New-York tribune., 1911-11-10
REBEL COUP IN CHINA
ALONG PREP AIRED ONE
Tribunes Special Correspondent in Peking Sketches
Growth of Nation Wide Movement.

[From Special Correspondent OF The Tribune.
Picking. oct 13-After several years OF
effort the revolutionary element in South
and Central China has succeeded IN TO-
menting "A revolt which seems most formih-
able Certain it is thai to-day the Chinese
government and the Manchu dynasty, hatted
for which L. al the bottom OF the present oiS-
turbances, face situation more dangerous
to their continued existence than any since
the bloody Tai-Ping rebellion. which lasted
from 1850 to 1864. That this VIII be true
tomorrow or the next day or next week
is difficult TO say, for by the very Chinese
nature OF things a condition which preVais
one day will not necessarily prevail the
next.
However. the present revolutionary move
ment in the vicinity OF Hankow the chi
Cago of China, and In the Sze-Chuen Prov
ince particularly. and throughout South and
Central China generally shows every evi-
dence OF being long premeditated ana wen
organized There Is alarm in Peking, ana
the heads OF this ancient Manchu regime
are at last perturbed The government
shows itself TO be vastly agitated The for
eign legations are keenly interested ana
many men of long residence are making
dire predictions.
While the government just row shows It's
agitation and fear. It may be that II will be
able to cope with the rebels. although fight
Ing and bloodshej are certain Already there
have been numerous executions ond many
lives have been lost particularly in t"e
Sze- Chuen Province.
The growth OF the movement has not
been slow during the last six weeks. So
far there has been no outbreak IN the yicin-
ity of Canton. but one Of serious proper
tions is confidently expected. 1t has been
imminent for Ions time. and now that hos
tiites have actually been begun it Is high
ly probable that Canton will flare up, for Of
all the hotbeds of revolution in this empire
Canton has always been the most danger
Gus.
Anteeedents of the Revolution.
1t is difficult, as well as supernuous. TO
write OF what will or may happen, as by
| the time this letter reaches America the
cable will have carried news covering the
| important events which are certain to occur
within the next fortnight. An examination,
| then of the antecedents Of this revolution
! is more TO the point. Primarily and funda-
mentally the basis Is opposition to the
Manchu dynasty, which has held sway since
| 1914. The Manchus are not Chinese, and
| the hatred for these foreign rulers among
| vast numbers OF natives to the south is in
tense. For Years agitators have been al
work, until now the Yang tse Valley and
! regions southward are hOneycombed with
secret societies and other organizat tions
with militant revolutionary tendencies.
The government mas never been able TO
stop a healthy growth Of this feeling; in
| fact, its efforts in this direction prior to the
recent outbreaks were for the most part
confined to the issuance OF edicts and mani
festos, which had no effect. In the mean
time the rebellious Chinese secretly circu-
lated their own edictS and carried on their
prOpa sanda. The difference between these
deluges Of literature was that the circulars
sent broadcast by the revoIutionists had
telling effect while thcse Of the government
were innocuous.
Since actual hostilites have been begun
the government has shown greater activity.
and fortnight ago seemed TO have con-
troll of the situation in Sze-Chuen province.
where the first hostile development Cf the
present situation appeared. The fghting in
that province has centred at Cheng-Tu, the
provincial capital. With the outbreak Of
three days ago at Wu-Chang. however and
the capture Of that very important provin-
cial capital, the government is again in diff
ficultes, more serious than ever.
There is mystery as TO the real leaders
OF this revolt The government itself
claims not to know. but il probably does
That the movement has leadership, and
good leadership. is indicated In many ways
OF prime importance is the fact that the
rebels are not molestng foreigners or for
eign property. In fact. in the dis stuI bed
zones the leaders have issued orders that
missionaries and other foreigners should
not only be unmoested but should be pro-
;ected. Punishment OF the harshest sort is
threatened for those VINO disobey.