
cording to the latest statistics. In 1HM)
the rale of Illiteracy was 17 er cent,
and a decrease of 3.7 iht cent since that
time I gratifying in that it I in pi lot
graJual improvement, but the situa
tion is still lamentable, and no good
citizen can contemplate It without ex
periencing a certain degree of humilia
tion.
The government Is based on tho Idea
of Kpular Intelligence as an assurance
of political safely and prosperity, and
vast sums of money are cxciidod for
educational purpose. There is really
no excuse for Ignorance In a country
where free schools abound and instruc
tion Is within easy reach of all classes.
Nevertheless, over t bl rUsen out of e very
100 of tho people are unable to read and
write. This great army of illiteracy Is
a standing reproach as well as a men
ace, and there Is no more Important
duty than that of reducing it as rapidly
as possible.
There was a tlmo when New Kng
land led all tho ret of the country in
the general average of popular lntolll
gence, but this Is no longer true. It Is
now in tho west and not In the east,
that the best showing is mado of the
education of tho masses. Nebraska
stands at the head of tho states, in
point of literacy, only 3.1 per cent of
its population buing unable to read and
write. No state west of the Mississippi
river, with tho exception of the four
southern states, ranks as low as Massa
chusetts in the number of Illiterates In
Its population. This meansof course-
and the fact Is a very significant one
that a large percentage of the educated
population of the east has romovod to
the west, thereby materially modifying
its "wild and wooly" condition, and It
means furthermore that the west has
been doing a great deal In the enlarge
ment of Its educational facilities. Wo
man's voice.
The Jesuits Described.
Jesuits are the most dangerous men
now in the American repupllc. Along
certain lines they are more to be
dreaded than even the anarchist. They
are men without a country except their
church; without a flag except the sym
bol of the papacy; without a home ex
cept where their lot may be cast; with
out recognized children except those
of their faith; and they recognize no
authority, human or divine, except
that of the head of their order and the
head of their church. Rome rulers
have driven them from many Roman
countries, as dangerous plotters against
the stability of government and1 the
welfare of the people, and so they
flocked to the United States. They
here find many aspirants for political
honors who are subservient to their
craft for the sake of their influence.
The day seems to be near at hand when
all true Americans must forget their
party affiliations and rise against the
eccleslastico-polltlcal machinations of
the Roman church. France was obliged,
for her own safety, to expcll Jesuits
from her own soli, and these are some
of the words which she spoke regard
ing them at the time of their expul-
pulsion: "Their dogmas break all
bonds of civil society, authorize theft,
perjury, falsehood, the most Inordinate
and criminal impiety, and generally all
passions and wickedness; teaching the
nefarious principle of secret compensa
tion, equivocations and mental reser
vation; extirpating every sentlmont of
humanity in their sanction of homicide
and parricide; subverting the author
ity of government; In fine, overthrow
ing the practice and foundation of re
ligion, and substitution in their stead
all sorts of superstltutlon, with magic,
blasphemy and adultery." Let Ameri
cans beware of the danger which con
fronts them at this moment, and let all
true patriots In the civic, state and na
tional elections so vote as to restrict
the power of these foes of civil and re
ligious liberty, and enthrone the time
honored principles of the American re
public Baptist Home Miisiotu Monthly .
A. P. A. Influence in Oakland, Cal.
A short time back, at a recent elec
tion, the chief of police a Mr. Shaffer
resigned his office to run for sheriff,
bsllevlng that he had Roman Catholic
friends enough back of him to put him
in the sheriff's office, which, in Oak
land, Is a good paying office. Mr.
Shaffer was a very popular citizen of
Oakland, and he was the choice of the
A. P. A. as well.
A committee of the A. P. A. waited
on Mr. Shaffer, and told him that he
was selected by the order to become
their candidate for sheriff, but before
the order would accept him he would
havo to sign papers to the effect that
In case he wss elected to the shrieval
ty ho would not apitulnt disloyal
Americans to office of any kind under
his jurisdiction. This Mr. Shaffer de
clineJ to do, a he said he bad quite a
number of Roman Catholic friends, and
he could not go back on them. Th
committee then shook hands with Mr.
