Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-23
FORBIDDEN CITY
WELL GUARDED
GENDARMES ON DUTY TO PRO-
TECT LEGATIONS
REVoLUTloNARIEs SPREAD MANY
ALARMING TALES
Gates of Picking Watched to Prevent
Threatened Invasion of conspira-
tors-Many Commend
Obsequies
IBy Associated Press

PEKING, Nov. 22.--While all is quiet
in Picking attachments of troops guard
the city gates and gendarmes are on
duty at the approaches to the foreign
legations.
The government has not ceased to
take precautionary measures, for revo-
lutionaries are spreading all kinds of
reports which might act like firebrands
to the spirit of uneasiness underlying
present conditions in China.
There have been rumorS of an inSur-
rectionary movement in the south, but
this has proved to be only a minor
outbreak among the artillery and cav
airy stationed at Marking.
Nevertheless it has been thought de-
sisable to post a guard at each of the
gates of Picking, and several companies
of Chinese regulars are now under
arms at these points.
1t was owing to one of these disturb
ances that the edict of November 20
was issued in which 1t was pointed out
that lawless conspirators tried to in
wade the interior and all officials were
ordered to arrest and summarily be-
head them wherever found.
To Suppress Conspiracy
Stringent measures have been taken
here to suppress any sign of con-
spiracy and the government has or
dered an investigation of the governor
of Ngan Puei province on account of
a slight uprising that took place there.
Two Picking newspapers have been
fined and one has been suppressed for
publishing details of the illness and
death of the emperor and the dowager
empress.
In all the provinces ceremonials of
y11nfrrOfYor ba hapn rTia6 All
the schools have been closed, so that
the services to the memory of the en-
peror and empress could be fittingly
observed.
The manner in which yesterdays
ceremony at the Imperial palace was
conducted has been the subject of high
commentator on the part OF the rep
resentatives of foreign powers here
and the success that attended them
and the unanimity shown by the vari-
Gus official factions here had the effect
of inducing a feeling of optimism with
regard to the new government.
Reforms Instituted
Reforms have already been insti-
tuted in the palace. The new dowager
empress has withdrawn herself from
the back ground and the late dow
ayers eunuchs and others who We're
closely identified with her powerful
rule, becoming alarmed at the evil
dences of the reform movement and
anticipating discharge, have fled.
Prince Chun's recent edict in which
he declined to permit any Interior
ence from the Dowager Empress Ye-
honala has cleared the throne from
any possible domination on the part
of the woman, at least until the new
emperor, Prince Pu vi, assumes power.
This edict, which ordered all i'm
perial clansmen to give a greater de-
gree of obedience to the regent than
to others and which threatens disobe-
ident princes and officials with severe
punishment, indicates the governments
recognition of the present opportunity
for a palace housekeeping.
Yuan ShilSi, it is said is cooperating
with Chang Chi Tung who is acting
as the regents chief councillor. The
government admits that 1t is dissen-
sion among the two or three princes
which inpsired the edict calling upon
all for implicit obedience, and since the
issuance of this edict criticisms of the
government and wranglings seemed
suddenly to cease. 1t is believed here
that Prince Ching will be made the
scapegoat of the dissenters and will
retire from his office as head of the
foreign board on the plea of age, after
the mourning period.