CONFUSION IN CHINA

Evening Star, Issue 18335, 24 July 1923, Page 4

CONFUSION IN CHINA

A STATE OF ANARCHY,

HOSTILITY TO THE FOREIGNER

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

PEKING, July 23, (Received July 24, at 9.25 a.m.)

Grotesque as is the situation in China-, it. is nevertheless fraught with danger. The capital is devoid of administration beyond three members of the defunct Cabinet, who issue mandates and orders at the Regent’s charge. Parliament is not sitting, as a quorum is not obtainable. All the sources of revenue aro dry. The Chinese diplomatic missions abroad aro breaking up, ns they arc not receiving remittances from Peking. The Chinese are wondering how soon the troops will invade and blackmail the hanks and merchants for their maintenance or openly loot. In several provinces the troops arc carrying on civil war, and arc competing with brigands in harrying the inhabitants. The most cruel anarchy prevails. Trade is at a standstill. Foreign vessels on the Upper Yang-lsc-kiang aro frequently fusilladed by riflemen bidden amongst the rocks. .The illegal taxation of goods in transit is the most important function of the administrative otficers in the provinces. Foreign treaties do not count outside the treaty ports, and foreigners aro again becoming tho traditional “foreign devils.”—A. and N.Z. Gallic. STRONG ACTION NEEDED. The disturbed state of China and the general lawlessness prevailing there were recently discussed by Sir John Jordan, who for fourteen years was British Minister at Peking. “A very serious position has now been created,” he said. “During all the disturbances, from tho revolution onwards, until I left Peking in 1920, the ono saving feature of tho situation, no matter what the troubles were, was that foreigners and foreign property were always scrupulously respected ; so much so that—l will just mention it as an illus-tration-cases occurred where tho opposing forces stopped fighting in order to allow a free passage for missionaries coming down from the interior. All that time there was no interference with foreign life at all. Within the last few months, however, there has been a marked and an ominous change. Foreigners to-day aro being held to ransom, not only in tho north, but in tho centre and the south as well.

“Tliis Inst outrage on the TicntsinPukovv Bail way, ■whirl) is the main route between Peking, Nanking, and Shanghai, is especially serious. There is never a train on tin's line on whirl) foreigners are not travelling, and it is a most daring thing to attack it. The outrage will have a very disturbing effect on travellers to Poking. The alternative to this railway means three or four days’ journey by sea. The railway was constructed partly by Great Britain and partly by Germany. The German part has reverted to the Chinese Government, and we are the only foreign people to have an interest in it at the present moment. Wo have • a very largo financial stake in the railway, several million pounds sterling being held by British investors.

“The outrage was committed by exsoldiors belonging to the notorious Chang ITsun, who, in 1917, attemptcd to restore the I\ lan cl i us, and very unfortunately wore afterwards given refuge in the Dutch Legation. It is an extremely reprehensible thing for legations to offer nn asylum to Chinese adventurers.

“ What ought to be done as regards reparation? I see there is an idea to get the Chinese Government to pay a heavy ransom for the release of the, foreigners. That may, perhaps, he unavoidable in the interest of the lives of the persons taken captive, but it is simply putting a premium on farther outrages of the same kind.

“The Government at Peking, although it has hardly any control over the country, ought to bn able to deal with this particular case by adopting severe punitive measures. After all, they have 30,000 troops in Peking under the so-called Christian General Feng Hu-Hsiang, who is a fine soldier of the Cromwell type, and often preaches to his troops. There is also Wu Pei-Fu, who is not far off at LoYang, in Honan, and he should lie quite able to deal with the situation. The whole future safety of foreigners in China depends, in fact, on strong measures against the bandits.

“There are some thousands of foreigners in China, for, besides the large numbers of missionaries, (here are scattered all over the country the agents of such firms and companies as the Standard Oil, the Asiatic Petroleum, Brunner Mond, and the British-Amcrican Tobacco. A punitive expedition against the bandits and an international Commission to deal with the. whole question on the spot are the first steps which suggest themselves to me. Shantung is a turbulent and over-popu-lated province, in which the Boxer rebellion had its origin.”