The San Francisco call., 1908-11-17
CHINA IN FfRMfNT
AT RULERS DEATH
Regent Adopts Stringent Mea=
SureS TO Check Revolution
ary Movements
Excitement in Empire Increases
and Runs on Banks Ruin
Institutions


Ming 10 realize that the emperor and
The dowager empress are dead. Prince
Chun. regent of the empire, in fear of
the increasing excitement and revolu-
tionary movements. has taken a firm
grip on affairs and has adopted strin-
gent measures that viii result in the
rlaintenance Of peace for a time at
least
AT noon 5000 gendarmes guarded the
streets and other military forces were
held in readiness for any eVentUality.
Every precaution was taken to prevent
recurrence Of the revolutionary tao
tics Of last April and May. which were
marked by widespread incendiarism.
The foreign legations are under guard,
special detachments of Chinese troops
keeping watch at the approaches.
The statement was made at the lega-
ton that there was no fear that the
Chinese government would be unable
to afford ample protection, but those
within the legations were more alert
than usual and seemingly anxious to
have set at rest the doubts arising
from the swift movements Of events in
the last few days.
There were many occurrences today
10 add TO the sinister aspect OF affairs.
the new dowager, YehOnala, and Yuan
Sli Kai, the grand councillor and one or
the most powerful men I'm the empire.
had committed suicide. Though there
was no truth in these reports. they
went FAR toward disturbing the Chinese
and foreigners alike.
RJNS on BANKS
Serious runs on banks occurred yes
terday and today is native banks
closed. The crowds Were wild With eX-
element. and toward the close Of the
day the police interviewed and drove
them back. one foreign concern. the
Yokohama Specie bank. suffered a big
run on its Tientsin notes but the Brit
ish. Russian and German institutions
were not affected. IL is probable to-
VIII be closed. and il is believed that
the government viii step in and en-
oeavor to stop the financial panic
among the poorer classes.
AS yet the cause OF ahe death Of the
emperor and dowaEer empress has not
been made public. A number OF Ions
reports have been written with refer
ence 10 this. but they are unintelligible
10 the foreigners here. who have not
yet recovered from the shock OF the
suspicion Of foul play. which was wide
spread There is no reasonable evil
dence however. 10 show that death in
either case was the result Of anything
other than natural causes
RFKOLUTIONESTS TO RETURN
There are rumors among the revo-
lutiOnjsts that some Of their leaders
are about TO return TO Peking. This is
The first boast that the late dowa ger's s
enemies have made since her famous
coup d'etat.
Efforts are being made by tie repre-
sentariVes Of the powers TO determine
the position Of the foreign interests. On
account Of late inroads of the rights
recovery movement" into foreign in
Vestmeut. there is anxiety 10 know II
this is a true awakening Some re-
ports have been received of slight dis
turbances in the provinces, which al
ready are said 10 be revolutionary.
but no credence is placed in these be-
cause the death Of the emperor and en-
press can hardly be known outside of
the larger cities.
BELIEVE EMPRESS DIED FIRST
TOKYO. Nov. 16.-The announcement
of the death at PelIing Of both the en-
perOr and the doWager empress caused
p heavy fall in the stock market in
Tokyo. but official views are optimistic
u is generally believed that the en-
peror died after the dowager. and some
new = Ild ltlo expressed illS opinion.
while others assign sinister causes for
The emperor's death.
Among many well informed persons
it is believed that the dOwager has
been dead many days. The emperor
undoubtedly was sick. but the life Of
the doWager empress was threatened by
his adherents during his lifetime. as
the enperOr's well known liberal views
had caused the dowager TO deprive him
81 power. The death Of the dowager
empress before that Of the emperor
would have left him free TO advocate a
revival OF the reform movement which
was drastically vetoed by her. and
therefore the emperOr's death is rega I'd
I'd as Opportune by the conservatives