RISING IN CHINA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1236, 19 September 1911, Page 5

RISING IN CHINA.

CHINGTU BESIEGED.

By Telccrajli—PrcEa Association—Copyright Peking, September 17, Ton thousand . rebels are besieging Ghinglu. They are armed with matchlock rifles. Defective communications aro delaying the possibility of reinforcements being secured by the Government. Tson-Chun-Hsu, a former Viceroy of Szochuan and Kuans-Tung, who ruthlessly suppressed the previous rebellions, lias been bent to tho disturbed districts. The officials at Chingtu fear an attempt to raiso the siege, as such action may send 2000 modern drilled troops, who aro outsido the walls, but rernaiu neutral, over to tho rebels. REFUGEES SENT DOWN THE RIVER. ONE HUNDRED REBELS KILLED. Poking, September 18. The Taotai at Suchau reports that tho Viceroy of Szechuan has ono battalion protecting his yamen and another outside Chingtu.-. Other troops, are stationed in tho streets insido the city. The gate is opened twico daily to admit food and water. A largo village near the city which is believed to bo , tho headquarters of the rebels is reported to have boen burned. The British Consul at Chungking, Mr. J. L. Smith, is sending tlio refugees down tho river, as ho fears an extension, of tho trouble.

The rebels ambushed and defeated a body of a hundred troops near Kienchow and pursued"'item to Chingtu, where troops off a river boat killed a hundred of tho rebels.

The troops are Teoccupying Kienchow. Advices received by the German and French Legations state that the Vicoroy is successfully controlling tho situation.

THE OUTLOOK IN CHINA,

A pessimistic view of- the future of China is taken by Mr. C. D. Jameson, an American civil engineer who has lived for fit teen years in the Chinese Umpire, in the New York "Outlook." The present system of government, he writes, is hopeless. The Central Government has but little hold on tho provinces, and fears them. The taxes and revenues are practically farmed out, and but a small percentage of tho amount taken from the people'ever reaches tho Central Government.

Tho whole clfort is to get money at any cost, oven if. the source of revenue is eventually destroyed thereby. The people have no confidence m the officials or the Regent, and during tho last two years this lack of confidonco has broadened into utter contempt. Tho only filing that holds the "powers that' bo" in placo is tho lack of a loader for the people. As yet riot ono has appeared in China. The people have no confidenco in any of tho so-called revolutionary leaders, as not one of them lias 6hown any ability beyond that of getting money from the .people and spending it in safety abroad.

Thoro is no love of country or patriotism. All tho present talk of this by tho half-educated or not half-educated new Chinese—this- cutting oft of fingers, etc., for lovo of their country—is nothing but tlio hvslcrical vaporings' of badly brought up children, No reform ,can come without much hard, unselfish fighting. Tho Chinese as a nation are hot fighters, and uever have been. They aro- commercialism personified, with only most material ideals. ,

Their social structure has been such that ther have never been tauglit to obey, and they have, no traditions of loyalty beyond their invmodihto family,which tradition has been done away with as much as possiblo by tho Christian sionaries. There have boen no hereditary nobles or ruling class, and no natural leaders of tho people. There is no caste feolinc, and any one is eligiblo for any official position, provided he conforms to tho rules of tho game. Tho gTeat reforms in Japan were duo entirely to tho ruling class. The common people were attached to the clans of the different nobles,' and by generations of tradition were loyal and obedient, japan was a fighting nation, with all tho glorious traditions of loyalty and selfsacrifice. Commerco was much lowtr in the scale. The reform began at the top; the high ideals of the leaders, with tho virile militant spirit of tlio followers and their great lovo. of country, mado a perfect working machine. The Japanese had leaders, and wero led by them. China has none; neither lias it. any traditions of self-sacrificing . love of country. It's whole history shows that it has never been a unit, but has been composed of weakly connected provinoes, all jealous of each other. The north and south, in addition, have always been at variance. Nothing but tho hammer of the gods can arouse them and beat tlicm into coherent action.