Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-11-29
IOWA MAN IN CHINA
Son of DIR. Clark of Clear IxaIcn
Writes of Conditions in
Orient.
HANKOw CENTER OF TROUBLE
Inception and Growth of Revolt -
Detailed in Communication
to Home Folks.

On account of the seriovs revolt
now on in China, the attention OF a
great many readers is directed to the
Orient. Robert Clack, a graduate of
Iowa College at Grinnell, who went to
China two years ago, and is now one
of the professors in the university
at Paotingfu, writes to his father, q
resident doctor at CLEAR Lake. Me-
Clack in very few words, sizes up
the cause of the trouble and the
outlook in a letter which is dated
three weeks ago AMI Just received:
Paotingfu, China, Oct 3O.-We
have been having pretty exciting
times the past week. AS the Amerf-
can papers through their correspond
ents have undoubtedly magnified the
affair, write you that you may
know the facts.
The center OF the trouble, IS In the
three cities Of Hankow, Wuchang
and Hanging. situated at the juno
ton Of the Han and Yang TIE rivers
Wuchang Is the capital OF the prov
nee. 1t has a population OF about
100000. Hanging has a population
Of about 100000. Hankow is one
of the most important cities In China
and has population of almost q
million Chinese.
/ A revolt broke out suddenly In
WI Chang and the troops were sent
out to put it down. They went over
70 the side of the revolutionists and
the viceroy was forced to flee to .
warsh'p in the river. leaving the city
III the bands of the ,revolutionists.
They have since, to all appearances.
captured Hanging. They have is
Esuel strict orders that anyone found
looting or molesting FOREIGNERS in
any way will be Immediately be-
| headed, and the foreign consuIs have
promised to remain absolutely neu.-
trial as long as foreign Interests are
not harmed. The uprising is entire
ly anti-Manchu, and 1t is certain
foreigners will not be harmed unless,
perhaps by irres ponsible persons right
at the seat of trouble. According to
trumors there have been outbreaks at
Marking, Kaiferngu and Luchanfu.
which shows that the outbreak Is
we'll planned and widespread.
=, The government has deemed 1t
serious enough to recall Yuan Shih
Kai, who was put out of Office m
1909 because he opposed the boxers,
and sent him to take charge. He Is
the ablest man in China by q large
majority. All the troops from North
China are being brought here and
from here are sent south by the rail-
road as quickly as possible. So
things around here look quite war
like There is always an army of
about 10000 here, but now there
must be $4,000, and some 10000
have already gone.
The whole thing rests with the
soldiers. If they remain loyal the
trouble will be over in short time.
but il not the Manchus will be driven
out and probably republic set up
or the Japs may deem 1t time TO take
hand, though l sincerely hope that
Uncle Sam will have the backbone
10 stop that.
At present practically az traffic
south OF here is shut on, as. every
piece of rolling stock Is being used
to transport soldiers. but the line Is
being kept open for first and second
class traffic to Picking. If the revolt
is put down Immediately it will have
no direct effect upon as, but il the
revolutionaries succeed in winning
over the army and drive out the
Manchus, ] expect school VIII be
closed temporarily, and we VIII have
to go to Tientsin for few months
until the new government gets things
going. However, l don't think there
Is any danger OF that unless Yuan
Silk Kai himself goes over to the
rebels as the army Is loyal to him. :"