CO129-416 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 241

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Kuangsi,

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The political situation in Knangsi has remained quiet during the past quarter. There are the usual reports of armed robberies by bands of briganda, especially in the south-east and east of the province bordering on Kuangtung. But the Government would seem to be doing its best to restore order, and captures of brigands are reported almost daily. There has been no piracy on the upper portion of the West River during the past quarter.

Kuangtung.

The number of members to be sent by the province of Kuangtung to the Peking Parliament is thirty. There are seven electoral districts. The third electoral district, which includes Swatow, provides four members, and the total number of electors in the district is 257,585. The Haiyang magistrate and others were denounced for malpractices, but the cases against them were settled by compromise.

The

Circular instructions have been issued by the Canton Governor to the various district magistrates directing the establishment of police in the villages without delay, After three months an official inspection will be made, and the efficiency of the different district magistrates will be judged according to their merits or the reverse. membership of the Triad Society is said to be increasing; and another society, the Eight Diagram Society, has also been fomenting trouble, but the military authorities seem to be able to maintain control for the present. The latest advices from Canton indicate that the Tutu and local officials are gradually strengthening their position. Appeals have been issued for some time past to Chinese abroad for funds for a campaign in Mongolia, but it is more than doubtful whether the money received will be devoted to this purpose.

At Pakhoi, in the south-west of the province, there has been a severe epidemic of bubonic plague, which, owing to the general insanitary conditions of the port, seems likely to increase in virulence during the present quarter. Many of the Chinese have taken refuge in the surrounding villages, but the disease does not seem to be spreading much to the interior; though one or two cases have been reported from Limehow. The latter district has also been the scene of some rioting out of the imposition of new taxes. These disorders were suppressed with great brutality by Colonel Hau Wei Yang, who did not hesitate to make use of his troops for the purpose of levying blackmail on unoffending villagers. Colonel Hsu has since been recalled, and the situation is now more peaceful.

Fukien.

In the beginning of February there was an attempt to assassinate the new civil commissioner, Chang Yuan-chi, by means of a bomb placed on a bridge over which be was passing. Chang noticed the bomb, and stopped his chair in time to save his own life, but two of his bodyguard in front had their legs blown off. Bombs have also been found in other parts of Foochow, but otherwise there has been no serious disturbance. The district round Foochow has been quite peaceful, and even Hsing Hua, usually in a state of unrest and especially so since the forcible uprooting of the poppy crop is now settling down to more normal conditions. His Majesty's consul at Foochow observes a notable inclination among the natives to revert to idol worship and to the pre-Revolution type of costume. The attitude of Fukien and Chekiang towards the Central Government would seem to be rather more loyal than that of the other southern provinces, and it is possible that, in the event of a conflict, they would take sides against the latter in favour of Yuan Shih-kai.

[22890]

(No. 185.) Sir,

No. 52.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 19.)

Peking, May 3, 1913.

I HAVE the honour to enclose copy of a note from the Wai-chiao Pu stating that the United States Chargé d'Affaires, Mr. Williams, under instructions from Washington,

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