The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1914. CHINESE PIRATES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 34, 1 June 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1914. CHINESE PIRATES.

In these days of easy and quick communication it is surprising to rind that such an ancient and out-of-date calling as that of the sea-going pirates may be found flourishing at all in any part of the world, but it is evident from recent happenings that sea rovers still exist in China ,at all events. These gentlemen have been very active of recent years, and special measures under the direction of British naval officers and the Chinese Government combined, have now been made to really suppress these marauders, it is stated, however, that these Chinese pirates are not really so much pirates as they are blackmailers, and only take up tho profession of piracy in those 'seasons in which farming is bad. They Ido not troublo the deep-sea to any extent, keeping as much as possible to the innumerable creeks and canals of the Canton river, levying toll upon the myriad boatloads of men or merchandise on their way to and from the network of waterways. It is, however, said that those/men are all members of illegal associations and that their piracy is merely a huge secret Chinesej Trust which cannot be too soon sup-( pressed. When the Chinese revolution.; aries first took the field to fight for

freedom and a republic, a plan was formed to convert pirates into patriots, and while freeing the southern country from their evil-doing to moke good use of them as soldiers against the Manchu forces. Some forty thousand of those gentry were enrolled, but they have not proved at all tractable or easy to deal with. They have avoided risking their lives in battle; they have harassed the authorities and they have posed as heroes claiming rewards, which when not forthcoming, they set themselves up against constituted authority and returned to their work of blackmailing the peaceful traveller.

If any combination of authority can break up this very dangerous organisation once for all. Canton and the country round about it will be very grateful.