The Ordway new era., 1911-09-15
AMERICAN ouNeoATs WILL BE
USED TO PROTECT AMERi.
CAN CITIZENS.
SITUATION IS SERIOUS
CHINESE GOVERNMENT eUARAN.
TEES SAFETY BUT FOREIGN.
ERs HAVE NO FAITH.

Western Newspaper Union News Service
Washington.-In the turbulent prov.
ince Of Szechuan, In China, a crisis
has arisen. and the foreign offices OF
the United States and other countries
have taken precautionary steps for
the safety OF their citizens In that re-
gion.
American gunboats will be brought
into play to guard American citizens.
and n formidable International naval
array is at hand In Chinese waters.
American Charge d'Affaires vii.
l.ams at Peking has cabled the State
Department that the situation had be-
come critical In Szechuan. where pub
lie meetings In various cities. accom-.
panied with the closing OF shops and
schools. and refusal to pay taxes. have
eliminated In serious disorders.
American Methodist missionaries at
Chung King and Cheng Tu have in
formed Mr.. Williams that none Of
them has left his post except that
American and British women have left
Chcng Tu for Chung King.
Twenty-one districts are said to be
| affected by the present agitation. Tax
offices have been destroyed and sew.
eral officials have resigned. but resist.
ance to the government has been
passive rather than active.
The Chinese foreign office has as
sured the legation that protection will
be given all foreigners and their
property and has offered escort to all
who desire to leave the disturbed area.
acting with energy. A British gunboat
Is hurrying to Chatting. while three
other gunboats. one British. one
French and one German, are at Chung
King.
Admiral Murdock's flagship. the
leans is at Shanghai and two or three
United States gunboats are cruising
in the Yangtse river.
On receipt Of disquiet;ng reports.
the Department of State telegraphed
the legation at Peking to request Ad'
miral Murdoch to dispose the Amerl.
can gunboats In the manner best cal
culated to forestall any danger to
American citizens.
The department also sent tele.
graphic instructions to Mr.. Pontius. OF
the Consular Service, to go at Cnce
from Hankow to Chung King. The trip
from Cheng Tu to Chung King, where
there are gunboats, requires ten days,
while Cheng Tu is four days journey
from Chatting, whittier n British gun
boat is going.
An imperial edict recently placed
under the ministry of communications
of the central government the con
struction of all trunk lines throughout
the empire and cancelled all conces'
sions for the private construction OF
trunk lines granted before 1911.
This measure affected the line
which was building by Chinese private
enterprise in Szcchuan, and. according
to the State Department, has doubt
less precipitated the present mani
fcstations in a province always consid'
cred more than ordinarily turbulent.
In the view of American officials
the province Is one where reactionary
tendencies. the cry of China for the
Chinese and a certain amount OF an
t-foreign tendency have made the eco
nomic and progressive measures of re-
form and industrial development aided
by the central government more slow
ly appreciated than in other parts OF
China.
State Department officials say there
| ~
uprising to the recent railway projects
III which the United States is inter
eSted