Shaffer and bade him good-bye, at tho
s a mo time telling htm that ho would
never bo therlff of Oakland. The A.
A. then selected another man who
wss willing W sign me netwssmrj p-
Hrs, which be did, and after tne votes
a k a ll 1. t
were counted ine a. i . a. canuiusto
was elected with a good round ma
jority.
Mr. Shsffer, like a good many other
of our politicians, treated the true
American order with contempt, as If to
say: "Give mo the Romam Cathollq
vote and you can have the American
vote," but In Oakland there happened
to bo a great many more American
votes than papal votes. Travtller in
llo.ttim Citizen.
Hume's Campaign DlriM-tort.
With the annual return of tho po
lltieal campaign the usual revised edi
tion of the "official" Roman Catholic
directory has made Its appearance. It
Is claimed that there are 0,410,700
Catholics In the United States, and of
this number 10.34H are priests and
1,7:10,202 are said to be children who
attend their parochial schools and are
Inmates of Catholic Institutions, and
3,314 are students said to attend their
seminaries and colleges. From a po
litical standpoint the ratio of ono voter
In five In the total population, it would
make a Roman Catholic voting popu
lation In tho United States of 1,882,16.
Vet this number Is of vastly more Im
portance to tho various political party
managors than all other influences
combined. It Is strango how subser
vient a political party can beoome to
Influences of this character. They
havo virtually controlled tho Demo
cratic party for years, and there has
be on a tendency to socure a hold upon
the Republican party, and at the same
time maintain a tenacious grip upon
tho Populist. According to this direc
tory It Is claimed that tho Increase In
Catholic membership over last year la
332,034.
The Second Slimmer,
many mothers believe, is tho most pre
carious In a child's life; generally it
may be true, but you will find that
mothers and physicians familiar with
tho value of the Gall IJorden t,agio
Brand Condented Milk do not so regard
It
KrvulHtton In 'limine 1'rorrais.
The tanning Industry la In prospect
of revolution owing to a new procesi
of electrical tanning , in Germany,
Hides have been perfectly tanned bj
the new method In six days, which bj
the old process would have required
year.
After th Curpnriitlon.
St. Louis has notified the electrU
lighting and street ear companies to get
their wires underground by Jan. 1, 1900,
under penalty of having all left abova
ground after thnt date cut down by the
city. A pretty peneral movement of this
hoi I will soon he nnde- wav.
All II IUt to Bar.
Judge "Have you anything to at
before the judgment of tho court 14
passed upon you?"
Tough Prisoner "Bftggln' yer hoa
or'a pardon, bev ye heard tho scors
Judge 7" Philadelphia Record.
Snperatltloa OTsroom.
"I have cured BUgglns of his horrlbl
superstition at last," Ue phllanthr'
plst exclaimed.
"How did you manage It?"
"I offered to lend him 13." Wooa
socket Reporter.
Ths Moiqnlto Enemy.
Catch a few dragon files and
harJ
i plai
them in the porch or around tho
za, and the boldest, baddest tnosqulti
will disappear like lightning. Bit'
"first catch your haro." Boston Hso
aid.
A Mas of Narv.
I envy Dings whene'er he sings,
Bo much does he deserve;
TIs not his voles makes mo reJolctH
I envy him his nervo.
Fmporlum Echo.
Rich Red
Blood is absolutely essential to health1
It is secured easily and naturally by
taking Hood's Sarsaparilla, bat 1 im-
possible to get it from so-called " nervo
tonics," and opiate compounds, aba
surdly advertised as " blood puri
fiers." They have temporary, ileeplng
affect, but do not CURE. To havs pox
Blood
And good health, take Hood'tSarsaparllla,
which ha first, last, and all the time,
been advertised as just what It la tho
best medicine for the blood ever pro
duced. Its success In curing Scrofula,
Bait Rhenm, Rheumatism, Catarrh,
Dyspepsia, Nervous Prostration and
That Tired Feeling, have mads
KIoodTji
Sarsaparilla
The One True Blood Purifier. All druggists. U
. , are purely vsgeubls, rs
HOOd 8 FlllS liable and bs&tficlal its.