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Kiungchow.
The Acting British Consul reported that, in the quarter ended the 31st December, piracy was still rife, thanks to the supineness of the local officials. Pirates in one instance boarded a cargo boat under the very guns of a Chinese guard-boat permanently stationed at the entrance of the channel.
Nanking.
The chief event in the quarter ended the 31st January was the change of Viceroys. The new Viceroy, Tuan Fang, succeeded to an almost empty treasury, and as he had at once to deal with famine in North Kiangsu and insurrection in West Kiangsi, bis initial difficulties were very great. Progressive, and fond of spending money as he is, his position must be somewhat irksome, and his reputation as a "pro foreigner" in the present wave of jealous concern for Chinese self-dependence, does not tend to smooth his way in the direction of popularity. A correspondent states that Tuan Fang came back from abroad full of ideas of reform, but that he has altered his opinions in accord- ance with the change in the direction of the wind at Peking. Thus it was originally at his Excellency's instance, a year or two ago, that the movement for enlistment of terri. torial troops was started, but since his appointment to the Viceroyalty he has got rid of all the strong members of the Army Reorganization Bureau, substitated creatures of his own, and is in every way discouraging the new army. His object is to keep up the distinction between Manchus and Chinese, as is shown by his leaning ou Manchu advisers, to whom the recent innovation of a Manchu bodyguard is due. Such a body- guard for Viceroy or Governor is said to be an unprecedented step. The Viceroy is also reported to be desirous of raising a foreign loan, in order to form a second army division at Nanking, but that it is not yet known for what amount or from what country the loan is to be.
Chengtu.
Hankow-Szechuan Railway.-The accounts for the period, 16th November to 15th December, 1906, balance at 1,756,524 Kuping taels & m. 7 c., the balance carried forward being 1,747,748 Kuping taels 6 m. 4 c.
3
On the 22nd January a Hankow native newspaper announced that the officer in command of a regiment of the 31st Brigade had been arrested on account of his connection with
a rebel Society, and was being detained in prison. Frequent interrogation showed that he had had no dealings with the rebels.
His Majesty's Consul-General learnt privately that, at a magic lantern show some months ago given by a Missionary Society, a number of officers and men of the drilled troops were present in uniform, and when a picture of the Emperor of China was shown there were cries of "We don't want that man!" from the military.
A teacher, who is now imprisoned on suspicion of being a head of a Secret Society, was a secretary to the General before he joined the college, where he had special charge of this Society, and confesses that he had relations with members of the brigade who belonged to anti-dynastic Societies; he is said to have been tortured in prison."
His Majesty's Consul-General wrote on the 22nd January that there was a regular reign of terror in the cities of Hanyang, Wuchang, and Hankow over arrests for complicity in revolutionary Societies.
A Hankow native newspaper announced on the 6th February that the police had unearthed a seditious book of a rebel Society. The book contained a number of unprincipled statements; its authorship is unknown.
Nanking.
The authorities are vigilant in their search for members of anti-dynastic and Anarchist Societies. Four such persons, discovered by accident as the result of a petty squabble in a tea-house which led to police intervention, were beheaded on the 12th December, and three others, an expectant Taotai and two students, were arrested recently with bombs in their possession, and are now being tried.
Memorandum.
Hankow.
His Majesty's Consul-General wrote, on the 14th November, 1906, that, as the result of careful inquiries on the part of the Japanese officers employed by the Viceroy, he had learnt that there was no proof of many, at least, of the foreign drilled troops being affiliated to any Secret Society, but that all the Chinese officers, from the General down to the most junior subaltern, suspected the men and cach other of being tainted with disloyalty.
On the 17th December a Hankow native paper published a statement that, influenced by the abundant rumours, and fearing lest either students in the military schools or Secret Society men might be lurking in the schools, the Viceroy bad ordered a secret investigation of them all.
His Majesty's Consul-General reported early in January that the Concession Deputy had informed him in December of the receipt of alarming intelligence as to foreigners having joined Sun Wen's Secret Society; the Deputy inquired what the French and German law was in regard to abetting rebellion. The British Regulations were translated to him, and at his request His Majesty's Consul-General agreed to order the British police to co-operate in arresting Chinese suspects on the British Concession, even before a regular warrant had been backed by him, and holding them for inquiry before His Majesty's Consul-General, in order that a prima facie case for rendition to their authorities might be established. No such cases had up to the 9th January occurred, and the orders to the Customs to exercise special care against the smuggling of munitions were reported to have been fruitless; several Secret Society men had been, however, scized in Hankow and Hanyang.
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