CO129-302 - Public Offices - 1900 — Page 500

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leaders of the riot were certain well-known gentry from Lin An and Headmen from the Kuo-Chin mines. Though nominal rewards have been issued for their arrest, not one has been touched or is likely to be; the officials seem neither to have the will nor the power to stop the riot or arrest the chief culprits. So many Headmen of local influence are concerned that only the very strongest pressure is likely to induce the Taotal to take any action.

A

The causes of the riot, were various; they have not been removed, so further trouble is likely to occur:

1. The dislike of foreigners largely due to impulent behaviour of French.

2. Fear that the French were about to seize the tin mines.

3. Opposition to the railway, a feeling which is very wide-spread, and is both. shared in and fostered by the officials.

4. The hopeless weakness of the Provincial Governinent, which is quite powerless to keep order.

5. Rumours that a large sum of silver was deposited in the French Consulate for the railway.

Mr. Spinney (Imperial Maritime Customs) an official of much experience, to whom I am indebted for information about Mengtze, is of opinion that there will be further serious trouble when the railway is actually commenced; nor on our side do I think that the Burmah lines can be extended without a good deal of trouble with the officials and people.

It is, I learn, the intention of the French to have some Annamite troops stationed as a guard at Mengtze, and to construct a block-house near the Consulate. After the riot, troops were brought up to Lung Po (on the extreme limit of the frontier) and the Colonial party wished to seize the opportunity of rushing Mengtze, but the French Consul, who no doubt had his instructions from home, strongly and successfully opposed any such move.

The action of the officials at Ssumao was in marked contrast to the feebleness shown at Mengtze. About five of the chief gentry in our valley, who had been more than suspected of engaging in the honourable profession of horse stealing in the Shan States, are supposed to have formed an unlawful society for procuring arms. After the Mengtze troubles the officials state that these men started a plot to raid the Customs and li-kin station, and some of their followers suddenly appeared at a salt station 50 miles north of this and demanded a "present" of 200 taels. This was going too far, and the officials got together a few men and attacked the gentry; four of the most influential were executed out of hand for being suspected of being suspicions [sic]; after this they were tried and found guilty, and their already severed heads were exposed to the public gaze. One of them, a Nich (proper name), had been so powerful that the public would not believe it was really his head that appeared on the pole near the parade ground.

Ssumao, October 29, 1899.

(Signed)

G. LITTON, Acting Consul

Inclosure 5 in No. 1.

Rough Sketch Map: Nanning-fu to Mengtse-hsien.

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