The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-27
CHINESE REVOLT.
Uncanny Condition of Affairs In
kiangsu.
Nohammedans slaughtered Ruthlessly.
probability of the Insurrection
Becoming more General.

The Chinese Government seem likely
to have some little trouble in quelling
the rebellions in Kiangsu and Kansuh
unless they act with vigor and promp-
titude. says the Hong Kong Weekly
Press. AS we have on previous occa-
sions pointed out, there is little chance
of insurrection in China proving sue
cessful or even formidable if the lmpe-
rial Government only take care TO nip
it in the bud The insurgents are in
variabIy badly provided with funds,
have few arms, and possess no organ
ization Imperfect, therefore, as the
organization of the Imperial troops un-
doubtedly is, inferior as the arms used
often prove, and gross as the cOrrup-
ton in the military administration is
known to be, they are UNNECESSARILY
suDerior in arms and even discipline to
the unframed mobs that are hurled
against them. But there is such
thing-as British commanders among
others have found out ere now-as I'M
duIy despiSing the enemy. In kIangSu
the Taotai who has charge OF the troops
appears to be quite unable to meet the
foe. and he is practically shut up with
about two thousand troops in the town
of Hsuchow. Meanwhile the rebels are
every day increasing their numbers and
strengthening their position. Ihe rep
els have lately been joined by upwards
of three thousand local banditti, and if
the prospect of plumber seems good,
this number Will no doubt soon be
largely augmented. 1t is also stated
that if the rebels can manage to keep
the Imperial troops shut up In HSu-
chow they will march on 1ang-choW.
Meantime, another rising is reported
to have taken place in Hupeh, where
the granaries have been looted and the
Insurgents have defeated the Imperial
ist troops Unless the reinforcements
sent by the Viceroy Chang Chihtung
soon reach the scene Of trouble there
will be little doubt the area OF the last
named rebellion will quickly widen.
The necessity for severe measures
seems however. to have been recog-
niZed in the Northwest, for the latest
news from KanSuh is to the effect that
General Tung Furnishing, in obedience
to orders from Peking, has commenced
a massacre of all the Mahommedans he
meets. At Fsining-fu he is SAID 10
have slaughtered three thousand men
and sold their wives and female chill
dr,en into slavery These were the tao
tics resorted to in the suppression OF
the great Mahommedan rebellion IN
Yunnan. where a war OF DETERMINATION
was so ruthlessly carried on that hall
the nrovince was laid desolate, and vast
districts full of ruined towns and vast
ed fields still attest-more than twenty
wears Iater-the thoroughness with
which the Imperial orders to kill and
snare not were carried out These
seventies. however, may have the OPP
Dosite effect to that which they are IN
tended to produce. Instead OF daunt-
mig the rebels they may render them
desperate, and they are said to be medl-
Eating the declaration of holy war, III
which event, it is alleged, the Mahom-
medans across the Russian frontier
have promised their aid. IL Jehad De
declared by the Central Asian Mahom-
medans, it might prove difficult for the
Gar to restrain their fire, and it might
even be found necessary for Russia to
intervene on behalf of the followers OF
the Prophet in China. The Chinese
Mahommedans can fight if they receive
encoura cement, and they could be
turned into useful allies by any Power
having schemes of aggression IN emma
1t will be we'll therefore for the Chi
nese Government to set to work TO
pacify the country, not by means OF
discriminating the discontinued, but by
redressing their grievances, by putting
down brigandage where it really exists
with a firm hand, and by abolishing un-
lust squeezes. If China is to exist much
longer as an independent Empire, the
Central Government at Peking vii
have exercise their capacity for admin
istering, and not merely to show, by
brutal wholesale massacres, that they
have power to punish disloyalty. There
is unfortunately too great similarity
between the n;ethods adoptd by the
Sick Man of Europe and the Sick Man
of Eastern Asia in the suppression OF
revolts.