CHINESE REVOLT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1265, 21 October 1911, Page 5

CHINESE REVOLT.

$ ARE THE REBELS BEATEN ? CONFLICTING REPORTS OF RECENT FIGHTING. YUAN-SHIH-KAI'S BARGAIN. Br Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Etc. Octobcr 21, 1.5 a.m.) London, October 20. Tho "Daily Telegraph" Shanghai correspondent states that tho rebels at Hankau are reported to have been forced back with the loss of two thousand men. It is rumoured that an armistice has been arranged. , Twenty thousand refugees have arrived. The "Daily Telegraph's" Peking correspondent reports that General Yin Chang, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army, with eight battalions and six batteries, has crossed the Yangtso, and turned the Tebel position. Tho investment is complete, and it is hoped that a bombardment will bo avoided, in order to save tho Hanyang arsenal, which is valued at thirty million tads (about million sterling). The rebels aro expected to col kips© at any minute. There are possibly a quarter of a million troops under arms in China. Yuan-Shih-Kai, in accepting is ap- . jwintmenfc as Viceroy of Hupeh and Honan, secured from the Throne a promise for the openiug of tho Chinese Par- ' liament in 1912, with tho appointment of a purely Chinese Cabinet. He also secured plenary power to make his own terms with tho rebels, and full control of tho entire Yangtse Valley. THE HAHKAU FJGHT. DETAILS OF WEDNESDAY'S BATTLE. REBELS' AMMUNITION GIVES OUT. (Roo. October 20, 11 p.m.) Sydney, October 20. The detailed reports of Wednesday's fight at Hanlcan state that hoping that the proximity of the foreign concessions would protect them until reinforcements arrived, fifteen hundred Imperial troops encamped at the river raihvay station, ten kilometres (about 61 miles) distant from tho central station. The Hankau Republicans attempted to surround tho Imperial troops by means of two thousand men sent across tho Yangtse from Wuchang at night time. This force on landing crossed north-east-wards, and readied tho neighbourhood of tho camp at dawn. Tho attack then began immediately. Tho warships landed parties under the cover of their guns, but otherwise did not participate prominently becouso a direct firo would have involved a bombardment over the foreign concessions, besides exposing tho gunboats to the Wuchang batteries. Ultimately, on tho exhaustion of their ammunition, aud the arrival of Imperial reinforcements, tho Republicans decided to retreat. Some of tho revolutionaries reentered tho nativo city at Hankau, and others crossed the river to AVuchang. Suljsequently tho Republicans were reinforced from Wuchang, and firing continued at tho railway station behind the Trench and German concessions, • "A MERE SKIRMISH," ANOTHER VERSION OF THE AFFRAY. Peking,' October 19. Official accounts describe tho fight at the Hankau railway station as a mero skirmish. Tho Imperial troops -captured three robols, and a quantity of ammunition. Four torpedo boats havo arrived from Taku. It is estimated that 21,000 Imperial troops, with seventy guns, havo been dispatched to Hankau. Tho provincial authorities at Canton are importing largo supplies of arms and ammunition. FIGHTING RESUMED. GERMAN ADVICES. Berlin, October 19. A wireless message received from Wei-Hai-W'ci states that lighting has been resumed at Hanlcaa. A MISSSQfoARY'S VIEW. HOW THE SZECHUAN TROUBLE BEGAN. YUAN-SHIH-KAI'S POSITION. (Rec. October 20, 10 p.m.) London, Octobcr 20. Dr. Sommerville, of tho London Missionary Society's Mission at Wuchang, in the course of an interview in London, declared that tho outbreak in tho western provinco of Szechuan was almost entirely economic, and was due to ill-advised efforts by tho Chinese to subscribe money for railway construction. Instead of applying the moneys so subscribed to their proper purposes, tho Treasurer squandered them in rubber speculations, thus precipitating acute distress and unrest. The troubles in the provinco of Hupeh, on tho other hand, were purely revolutionary and Anti-Manchu. Frenchmen havo participated prominently in tho movement, as also has a club connected wit'li Boone College, the American Methodist institution at Wuchang. Tho discovery of an indiscreet photograph of a meeting of the club led to tho execution of several students of Boono College. Dr. Sommerville is surprisod at Yuan-Shih-Kai's appointment, inasmuch as tho rebellious forces at Wuchang are largely duo to his creation. Possibly, as a true Chinaman, he feels bound to make every sacrifice to save his family. Tho doctor added that ns Hanyang and tho nativo city at Hankau aro in tho rebels' hands, t'lio gunboats would probably bo forced to bombard from tho north, and Boone College, tho Wesleyan, Loudon, American, and the Swedish Mission hospitals and schools would then bo in tho lino of fire between the gunboats and tho rebel camps. REVOLUTION IN MANCHURIA. A RISING PROMISED. (Roc. October 21, 1.5 a.m.) London, October 20. Reuters St. Petersburg correspondent states that Japanese sources report that tho Chuuchuses of Manchuria have promised the insurgents to .organise a revolution there. SYDNEY CHINESE SYMPATHETIC. STATEMENT BY MR. TONG. (Rec. October 20, 10 p.m.) Sydney, October 20. Mr. Tong, editor of tho local Chinese newspaper, tho "Tong Wall Times," declares that a largo proportion of tho CMneso residents in Australia aro sjrmjpathisera with tho leaders oi the rebel-

lion, and aro extremely desirous of the overthrow of (ho Mancliu dynasty, REBELS SUCCESSFUL. ■SAN FRANCISCO REPORTS, (Rec. October 21, 1 a.m.) New York, October 20. The Chineso newspapers at San Francisco publish an announcement of (lie success of tho rebels after capturing Chengkiang-fu in Yunnan, in soutli-west China, and the province of Kiaug-si, im- ■ mediately south of Hupeh.