2
Unfortunately the Chinese authorities, though fully aware of the importance of preventing an anti-foreign outbreak, are apparently unable either to prevent or repress disturbances of this nature, and the recent events at Changsha prove that even the presence of a large body of trained soldiers of the Chinese regular army cannot be considered as an adequate guarantee that disorder will be promptly put down.
His Majesty's consul-general at Hankow has informed me that the provincial officials are very anxious as to the situation caused by the scarcity of rice, which will get worse until the beginning of the 6th moon of the Chinese year, when the new erop will begin to reach the market, and he yesterday addressed me the telegram of which I have the honour to enclose a paraphrase.
I venture to hope that your Excellency will concur with me in the opinion that it would be advisable for the present to station a large ship of His Majesty's navy off Hankow, whose presence would probably act as a deterrent, and which, in the event of disturbances, would be able to afford adequate protection to the interests, lives, and property of His Majesty's subjects.
I have, &c.
(No. 20.)
(Telegraphic.) P.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
W. G. MAX MÜLLER.
Consul-General Fraser to Mr. Max Müller.
CHANGSHA riots.
Hankow, April 18, 1910.
The general prestige of the Chinese provincial authorities has been seriously impaired, and the lawless and anti-foreign element ever present in all the large centres has been greatly encouraged by the unprecedented events at Changsha. So much so that I think that the danger of disturbances at Hankow is increased by the news, at most certain to be exaggerated, that authority has been successfully defied in the capital of Hunan, for there are still a number of refugees collected here, the price of rice is abnormally high, there exists a large school for students from Hunan, and victory over the foreigners and the Government is the boast of the native press and railway promoters. In 1900 unrest only subsided on the arrival of the cruiser "Pique," and the new Viceroy, whatever his energy, does not possess the prestige of Chang Chih-tung, which was so valuable at that time.
I have therefore the honour to suggest that, until the price of rice falls to a normal level and the danger of the trouble in Hunan spreading is past, a large war-ship should be stationed at this port.
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
Consul-General Fraser to Mr. Max Müller.
Hankou, April 18, 1910.
(No. 44.) Sir,
THE recent outbreak at Changsha, although its apparent beginning was a protest against the authorities' failure to open the rice granaries as promised, had not the character of a mere outburst of popular exasperation.
;
My telegrams and semi-official letter of yesterday are corroborated by the unanimous reports of foreigners in Changsha at the time. The facts to be deduced are that the work of destruction--which during the night of the 13th-14th April was very limited-proceeded, after an interval of quiet for some hours in the morning, during the whole of the 14th and most of the 15th April in a leisurely and methodical manner, under the eyes of the troops (whose idleness is ascribed to absence of orders), by parties of two score (more or less) directed by men not of the lower classes at all that, except for the doubtful report of a statement by some rioters of an intention to kill two foreigners in order to ensure the governor's capital punishment, there is no sign of any wish to kill any of the numerous foreigners, whom the attack found utterly defenceless within a walled city in the middle of the night; that the wilful destruction was confined to foreign and official property and shops dealing in foreign goods and that no rented premises were burned; and that so soon as the authorities chose to exert themselves at all the rioting ceased.
If the facts are as above stated, I submit that the loss of property was due entirely to an anti-foreign and apparently anti-Government organisation of no considerable size, and could have been prevented but for the criminal supineness of the native authorities.
The institution of provincial assemblies under a very narrow franchise has, as previously reported, transferred power from the regular officials to parties of gentry and expectants entirely lacking in the sense of responsibility and the traditions which have enabled an administration-to our eyes corrupt and inefficient-to continue to The native press, maintain in practice peace and order to an extraordinary extent.
fed by students and sciolists in history and government, has disseminated contempt of the existing régime as well as hatred of aliens, and has puffed every attack on the existing order of things. The central Government has, according to the papers, betrayed China's interests, but is unable to resist the importunity of delegates from provincial associations and self-styled representatives of the nation.
The recent partition and debt-redemption agitation have caused general unrest, and now comes the successful defiance of a provincial Government in its own city by a small section of the inhabitants-an incident utterly without precedent in the annals of this dynasty. Even when, in 1884, after the Mamoi bombardment, His Majesty's consul at Foochow was besieged in the Viceroy's yamên, no actual violence was resorted to and foreign property was not attacked.
In my opinion there is very grave danger lest the news of the Changsha happenings possibly in an exaggerated form, but certainly under the name of a patriotic cleansing of the city from alien pollution-should encourage other cities opened by treaty to foreigners to test the ability and will of their rulers to afford protection.
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These three cities are the nearest to the scene, and here, too, price of rice affords the same pretext for starting trouble, especially as several thousands of famine refugees still loiter at Hankow. The local papers have been distinguished by patriotic zeal," and the railway agitators have hesitated at no libel on foreign nations and their own statesmen, whether at their frequent public meetings or in leaflets distributed far and wide. A Chinese metropolitan official, for daring to oppose their views, was last week all but kidnapped on the streets of this concession, and has had to be smuggled away to Shanghae. The Treasurer Yang, lately acting as Viceroy, supported the associations' demands in telegrams to Peking, and is, I am assured, about to be gazetted Governor of Hunan.
The new Viceroy is sending troops to Hunan, and has forbidden the holding of any meetings in these three cities; but he is a new-comer, and in any case does not enjoy the extraordinary reputation among the people, and especially the educated classes, which gave the late Grand Secretary Chang so great an advantage in the troublous summer of 1900. Even with their Excellencies Chang and Liu at Wuchang and Nanking openly determined to keep their provinces in order and foreign life and property intact, there were some local troubles in Hupei-an uneasiness among natives and foreigners alike until His Majesty's ship "Pique" arrived here.
I have no information to justify the assertion that the presence of a large ship of war here is-as yet, at any rate-necessary; and I am fully aware that this is by no means the only port where the Changsha example may lead to a perilous situation. I am of opinion, however, that, if it can be arranged to place a large ship here during the two or three months for which the rice scarcity is likely to continue, or at least until the echoes of last week's events have died away, the minds of Chinese and foreigners would be relieved of anxiety and the chance of disturbance minimised.
The water-mark is at present 34 ft. 6 in., and it is most improbable, judging from past records, that it will fall below 25 feet until the autumn.
I have, &c.
E. H. FRASER.
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