[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
10007
CONFIDENTIAL.
REC? REG: 16 JUN 11
[May 22.]
SECTION 6.
No. 1.
[19442]
(No. 176.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 22.)
Peking, April 25, 1911. I HAVE the honour to enclose a report, compiled by Mr. Ramsay, on matters of general interest which have come under the notice of His Majesty's Legation during the quarter ended the 31st December last.
Several causes have recently contributed to impose additional labours on the members of the staff, and I trust that this will be found sufficient justification for the unusual delay in the dispatch of this report.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Report by Mr. Ramsay for the Quarter ending December 1910.
Unrest.
THE last quarter of the year has been a peaceful one in most provinces. There are no very serious disturbances to report, but the agitation for the earlier opening of the Chinese Parliament has not been dropped, and the tendency of the provincial assemblies to undermine the authority of the provincial Governments has been demonstrated in the province of Chilli where His Majesty's consul-general reports that the political situation for the quarter has been marked by a feeling of unrest and agitation. The session of the Provincial Assembly opened early in October and afforded opportunity for ventilating the grievances of the province, of which agitators were quick to take advantage. Viceroy Chen Kuei Lung's position from one of popularity has become increasingly difficult, till, after leave on the plea of ill-health, he was reported to be about to resign early in December. His chief difficulty was lack of funds and that was complicated by the efforts of the Provincial Assembly to obtain the control of finances, while his action in forwarding the Chihli gentry's petition for the speedy opening of Parliament brought him into disfavour with the central Government. Large demonstrations of students at Tien-tsin were organised by agitators and delegates from Manchuria in support of a memorial of the Governor- General of Manchuria for the speedy concession of an Imperial Parliament and the Viceroy was prevailed upon to forward their petition to the Throne. It met with a stern refusal from the Regent, and regulations were issued forbidding further meetings in support of the agitation, upon which the students refused to attend lectures. In consequence of a telegram from the Students' Association at Tien-tsin, a similar movement occurred among the students at Chengtu, who struck work till the central Government should reconsider its decision and held out for a month, when they yielded to a firm notification from the Viceroy.
The Yang-tsze valley generally has been free from disturbances. The acting British consul at Changsha, however, reports that a disturbance was threatened in October at Isiang-hsiang-hsien owing to the farmers' exasperation at the action of the gentry in preventing the export of rice for speculation purposes. It will be recalled that this was one of the main causes of the Changsha riots. There is considerable and increasing ill-feeling between the gentry and the lower classes in Hunan, which is likely to lead to further trouble sooner or later. In November a leading article appeared in the Hankow native press on the danger to society of the jealousy between the student and gentry classes, which was daily growing more acute. It referred to the spirit of animosity which characterised the relations of the Hupei Provincial Assembly and the Educational Society, and the Viceroy has frequently had to issue orders for the removal of placards, said to be the work of students, grossly libelling the councillors.
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