Arizona republican., 1911-09-10
Some of the Foreign Elm bassies Believe That the Present Disturb a Il ces May Yet Lead to Disrup- tion of Empire.
GHASTLY TERRORS
 CAUSED BY FLOOD
English Newspapers Auth ority for the Statement That This is Worst Cal amitv in the History of Kingdom.

PEKIN, Sept 9-For three days
 no message has been received from
 hundreds of foreigners who gathered
 at Cheng Tu, capital of the province
 of SZe Chuan, for safety from mobs
 which are running riot in the sur
 rounding districts. The Chinese vice
 roy has ordered foreigners to leave
 the city and it is believed they now
 are making their way to the Yangtse
 kiang, 300 miles by cart or rover
 through a country where antf-foreign
 placards were posted many months ago.
 It is understood the foreigners are under an escort of Chinese troops.
 but it is a question if these troops troops will really protect them if attacked. No American or foreign warships are able to proceed up the Hangtse further than Ichang. which IS many hundred miles from Cheng Tu. Americans among the refugees humber thirty. All are Methodist and Baptist missionaries, except one re- presentative of the American Tobacco company. Placards which are posted in many places state the American bank CTS have been enriching themselves on the poverty stricken Chinese Most influential newspapers in Pekin sup port the petition asking the govern to rescind the order to construct rail- ways through the provinces and let local contractors do the work. This order is believed to have stirred up the present trouble.
 Ii is pointed out. however. that surrender by the government now would be a calamity Tn the first place no railroads can be constructed as the provincial authorities are un- able and incompetent for such a task as well as being corrupt. Second ly it would mean the termination of the governmental control of the pro vinces and finally a reactiOnary lapse would be certain, which some of the legations believe would he the be- ginning of the downfall of the em- pire.
 The flood situation in China is the most serious in years. In Han kow troops are driving the flood re- tuSttS lIoIl llt tllA. All E-llS ll>Il newspaper in Shanghai says:
 "W esuppose half the population of the Yangtse valley must be sup ported through the coming winter or starve. Probably this is the most appalling disaster in the history of China"
 The flood in the lower district of | the Yangtse has added much to the | popular feeling against foreigners, be- | cause the people believe this calamity | is the vengeance of the earth dragons | on those who disturbed them by dig l ging for the railroad.
 NEW YORK, Sept. 9.-The floods in ! Yangtse district have claimed more | than five million souls in the past | decade. according to conservative com putations of missionary societies and | other authorities, who have received authentic reports of the death-ridden districts. Tn the famine of 1906-7. the most awful camp of which history has any record, was established a hundred miles north of the Yangtse river. There 800. .0O0 men, women and children were her;led into huts of mud and reeds. Despite every effort of the government, and others, the deaths reached appalling figures in nine months of camp life. Experts believe the greatest problem confronting the Chinese empire today is solving the engineering problem to drain and make the Yangtse valley. now one of the richest. if not the richest in the world. inhabitable. Constantly recur- { ring floods denude it of all vegetable life, and deforestation has been going on hundreds of years. The only so- { lution that seems probable is one which will establish system of canals and {, dykes. over a district of 700 miles long and 200 wide, unless, perchanoe, the great Yangtse be damned