CO129-438 - Public Offices - 1916 — Page 460

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Appendix "A".

454

Swatow Revolution. Extending telegrams sent.

British Consulate, Swatow,

No.11.

March 31, 1916.

sir,

I now have the honour to extend the information which was

summarized in my telegrame numbered 2, 3, 4, and 5.

+

In the afternoon of March 27th, news resched me that the

Ch'aoyang luchun, omsisting of one ying had revolted under t'uan-

ohang ho Ching-yü, had seized the city, and commandeered two or

three steam launches, for the use of which they paid, intending to

proceed to Kityang, Oh'sochoufu, and Swatow and take possession

of these places in the order named. I at once went over to see

General Ma, and the French Consul came in a few minutes after I

did. General Ha assured us that he could easily handle the

situation, and that there was no reason to fear that any trouble

would occur at Swatow. The same afternoon the revolutionaries

were reported to be in possession of Chaochoufu, from which place

Mo, Ch'ing in-shu (the Ch'ao An Hɛien), and Yi Chia-Ch¤ (the Salt

Commissioner), the two latter under compulsion, sent a joint

telegram to the military officials, the Chief of Police, the

Superintendent of Custome/Foreign Deputy, the Chamber of Commerce,

and other public offices in Swatow, asking them to urge General Ka

to throw in his lot with them, in order that fighting might be

avoided. The Taoyin was not included because he left, ostensibly

for Canton on public business, on the 21st March. No reply was

sent to this telegram-

Ma received telegraphic orders from Canton to suppress the

rising in five days. Varying rowards were promised for the arrest

of the leaders, and thirty thousand dollars would be divided among

Right Honourable

Bir John Jordan, G.C.I.E., K.C.B., K.O.H.G.,

His Majesty's Minister,

the

Peking.