THE REVOLT IN CHINA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13526, 7 November 1911, Page 5

THE REVOLT IN CHINA.

AN EDICT. Press Association.—Telegraph.—Copyright PEKIN, November 6. An edict directs the Assembly to hold general elections. It agrees to the recognition of the rebelfT as a political party, and states that, the revolutionaries are different to the wicked rebels towards former dynasties. - ’ THE FIRES AT HANKOW. PEKIN, November 6. The damage caused by the Hankow fires on Monday is estimated at five millions sterling. There were further , fires on Thursday, when two miles by half a mile' were devastated. The blind boys at the Wesleyan Mission had a remarkable escape. GUNBOATS JOIN THE REBELS. Received November 7, 11.25 a.m. PEKIN, November 6. Three .of Admiral Sah’s gunboats, which were sent to Shanghai for provisions and ammunition, have joined the rebels. CAUSES OF THE REVOLT. The Szechuan Railway Agitation. Suspicion of British Intentions. A writer in a recent issue of the Manchester Guardian throws light on the nature of the agitation in Szechuan province, from which the present rising has developed. While he lays stress on the nationalisation of the trunk lines as the principal source of tlie revolution, he alludes to another, which has been largely overlooked, namely, the susceptible nervousness of the provincial Chinese, who had suspicions of British activities in some quarters. The chief cause undoubtedly (says the writer) is the'general dissatisfaction caused in Szechuan province by the recent decision of the Pekin Government to take over all the trunk lines of railway in the Etnpire, leaving only branch linos, or “feeders,” to be worked by private enterprise. The idea of the Government (promoted by Cheng Suan Huai, the now President of the Comraunication's'Miinstry) is, of course, largely strategical, with an eye to military operational: ajlelhqna, and famine relief, hut tlio decree reiterating the Emperor’s decision to persist in this policy prudently lays chief stress upon mo corruption and bungling which have already shown themselves rife in connection with the Hunan, Szechuan, CantonHankow, and Cheh Kiang railways; in fact, tho Governor of Hunan and the Acting-Viceroy of Szechuan . wore both severely censured a few weeks ago for presuming to back up popular railway sentiment against the wishes of the Central Government, and both have just been relieved of their posts. “SZECHUAN FOR THE SZECHUANESE.” The new Viceroy of Szechuan, Chao Erb Feng, is the “conqueror of Tibet, who from his base at. Batahg, by sudden and masterly disnosiuons, sent flying columns, under capable lieutenants,’ last year to secure Lhassa, and incidentally drive out the Dalai Lama. Chao Erh Feng, who, our cables stated on Sunday, is to be punished at.the order of.the Government.ion his recent arrival at Chingtu, the provincial capital, made no secret of hi« sympathy with tho popular view of “Szechuan for the Szechuancae,” but be has still more recently been peremptorily commanded to carry out strictly the Government’s instructions, which are solemnly declared to bo “guided by a paternal desire to save their money to the sharoholders.” Meanwhile all Szechuanese in Pekin have been forbidden by the Police Department there to continue their agitation upon'the subject. RUMOURS AND ALARMS. But there is another reason. Many years ago there were rumours that England was sooner or later going to take tho province; this idea was particularly popular with the Mussulmans, and (at that time) was largely owing to groat Britain having received friendly missions' from the Panthays, and having given asylum in Rangoon to Prince Hassan, son of the Panthay Sultan, who died a few years ago. These rumours have again taken (yague form owing to the Burmese Government having (apparently but not really) knocked loudly at the mates of Yunnan, in the Pien-ma region. The Viceroy, Li Kiiig-hi, of Yunnan, and the two ’Viceroys, Chao, have boon equally on the alert in consequence, although Li King-bi, being more directly concerned, has made more fuss, about .c. Chao Erh Feug has shown particular nervousness lately about tho new British railway to Chuinbi; his lieutenants ha\ e recently established a strong force at Rima, on the Assam frontier (towards which spot a largo British-Indian protective force is now marching), and have War upon thossavea £ e Pomi tribes of Tibet, who, curiously enough. lie between the Abor country, (where wo are now also waging war) and tho Batang and Yunnan frontiers; thus tho British without intending it, are “buzzing” in the ears of two suspicious Viceroys at many points simultaneously. Further, there have been acrimonious discussions with the British Minister in Pekin about rival Chinese and British rights in Bhutan, Nepaui, Sikkim, and other places. Finally, the native papers have just announced that the British wish build a consulate general in Chingtu. A.ll these things put together, however innocuous they may oach ffie, tend to disturb men s minds in a region that is peculiarly a prey to canards at the best .of times.