CHINA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 5 March 1912, Page 5

CHINA.

ORDER RESTORED AT PEKiN,

LOOTERS EXECUTED

JAPANESE TROOPS FOR TIENTSIN

(Pkuss Association. —Uopvkiuhx

i J EivJu\, itsU'iuay

Uid sty.e troops umicr iht aged utiitiiii Lhmiig Vvei-L-i, restored oi-uei. nK liiiixi diviaion, escaped scoi tree, tut i.oi wearing uniforms, who ucit«.vc ttilui, tlie authorities feaiing ttie diec;. on U;eu comrades if the rio.diei's Vvti't punished. A Hundred alleged looters who \vevo executed included many poverty stricken men and some women, who had gathered scraps amongst the ruins. Eight hundred foreign troops patrolled the outskirts ot the JLegation quarters, and 3CCO aie now in Pekin.

Tile hies caused 20 deaths. A detachment of mutinous artillery headed bv a band, marched on Saturday to the palace of the Dowager's father, and blew up the gate and burned a portion of the building. A significant fact is that no Manchu houses or chops were looted. . • „ • ~ Prince Ching is seriously ill in th( French hospital. . . The Legations consider that judiciouf. support cf Yuan is the surest means of overcoming anarchy. Li Yuan Hing desires to assist in restoring Yuai. Shih Kai's authority. ,„-■,•' Sun Yat Sen declares that the Nanking Government is ready to temporarily assume responsibility in the north, and effective measures wilL be taken to assist Yuan Shih Kai. The Nanking delegates suggest a combination of the northern and southern troops, and the establishment of a huge police force - with headquarters at Pekin, inasmuch as the southern districts are quiet. Five thousand Japanese troops at 1 ort Arthur have been ordered to. proceed to Tien-tsin. where there are only 1500 foreign troops. A rabble joined.the- mutineers on Saturday night, looting shops and banks at Tien-tsin and burning property, the soldiers firing continuously. The'rattle of musketry terrified the city. The few police remaining loyal were outnumbered and powerless. , Fourteen simultaneous fires were-burning. Pillagers entered the Pevyand Mint and destroyed valuable machinery, and emptied the silver store. . Dr Sclireyer, a German, while assisting friends to escape from Tient-tsm, was killed by a policeman who was .hinv that French engineers merely disconnected a portion, of the bridge which was previously, reported to have been blown up. Commutation was later restored enabling 2000 of Yuan Shih Kai's proceed to Poatingfu and suppress the mutiny there Rebellious troops occupied and sacked Tung ChauPEKIN\ UNDER MARTIAL LAW. (Received March 4, 8.25 a.m.) PEKIN, Monday. Martial law is operating successfully at Peking. The business quarter -of Pao-ting-fu was sacked, but no yanuvns were destroyed, and foreigners were uninjured. '1 RAINS HELD UP. BRITISH TROOPS DISPERSE CHINESE. (Rec. March 5. 10.30 a.m.) PEKIN. Yesterdav. Fifteen hundred Chinese troops stopped trains between Pekin and Tien-tsin. The second Somersetshire reeiment detrained at Feng-tai station and ordered the Chinese troops to clear out within an hour. The Chinese did not mov e until 700 of the Inniskilling regiment detrained, when they fled hurriedly.' DIVIDED VIEWS IN CHINA. The question of whether a republican form of Government in China couid fap inaugurated with' a sufficiently strong central power to hold the provinces together is very largely, writes'Mr Archibald R. Colquhou in the "Fortnightly Review," a question of personalities. He adds: Then arises the question : Where is the man who can replace, by virtue of strength, wisdom, and public confidence, the dynasty which ha 6 hitherto held its place as a semi-divine institution, the apex of the family life of the nation? European publications have bec-n busily canvassing the claims of one or two men to become "the father of the people." Opinion (in Europe and America) seems to be divided between Sun Yat Sen, a devoted revolutionary propagandist, and Yuan-Shih-kai, a clever and able opportunist. But it may be safely said that Yuan, regarded by the Mahchus. as their only remaining chance, because hf» once before saved the Empress-Dowager at the expense of the Reform movement. is neither a. Washington nor a Bismarck. He is riot, entirely trusted by either party in the State, and although his real ability is recognised, he is not as universally acclaimed in Ghina> as .in the Western world. The panegyrics poured out on him have, not always pleased Chinese readers, w;ho are a little tired of hearing that he is their "one strong man." •■■At. the present time he is doing all he,can to come down on the .right side of the fence. As for' Dr. Sun, it is no dis-. paragement to an earae~6 t t and self-sacri-. ficing apostle of reform to say. that he is neither a Garibaldi nor a. . jCa.\7our. Whether he is a Mazzini reniains to be seen.

There is something to be said for the plans, as given to me by the reformers, of a militarv domination to last for a term of years, followed by a transition period, arid leading up to full constitutional government.. fivferv at this last etage they propose to retain a- check on th e ? democracy ; first,'by keeping that examination system, to which the Chinese are so well accustomed, and "having a standard for voters ; and second, by expanding another familiar institution, the Board of 'Censors, into an Inspectorate, under central control, to check abuses and draw attention to- needed reforms. Whether the ardent spirits, who have placed the' purification of the administration and the abolition of the queue, 'foot-binding, domestic slavery, and the abuse of opium on the list of reforms to •be tackled in their first years of reconstruction, will be strong enough to persist with their policy remains to be seen. Unfortunately for the theory of a strong central military power the germ of it does not, at present, exist, ae it did m Turkev, in a- unified army under central control. The Chinese armie6. apart from the M-anchu, Chinese, and Mongol bannermen and the official armv (which exists largelv o n paper}, are raised and maintained in the provinces, and it wili be difficult to secure u'nitv of action. c?oeciallv after the first shock of collision is over. Th'ei\p armeaTs to be no militarv leader of sufficient experience and outstanding reputation to be universally acclaimed. The reformers are securing th" services of General Homer T>a. a well-known American writer on military emotions, ns an adviser, but if it is true that Dr. Rim-Tnt-Sen is to be the first t , r--=Mrnt of iV.r new Rrnuh be. a = a civilian, will have some difficultv with the military authorities At. nnp time Yuan-Shili-Kai commanded a forc-° which was superior to any other in China, but it is two vp«vr «'V» bj* retjred; anrTit is not clear that his military pfestige has survived.