Directory_and_Chronicle_1925 — Page 1032

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CANTON

thus attained without bloodshed. In July, 1913, when a rebellion broke out in several provinces against what was described as the dictatorship of Yuan Shih-kai, the Tutuh, Chan Kwing-ming, proclaimed the independence of the province. The ex-viceroy Shum 'came down to Canton as the generalissimo of the rebel forces to organise an expedition to proceed north to punish Yuan Shih-kai, but he failed to win over General Lung Chai Kwong, of Kwangsi, who remained loyal to the Central Government, and marched with a large force upon Canton. As this force approached the city the traitorous Tutuh and the Generalissimo fled, and on reaching Canton General Lung cancelled the declara- tion of independence, and gradually restored peace and order in the city, where much looting and some fighting took place prior to and for some time after his arrival. In 1916 when the troubles arose over Yuan Shih-kai's attempt to ascend the Dragon throne, Kwangtung again declared its independence, but this did not prevent bloodshed. General Lung was denounced as a traitor to the Republic by General Shum, who attacked Canton at the head of a large army. There was serious fighting and for a number of weeks all business was suspended. There was considerable destruction of property and much loss of life before matters were settled by General Lung's transference to another post. The political situation since 1917 has been very confused. A Military Government was formed in the interests of Constitutionalism, and a com- plete severance of relations followed between the North and the South. Spasmodic fighting, the constant movement of troops and rivalries amongst the various leaders in the South have seriously interfered with trade. In 1921 Dr. Sun Yat Sen, whose party had driven out the Kwangsi leaders in the previous year, was proclaimed by his followers "President of China." In 1922 Sun went to Kweilin, in Kwangsi, to make preparations for his projected punitive expedition to Peking, but his forces never got within a thousand miles of the city, and the hopes which he had based on his alliance with Chang Tso-lin were destroyed by the defeat of this Tuchun's forces by Wu Pei-fu. In the meantime, Sun had alienated his chief lieutenant,. Chan Kwing-ming, by this impossible enterprise, and in the middle of the year Chan's supporters put Sun and his followers in Canton to flight. Sun took refuge on the warships which were attached to his cause, and he went so far as to bombard Canton on one occasion, but without achieving any military result. After remaining. on a Chinese warship for some time under the shelter afforded by the Shameen, he left hurriedly on board H.M.S. Moorhen on August 9th to catch an "Empress" liner to Shanghai. Chan remained in Kwangtung, as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, and his nominee, Chan Chik-yue, a merchant of Hongkong, was appointed Civil Governor in September. Early in January, 1923, Dr. Sun's sympathisers sent a force composed of Kwangsi and Yunnanese soldiers to invade Kwangtung, and, owing to the supineness of naval units and the poor resistance offered by the disaffected Cantonese troops, Canton quickly fell into their possession. Chan retired to Waichow; the Civil Governor had fled some days previously to Hongkong.

Sun remained in possession throughout the year and also throughout 1924, despite the fact that his occupation was continually menaced not only by the presence in the East River region of a considerable hostile force under Chan Kwing-ming, which repeated efforts by Sun had failed to disperse, but likewise by formidable opposition to his régime on the part of the merchant class in the city and surrounding districts, provoked by oppressive taxation. In these circumstances, the ranks of the Merchants Volunteer Corps-which had been formed with Government approval some years before, with a view to ensuring greater security against plunder by pirates-increased to very large dimensions and Sun began to see in it a serious menace to his authority. When a large consignment of arms and ammunition, imported under Government per- mit, was seized by Dr. Sun's orders there was open revolt by the merchants. Business was entirely suspended for several days and was only resumed on Sun promising to release the arms. There was great delay, however, in fulfilling the promise, and public. feeling became highly incensed against Dr. Sun, who finally gave orders to his troops for the suppression of the revolt and the annihilation of the Volunteer Corps. Accord- ingly, on October 15th the whole commercial district of Saikwan, which the volun- teers had barricaded for defence, was surrounded by Sun's overwhelming forces There was desperate fighting in the streets for several hours. Incendiary gangs assisted the Government forces, and several hundred houses were destroyed by fire. Within about twenty-four hours the Volunteers were dispersed and the revolt was suppressed. Trustwortly figures as to the casualties in this conflict are not obtainable. but a conservative estimate puts the casualties in the neighbourhood of a thousand, while the material damage done was estimated at about $20,000,000. After the affray Sun mulcted the merchants in heavy fines. This did not promote happier relations, and