The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-02-12

Blockade Declared If Tong War
Does Not Stop by To-
morrow Noon
Heads of Fighting Factions Must
Send Signed Peace Pact
to Headquarters

blockade of Chinatown by the
police, was the ultimatum delivered yes
terday by Chief of Police j.. A. White
to Consul General Ii Yung Yew and
Secretary Wong sam of the six Com
panies- In turn. the Six Companies.
under its official seal. delivered a mes
sage TO the leaders OF the warning
tongs that they must agree to sign
peace articles within - hours and have
them ready for presentation TO the
merchant organiza tion by o'clock this
evening if they have any regard for
the welfare of the Chinese in general.
Chief White las demanded that the
peace agreement signed by the three
highest men in each of the four tongs
involved must be on his desk by noon
tomorrow. or he viii establish police
patrol to warn all white visitors away
from the quarter until peace is estab-
ished.
Opinion as TO the power Of the consul
general and the six companies to rec
ohcile the warning factions was di-
vided in Chinatown last night. The
consensus was that the highbinder So
cieties might he induced to enter into
a temporary truce to cover the New
Year period. but that after the expira-
tion Of the ten DAYS during which the
sun Min. or New Year. is celebrated
the tongs would reopen hostiities.
No Firecrackers, Says Chief
The conference in Chief Whites Of
fee yesterday morning was brief and
10 the point The Chinese officials had
been summoned By the chief and came
prepared with specious reasons for the
continuance of the tong troubles. They
represented to White that most of the
tong leaders were in hiding in the
lodgings adjacent TO Chinatown aud
that it would be almost Impossible to
reach them By noon Tuesday. In ad-
dition they presented in behalf Of the
merchants a request that licenses be
given peddlers to sell candies, lilies
and other New Year knicknacks. They
supplemented this with a request that
the firing Of frecrackers be allowed
during the period of festivities
White granted the desired permission
for the licensing of vendors. but re-
fused absolutely to sanction the use of
frecrackers unless the tongs had bound
themselves to observe the peace.
Il want the highbinders to under
stand that Chinatown will be block
AIDED and literally starved out as far as
white patronage is concerned" the
chief is reported as having said to his
visitors. T will put a patrolman on
every street within block of the Chi
nese section to warn visitors that if
they enter the quarter it viii lbe at
their own peril and risk The police
viii not consent to have frecrackers
exploded at time when the noise
might conceal a pitched battle between
the gunner Of the tongs. I can not
have my men in position where they
would be called on to prevent conflict
while hundreds OF. Chinese We're light
ing mandarin chains and filing the air
with their noise"
The consul general through an in
terpreter. informed White that his edict
would hurt the merchants and would
not reach the tongs. who were princi-
pally of the gambling element and had
little interest in whether the stores
and bazaars prohted by the trade of
the tourists.
Insists on Agreement
White replied that the merchants
must use every effort to end the
trouble and TO insure highbinder mac
tivity If they wished 10 celebrate the
new year period in the usual style.
You must bring to me, not later
than Tuesday noon White is reported
10 have said, "a signed agreement by
the three highest men of each tong in
volved that they VIII keep the peace
There has been enough disturbanc by
the highbinders and it must stop. r.
want the signatures of the officials Of
the Hop Sings on one side and the Suey
sings. Sen Suey Ngs and Hip Sings on
the other affixed to document agree
ing to end the trouble"
The intimation was given that the
grand jury already had sought to end
the tong war.
The grand jury is using its own
methods 10 end the fighting and is
pursuing the method it deems best
said the chief. I am following what
appears to me TO be the only recourse
the police department has to protect
itself during the celebration
The consul general and the seere-
tary backed out of the chiefs Office
with profuse bows and hied to China
town Last night general order had
brought together the directors of the
six Companies. Every director was
given a copy of Whites ultimatum, and.
armed with these. they began an indi-a
sidual and systematic search Of the
uIaces where the tong leaders are sup
posed to be concealed In addition they
bore a statement from the Six Com-
ranies appealing to the Elighbinder Of
0cials in behalf of the Six Companies
10 aid them in protecting the business
of the quarter. which would suffer un-
told Joss through lack of tourist trade.
The tong leaders we're asked to have
their signatures appended to an agree
1nent and fled with the Six Companies
by s o'clock this evening