CHAOS IN CHINA

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 21

CHAOS IN CHINA

PLOT AGAINST EMPEROR. PEKING, July 16. Discovering a plot against life, the Chinese Emperor fled from the Forbidden City, taking refuge in his father’s former home a mile away'. The Emperor, when found, declared that because he punished some palace eunuchs, who were held responsible for recent, thefts, his servants had planned to kill him and set fire to the Forbidden City and a number of Imperial buildings. The police drove 100 eunuchs from the Forbidden City. The Emperor remains under police protection. It is stated that the Emperor ordered the arrest of the eunuchs, following upon the discovery' that many priceless treasures had been stolen from the t orbidden City, the recent fire there having been made a medium to cover up the theft. Altogether 2000 eunuchs were dismissed. They presented a curious sight as they scattered about the city' after their dismissal. Tile Emperor has returned to his palace. ANTI-JAPANESE AGITATION. SHANGHAI, July 17. A joint conference of the Japanese Chambers of Commerce in China and Japan, in session here, adopted the following resolution: “That the Government and people of China be warned that they should come to their senses as soon as possible and effect the unification and stability of their country and stop the anti-Japanese agitation. At the same time we demand that the Japanese Government take firm and drastic action in connection with this agitation, which is decidedly an act of violence and an outrage.” Frequent evidence is afforded in the cablegrams of the resentment that is felt in many parts of China to Japanese domination, and occasionally this feeling crystallises in the form of riots, in which lives are lost. The refusal of Japan’s suggestion to abrogate the Twenty-one Demands Treaty is also a cause of the unrest. On this issue the Chinese Parliament and people are at one. Both unquestionably reflect the innermost lives of the Chinese people as evidenced by students, merchants, and other democrats throughout the republic. Japan’s contention that China accepted the treaty is not true, according to Chinese legislation. The treaty was made by Yuan Shi Kai in pursuance with his monarchist ambitions and in defiance of all the wishes of the Chinese people. Parliament flatlyrepudiated the treaty. PEKING, July 10. The boycott of Japanese goods still continues in Peking and Tientsin, as well as in other less important centres in North China. The boycott is caused by’ the refusal of the Japanese to return to China the Kwangtung Territory, the lease of which was extended in 1915 for another 90 yeai-s. This extension was granted as a result of the famous (or infamous) Twenty-one Demands made by Japan on China The loaders of this boycott movement are urging in support of their actions that Great Britain has forgone the balance of the lease of Wei-hai-wei, which still had many years to run. In accordance with the agreement reached at the Washington Conference, Japan has returned to China

Kiao-chau, which was captured from the Germans in 1914, but still stands firm on the Twenty-one/ Demands. The territories already returned to China did not take long to lapse into the chaotic state prevailing all over China. As the Japanese walked out of Kiao-chau the bandits walked in, and have held sway ever since. The railway leading from the port has suffered as a result of the change in management. Parts of South Manchuria, which were leased to the Russians but taken from them in the Russo-Japanese war, are also being held by' Japan. Dalny (now known as Dairen) and Port Arthur (now known as Ryojun) have both been converted into typical Japanese cities, the former having been turned into a flourishing and modernised port, which handles all the vast exports from South Manchuria, mainly leans and wheat.