The Detroit times., 1911-12-04
EYEWITNESS TELLS HOW
SHANGHAI WAS TAKEN
,Continued from pase one,.


tional righteousness had been born.
Other things happened at dawn on
Saturday. With the very first streaks
or daylight the attack on the arsenal
began. IL was made by a band OF I'll.
disciplined men yariously armed and
everything points 10 the fact that is
issue was put up job The attack
lasted two hours. Inside a great show
5as made of bringing one OF the big
guns TO bear on the attacking party
Several rounds were fired, and then
Up went the white flag.
Seven men had been killed and
some thirty or forty wounded. When
the revolutionary leaders entered. the
director general had disappeared, and
IL was learned that he had passed
underneath the big gun TO a steam
launch which had taken him 10 the
International settlement IL was also
learned that the big gun had fred
nothing but blank cartridge.
Two miles away from the arsenal
Is government powder manufactory.
II was half expected that this would
Put up fight. but the guards there
ceem to have thought that with the
arsenal in possession of the revolu-
tionaries an attack on the powder
Hill would be foregone conclusion.
probably In the shape OF a great ex-
losion. and thus when a couple OF
hours later the revolutionaries attack
ed the white flag went up and the
place was occupied.
+ The possession OF the arsenal gives
the revolutionaries a great advantage,
OF course. and on the Saturday after
noon and Sunday morning we were
able TO see how il was to be used.
Every few minutes there came up to
the arsenal squads of men in various
uniforms. Some squads were gray.
some were blue. some were green,
some khaki and so on.
/ Each squad consisted of thirty or
forty men, and as they arrived they
were put under drill. The awkward
ones were sent out for further in
,struction while the others filed past
the magazine shed and were there
supplied with rife, hundred rounds
lof ammunition. cartridge belt water
bottle and other details OF equipment.
BY this process some 1900 men were
armed on Saturday and Sunday.
The men-are excellent material.
They are all OF respectable appear
ance. being drawn very largely from
the families of the merchant class.
and al least half of them are students
who have deserted their studies in the
many colleges round Shanghai.
Many of them speak English and
one very noticeable fact is that both
men and officers know the plan OF
campaign. so that il every officer in
Ia company is shot down the men
know what is their objective and un-
der their own leader can take part in
the work
They are as keen as mustard and
as grim as death. They do not re-
gard this matter as a picnic or even
as mere good fun
Hoist White Flags.
| Lying off the arsenal were two
government gunboats. hut they did
not fire a shot, and when the white
flag went up on the arsenal IL was
quickly followed by similar flags on
the gunboats.
Down the river from Shanghai are
the Wusung forts. guarding the en-.
itrance TO the harbor. The forts would
ihave been able 10 prevent vessels
from the arsenal conveying supplies
of arms and ammunition TO the revolu.
tionaries up the Yangtze at Hankow
AMI other ports. Grave doubts were
expressed whether the forts should
: show fight or not As matter OF fact
tthey- did Het, their officers cleared out
! and when revolutionary leaders at
| tempted TO communicate with the
, forts they were received with open
, arms. The white flag went up and
/ thus the revolutionaries held a river
, frontage OF some fifteen miles.
The moral effect OF the victory al
, Shanghai IL Is impossible TO calculate
. IIt must have been tremendous for II
! has been followed by many acces
, siony To the revolutionary cause In
THE International settlements the
White flag is flyng from practically
Cvery Chinese house or establishment
las ! mail this letter
NANKtN. Dec Am imp6rlaIist at
: tack or the city is believed 10 be Inn
minent Cen. Chang Hsun. Manchu
commander. is expecting heavy rein
forcements from Pekin. when he ex
lpects TO lombard the city
The reyOutionists are wreakinf
vengeance upon the supporters of tho
/. throne. Scores have been decapitated
Job Printing Done RIght Time.
Printing Co. rs John R.-st