THE PEKING MUTINY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1437, 11 May 1912, Page 6

THE PEKING MUTINY.

"ANOTHER ILLUSION SHATTERED." (By TVilliam Maxwell, in tho "Daily Moil"). Peking, March 5. Tho President of the Republic had fixed tho hour for my audience. My Chinese servant took in my card and I remained in the carriage among the sentries at tho gates of the Foreign Olticc.. A messenger came and led mu to a waiting-room, and a soldier brought tea, cigarettes, and cigars. Alter a few minutes Tang Shao-yi appeared. Tang Shao-yi is a Cantonese who speaks English and drosses like a European. Ho was sent by the President to negotiato with tho Republicans in the south, and he came back the other day as their chief delegate. Tang Shao-yi's friends,say that ho has a great future and will bo Prime Minister. 1 havo met Tang Shao-yi in London and Shanghai, and havo always been impressed by iiis quiet and confident manner. Today he was nervous and could not hide his agitation. Hβ told mo that tho President could not see me; he was very tired and taking a nay. I came away sure tijat something serious had happened. I dined with the manager of the JlongKong and Shanghai Hank, Mr. HilKer, one of those wonderful blind men who perform miracles. Tho electric lights began to play tricks, and tho servants, who were excited, told us that great fires wore burning in the north. We climbed to the top of the clock tower and counted no fewer than ten tires. The Forbidden City seemed to be ablaze, and Morrison Street —so named because tho famous "Times" correspondent lives there—looked like a sea of flame. The sound of riflo Sre was heard from all directions. A TORRENT OF FLAME. Was it a counter-revolution or a mutiny? I hurried along Morrison Street and met many Europeans and Japanese making their way into tho Legation quarter. They wero escorted by soldiers of their own or other foreign nation. Strong pickets wera posted at tho -iiitrances to the settlement, and men and gnus were on the walls ready to resist an attack. A German searchlight flashed over tho city and on tho American soldiers who manned tho wall, revealing their position and strength to the mutineers. Our mounted infantry were out in small parties collecting British and foreign residents whoso homes are scattered about the native city, and bringing them into the Legation area. Hell seemed to have | broken loose in Morrison Street. Tho northern end was a roaring torient of. ilamo; the southern end was filled with Boldiers, who were firing their rifles in tlio air and breaking open the shops. As the position in this street sec-med especially dangerous, Sir John Jordan ordered out fifty nien of tho Somerset ltegiment. Returning with them I passed again along the broad road through amazing scenes of pillage mid violence. I found Dr. Morrison writing his and giving orders for the safety ot his famous library and of many of his Chinese friends. It soeined to everybody that tho house would soon share the fate of tho northern end of the street, for the llamea were spreading and: fires were burning behind and m front. .Happily there was no wind, or the wholo of this part of the city would not have been destroyed. No attempt was made to molest foreigner*. Some of the looters even invited them to help themselves to the goods of the wretched merchants, who looked on helpless and weeping. ,Th»t the pillaging was organised there could be no doubt. Some of the soldiers of the 3rd Division marched on to the ecene and acted under the command of their otiiceTs. They knew or were directed to the.6hops that contained valuable nnd portable loot. Hγing their-rifles to strike terror into tho merchants, the soldiers broke open doors and windows. They threatened with instant death all who did not hand over their money and open their 6afes. They went carefully and methodically through tho contents, rejecting the least valuable goods, which, were ■ seized'-. >,y ■ coqhesj, smashing porc'elain : a.nd overturning lamps in order to set tiro to tho buildings. SOLDIERS FIRST-CLASS-OFFICERS. THIRD. And these were tho soldiers trained and equipped on modern linos—the soldiers Whom foreign critics havo so often belauded, and against whom the amateur army of the south was said to havo no chance. I had already formed an unfavourable opinion of their discipline in my journey across country from Hankow to Peking. Leaving the southern lines at Hwayuun 1 not a week before 1 walked ten or twelve miles to Kwanshui, the farthest outpost of the Northern Army, Twenty-tour hours before the soldiers had looted and burned the village and carried off tho military ohest with 25,000 dollars. At Sin Yang-chow, where General Li Yuanbung's pass secured me'passage to Peking, I saw soldiers in the first-class and their officers in the third-class carriages. I Hiding an officer who spoke French, I asued tho reason. Ho looked ashamed, and plucked up courage gently to touch a soldier who pretended to be asiesp. llio touch would not have disturbed a fly, and the officer went back to his place among tho coolies, wying: "He is sound asleep, and must be tired.' _ . , . . As I approached Peking I imagined tna* 'I should find some evidence of discipline. Here, at any rate, the soldiers were supposed to bounder tho iron hand and influence of President Yuan Shi-kai, tho founder of the modern army. But it Iβ fivo Years since ho commanded, and the Manchus have made the most of those years to undo the work of this experienced soldier end statesman.

MENACE OP THE SOLDIERS

The mutiny in Peking has shattered another illusion. The force upon which the reform party relied has failed them. Instead of n help it has become a menace. The causes are not easily ascertained. Somo people speak of bribes by the Imperialists. It is certainly remarkable that no princely house was attacked; tniit Manchus were untouched, and that rich eilk shops owned 'by Court qunuchs were unvisited by looters. Others ascribe the outbreak to inability <o pay the troops, to reduction of rations, and reports that they wcro to be deprived of their pigtails, for while tho Southern Army is <iiieuelcss, the Northern Army would Tatlicr die than part with this sign of bondage to tho Mauchus. A third explanation is that the soldiers were un : willing that President Yuan Shi-lvm should accept the invitation of the National Assembly to take tho path at Nanking. It is certainly true that the only attack upon persons was directed against the delegates, from Naiiiung. After their triumphal entry through the Kate hitherto reserved for Emperor and Empress, the delegates were housed m the Nobles' School. This building was one of tho first attacked, and tho delegates were compelled to ilee for their live Tang Shao-yi and Wang Shao-ming, the youth who sought to promote reform bv throwing a Ijomb at the Regent, together with their companions, managed to climb a wall into iho lonng; itai s Christian Association, 'ihey left _ behind all thoir baggage, and uro now m the hotel in Hie Legation quarter, from tno security of which they continue to negotiate with the President. All these things may hnvo contributed to tho outbreak, vilich has jhoken confidence in tho authority r,f President Yuan Shi-Kai and threatens the entire country with armed and trained bandit's. But these poisons would act have worked so quickly if tho troops had not boon kept in idleness and allowed to roam about tho capital nt will. But the mischief is done. 'Die modern nrmy is dispersed or confined to barracks, and once more tho pooplo have to depend upon tho old turbaned soldiers and tho veteran Chiang Kwei-ti, who cannoj write his own name. President Yuan Sm-kai may bo ablo to ride out this storm.. If ho fails there in none to take hie place, A machine, designated the "Idcal t Better Blender," is al work in tho window of the Sims Hardware Company,, Uilm Street, manufacturing so it is claimed bv those connected with it, a pound ol Rood enting butter from a pint of mnk. The operation is described as follows:-A pound of butter mul a pint of sweat mnk are placed in tlio macliine-a ehurn-liKo arraiißcmont—nnd after about five minute*.' "(liniinif over two pounds of twt-et and pnlahblo bultor are takvn out. .1 he size of tho machine is l'jiii. Ny I'Jjn., nnil it. can hi; worked by a smnil chnd. Domonslrations nro given dnily. Neither sun nor wind will spoil Tour co;nrJtJ.ion if you hoc M'CUnton i Soap. It •often* knd pwbeot* the uric*