The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-12
GOVERNMENT IN
LAST EXTREMITY
Poor Old China Threatened
With Internal Disorder in
Various Provinces.
MANY FOREIGN QUESTIONS
GREAT BRITAIN WILL DECIDE AS
TO MANcHURIA.

Pekin, Jan. 1.-THE Chinese govern
ment has been persuaded TO sign the
projects for the Tioutsin Chinkiang and
Che-Kiang railroad loan. and it is an
nounced they will go while the agita-
ton in these provinces which has at
tended the rights recovery move
ment is in temporary allegiance.
The recent edicts from the throne
against the agitation have not had a
conclusive effect. but they have brought
about change for the better i'm the
tone of the comment appearing in the
native press. Certain members of the
government are doubtful of the ulti-
mate outcome of the measures adopted
By the throne; they resent some of
them, and they are not convinced of the
sincerity of the government extending
the repressive measures to the prov
inces. There is even talk today among
some high officials that in any other
country would be considered as presag-
ing a revolution.
Eight Pressing Questions.
China has at present eight important
questions on her hands, aside from her
Japan. Four of these matters serious
ly threaten her. According to some OBJ
servers here, the government appears
to be growing weaker. but this evil
IDENTIFY is due to the fact that her con-
tentiOnS with the powers and her inter-
nal difficulties have come up at one and
the same time. and she has failed to
make use of the abilities of Yuan Shi-
kai. who complains that his hands are
tied and powerless. IndO-China has re-
peatedly sent warnings to Pekin of
dangers involved in the revolutionary
movement on the TOnkin border, where
the course pursued by the rebels has
provoked troops from Tonkin, which is
a French possession, to cross over into
the Chinese province of Kwang-Si.
Against this the foreign board has pro-
aested and the French minister here, NJ.
Bapst, has replied with adequate as
surances. Sir John n. Gordan, the
British minister of China, is today san
guine of a satisfactory settlement of the
west river difficulty.
prevalence of Piracy.
This trouble arises from the preva-
fence of piracy on this waterway, which
Great Britain is now policing with a
small fleet of gunboats Sir John is
particularly hopeful inasmuch as the
province of Kwangtung has conceded a
claim of $4,000 taels for piracy out
RACES.
A British gunboat while searching for
pirates on the west river recently
stopped and boarded a French boat. As
soon as the nationality of the suspected
vessel was made known. she was re
leased and proceeded on her way.
The course OF action followed by
Great Britain with regard to Manchu-
ria is expected ultimately to determine
whether a power other than the Jap
anese will be permitted TO find invest
ment IN that territory.
The evacuation of the Columbia val
ley, in Tibet, by British troops is be-
ing delayed, among other things, by
the necessity of settling the question OF
whether Tibet will be included in the
provisions of the Anglo-Chinese treaty
concerning Tibetan trade. 1t Is hoped
that Tibet will be admitted to this
agreement, and that an understanding
to this end will shortly be signed.