the approval of the Provincial Council, the Education Society, and the native chambers of commerce.
The one reassuring feature of the position is that no doubt has yet been cast on the loyalty of the troops, who are, however, taking an active share in the railway agitation with the seeming assent of their officers.
The three press extracts enclosed indicate the attitude of the students and military at this juncture.
(No. 33.) Sir,
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
I have, &c.
E. H. FRASER,
Consul-General Sir P. Warren to Mr. Max Müller.
Shanghai, April 18, 1910. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch No. 15 of the 6th instant, transmitting copy of a memorandum by Mr. E. S. Little on the political situation in China.
I have read this memorandum carefully, and am of opinion that the description it contains of the present political situation is, speaking generally, a correct one.
Anti-foreign agitation in the open and excited form referred to by Mr. Little has not yet made its appearance in Shanghai or its immediate neighbourhood, for the reason that considerable foreign naval, volunteer, and police forces are in daily evidence here.
The attitude of the native press and its advocacy of voluntary subscriptions and universal service as a protection against foreign aggression was referred to in my despatch No. 21 of the 3rd ultimo.
The disastrous effect of the provinces' victory over the Central Government in the matter of the Shanghai-Hangchow-Ningpo Railway loan are becoming more and more evident locally as the two provincial companies find the task of concealing their bankrupt condition more and more impossible.
I have reported from time to time on the Chekiang Company's position, and I now learn that the Kiangsu Company cannot even find the funds to take delivery of seven passenger coaches made for it by the Shanghai-Nanking Railway, and of which it stands in great need.
Among the local officials there are not lacking those with definite anti-foreign. views, such as the Police Taotai Wang and the City Magistrate Tien, whose conduct on various occasions has been referred to in my reports.
The fact that the Christian Literature Society for China, which numbers amongst its staff some of the most experienced Protestant missionaries in the country, has taken steps to issue and circulate special pamphlets in Chinese on the true meaning of Halley's comet, shows that the fear of disturbance on this score is shared by those best acquainted with Chinese feeling.
OWIL
The chaotic state of Chinese finances is abundantly evidenced locally, the deaths of the two last Paoshan and Shanghai magistrates respectively were practically suicidal, and caused by worry over official deficits which were due to no fault of their On the other hand, conservancy funds are used to subsidise newspapers, and the most urgent needs are neglected in order to provide funds for police and waterworks, in the hope of blocking foreign expansion in the northern boundary of the settlement. No steps have been taken locally to enforce the regulations regarding the issue of unsecured bank notes, which continties unchecked.
New taxes are being levied locally and old taxes increased, and the efforts made by the native authorities to collect these in the settlements, and the readiness with which the native residents in the settlements support the foreign authorities in their efforts to prevent these levies, though at considerable risk to themselves, affords an indication of the feeling with which these increased exactions are regarded by the mass of the people.
As regards the attitude of the provincial assemblies, those in this neighbourhood, namely, at Nanking and IIangchow, have certainly demonstrated their anti-foreign attitude by their resolutions regarding Paoshan title-deeds and the resumption of the Mokunshan and Municipal quarry leases respectively.
By far the most important, however, in my view, of the various facts enumerated by Mr. Little is the loyalty of the troops.
5
Within the last three months at Taichow in Chekiang, and at Soochow and Chingkiang-p'u in this province, there have been mutinous outbreaks among the new" or foreign-drilled troops; in the two last cases the officials have openly shown themselves to be afraid of the troops, a large proportion of whom are undoubtedly disaffected, and there can be no greater source of danger to Chinese and foreigner alike than the existence throughout the country of large bodies of well-armed" but ill-disciplined soldiery.
To-day comes the news which, if true, may be described as the crowning episode of 6,000 of these troops joining the rioters at Changslu, and it would seem that little more evidence can now be required to prove the general correctness of Mr. Little's forecast, which, it may be remarked, has also been supported by the letters from correspondents in different parts of China which have appeared in the columns of the local foreign press for some months past.
(No. 24.) Sir,
I have, &c.
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
PELHAM L. WARREN.
Consul Goffe to Mr. Max Müller.
Nanking, April 20, 1910. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch No. 8 of the ith instant, transmitting copy of a memorandum on the political situation in China, drawn up by Mr. E. S. Little, and directing me to furnish you with a concise expression of my views on the political situation in this part of China.
I will first deal with Mr. Little's two statements bearing directly on the conditions at Nanking, viz., the arming of the students and the loyalty of the foreign-drilled troops. I have made exhaustive enquiries amongst missionaries connected with the education movement, most of whom are in close touch with the teachers and scholars in all the Government schools, and they emphatically deny that any arms have been issued to the students. Any such idea is scouted by the Chinese teachers, principally on the ground that, even if the authorities had the necessary arms at their disposal, they would not dare to entrust them to such an excitable and irresponsible body as are the students. Mr. Little's remarks on the subject of the troops are correct, with the reservation that I cannot vouch for the truth of the statement that no ammunition is ever served out to them. It is, however, certain that the troops here seldom, if ever, engage in rifle practice, and that the big guns have not been fired during the past twelve months.
My experience and observation convince me that Mr. Little's statement that the whole policy and thought of Chinese Government and people is now directly or indirectly levelled against the foreigner" in no way overstates the case, and will now deal with the various points raised in his memorandum from a local point of view.
The Carved Melon. These circulars emanating from Canton have been widely circulated, especially in the schools throughout the province, and have undoubtedly produced a very serious effect. The partition of China amongst the Powers was fixed for February of this year, and for some time previous to that date the students were Conditions violently excited and held severely aloof from their foreign teachers.
are
now improving and normal relations being gradually resumed, but there remains a latent hostility which any untoward incident may easily evoke in an active form.
Railway Loons.-Both in Anhui and Chiangsu there is determined opposition to direct foreign loans for railway construction or any other form of enterprise. Foreign capital is much sought after indirectly, such as through the medium of a Chinese bank; but sooner than accord foreigners any right of supervision or intervention, "interference" it is termed, the Chinese would prefer to forego the execution of any project, no matter how important or essential to the welfare of the province. The Wahu-Kuangtechou Railway, the Nanking-Wuhu line, and the provision of water- works for Nanking are cases in point.
Newspapers.--The native press, which is a very important factor in modern China, is actively engaged in stirring up anti-foreign feeling, and the Shanghai papers frequently publish sensational telegrams, said to have been addressed to the Central
[2827 g-2]
0
401
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.