This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.)
# SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
## CONFIDENTIAL,
## No. 1.
## 261
[August 31.]
### SECTION 1.
Acting Consul Litton to the Marquess of Lansdowne.*~(Received August 31.)
(No. 11. Confidential.) My Lord,
Yünnan Fu, July 5, 1903.
UPON receipt of authentic news of the outbreak at Lin An Fu in south Yunnan I felt it my duty to return as soon as possible to Yunnan Fu from Teng Yuch and to abandon a proposed visit to Burmah.
The state of the Bhamo Teng Yueh frontier was so disturbed that my departure for the capital was delayed until I had induced the Teng Yueh officials to send troops into the disturbed area, and to take measures to protect the trade route to Burmah.
I left Teng Yueh on the 5th June, and reached Yunnan the 29th June. Everything was quiet along the main route, and there were three large caravans from Burmah for Yunnan on the road with me.
Some obscurity hangs over recent events in South Yunnan, but so far as I can learn what has happened is somewhat as follows :----
Chou Ta Ma (big pock-marked Chou), one of the chief rowdies in the Ko Chin tin mine district, evaded an attempt to arrest him, which was made by the Mengtse Taotai early in the year, and fled to the hills. The authorities there would not pursue him, being under the impression that they might thus induce his followers to obstruct the French railway. Chou's following increased rapidly. In May he appeared at the tin mines, which are only twelve miles from Kochiu. An attempt was made with an inadequate force to seize him. He defeated the troops and police at Kuo Chiu, burnt the town, descended into the plain with his followers, mostly well armed, but short of cartridges, and in three or four days the outbreak at the mines appeared before the Prefectural City of Lin An, which was opened to him (18th May) by the gentry and some of the minor officials. The Prefect and Magistrate bolted, but were captured by Chou and ignominiously tied up in their own yamen.
Meanwhile other bands, in correspondence with Chou, appeared at Shi Ping City, which fell into their hands, at Chi Kai near Mengtse, at Mi Lo Hsien, Ning Chou, and other places. A number of villages were destroyed with considerable slaughter, and the whole country between Lin An and Mengtse was reduced to anarchy.
Chou, who assumed the title of Wang, or prince, announced his intention of revenging himself on the officials and on all who opposed him, and of exterminating all foreigners.
The reason why Chou found so much support is not far to seek. The Viceroy, Ting Chen To, is hopelessly weak and incompetent; furthermore, he has been playing with fire. Wishing to block the French railway he has encouraged the dissemination of malicious anti-foreign rumours. His Excellency, before reaching Yunnan last spring, stayed for a few days at Kwei Yang Fu, where Tsino, the Acting Governor of Kwei Chou, is just such another reactionary. Stories of the plans which these two foolish old men are supposed to have concocted for the extirpation of foreigners, and especially of the French, have been spread abroad; the new batches of engineers and surveyors who have recently come into the province from Tonquin have not always behaved with tact, and there was a good deal of popular irritation. Thus stories that the French wished to sacrifice 500 Chinese virgins to the god of railways; that they proposed to boil down 100 fat old gentlemen to make train oil; and meanwhile were kidnapping Chinese children to "make medicine," found many believers. In fact, all the usual symptoms of an artificial agitation fomented by the officials were present.
As soon as Chou had taken possession of Lin An, the gentry petitioned the Viceroy that he should be rewarded and used to defend the country against the French.
Further east, at Mi Lo Hsien, the Pao Chia Hui, or Home Protection Society, which had been authorized by the Viceroy a few months previously, also veiled its rebellious and predatory proceedings under a pretence of anti-French patriotism.
Copies to His Majesty's Minister, Peking, and to the Government of Burmah. [2144 h-1]
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.)
SOUTH-WEST CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL,
No. 1.
261
[August 31.]
SECTION 1.
Acting Consul Litton to the Marquess of Lansdowne.*~(Received August 31.)
(No. 11. Confidential.) My Lord,
Yünnan Fu, July 5, 1903.
UPON receipt of authentic news of the outbreak at Lin An Fu in south Yunnan I felt it my duty to return as soon as possible to Yunnan Fu from Teng Yuch and to abandon a proposed visit to Burmalı.
The state of the Bhamo Teng Yueh frontier was so disturbed that my departure for the capital was delayed until I had induced the Teng Yueh officials to send troops into the disturbed area, and to take measures to protect the trade route to Burmah.
I left Teng Yueh on the 5th June, and reached Yunnan the 29th June. Every- thing was quiet along the main route, and there were three large caravans from Burmah for Yunnan on the road with me.
Some obscurity hangs over recent events in South Yunnan, but so far as I can learn what has happened is somewhat as follows :----
Chou Ta Ma (big pock-marked Chou), one of the chief rowdies is tho de ly tin mine district of Kuo Chin, evaded an attempt to arrest him, which was end by the Mengtse Taotai early in the year, and fled to the hills. The retenties bere would not pursue him, being under the impression that they might us hind le followers to obstruct the French railway. Chou's following increased pat May he appeared at the tin mines, which are only twelve miles from Yeme attempt was made with an inadequate force to seize him. He detent Bu and police at Kuo Chiu, burnt the town, descended into the plain with dig ja followers, mostly well armed, but short of cartridges, and in threo og du og outbreak at the mines appeared before the Prefectural City of Lin km which vež opened to him (18th May) by the gentry and some of the minor officials. The Fr and Magistrate bolted, but were captured by Chou and ignominiously tie np in th own yameus.
Meanwhile other bands, in correspondence with Chou, appeared at Shi Ping City, which fell into their hands, at Chi Kai near Mengtse, at Mi Lo Hsien, Ning Chou, and other places. A number of villages were destroyed with considerable slaughter, and the whole country between Lin An and Mengtse was reduced to anarchy.
Chou, who assumed the title of wang, or prince, announced his intention of revenging himself on the officials and on all who opposed him, and of exterminating all foreigners.
The reason why Chon found so much support is not far to seek the Viceroy, Ting Chen To, is hopelessly weak and incompetent; furthermore, he has been playing with fire. Wishing to block the French railway he has encouraged the dissemination of malicious anti-foreign rumours. His Excellency before reaching Yunnan last spring stayed for a few days at Kwei Yang Fu, where Tsino, the Acting Governor of Kwei Chou, is just such another reactionary. Stories of the plans which these two foolish old men are supposed to have concocted for the extirpation of foreigners, and especially of the French, have been spread abroad; the new batches of engineers and surveyors who have recently come into the province from Tonquin have not always behaved with tact, and there was a good deal of popular irritation. Thus stories that the French wished to sacrifice 500 Chinese virgins to the god of railways; that they proposed to boil down 100 fat old gentlemen to make train oil; and meanwhile were kidnapping Chinese children to "make medicine," found many believers. In fact, all the usual symptoms of an artificial agitation fomented by the officials were present.
As soon as Chou had taken possession of Lin An, the gentry petitioned the Viceroy that he should be rewarded and used to defend the country against the French.
Further east, at Mi Lo Hsien, the Pao Chia Huí, or Home Protection Society," which had been authorized by the Viceroy a few months previously, also veiled its rebellious and predatory proceedings under a pretence of anti-French patriotism.
Copies to His Majesty's Minister, Peking, and to the Government of Burmah. [2144 h-1]
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