CHAOS IN CHINA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1316, 20 December 1911, Page 5

CHAOS IN CHINA.

MILLIONS STARVING. PEACE CONFERENCE OPENS IN SHANGHAI. "THE FINAL DRAMA." By Telegraph-Press Asjoclation-Copyrlchl (Rec. December 19, 10.10 p.m.) Peking, December 19. ■ Missionaries report the assassination of Tuan-Fnug, Acting-Viceroy of Szechunn. On discovering that the provincial army was disloyal, Tnan-Fong attempted to flee, and the soldiers hacked li'im and his brother to pieces with their swords. It is reported that Chcng-tu, the capital of Szechuan, has revolted. The Pcaco Conference has opened at Sb.aßgb.ai. It is believed that the Republicans havo submitted proposals for the, abolition of tho Manchu dynasty, and tho creation of a ropublic. They offer a pension to tho court and the Imperial Princes, and promise to extend generous treatment to other Manchus. Tho conference, before proceeding, requested tho Prime Minister, Yuan-Shih-Kai and Li-Yuan-Heng, the insurgent leader, to insist on a stringent armistice. : Conditions in the interior aro becoming worse. Industries aro, at a standstill, and millions of people aTO starving owing to tho floods in. Northern Kiangsu, Anhwoi, and Kiangsi. Tho Imperialists havo sent train-loads of ammunition to the Shantung boundary, from which the Fifth Division of tho Army is moving southward to junction with General Chang-Suan's forces at Asuchen (? Su-chan), in Northern.Kiangsu, and are preparing for a big battle. Wu-Tung-Fang, formerly Chinese Minister to the United States, has telegraphed to Pelting urging the diplomats to proceed to Tientsin, thus freeing tho ground for the final drama.