The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-02-13
WARRING TONGS
READY FOR PEACE
Suey Sings See Light and Will
Place Stamp on Proto=
col-Maybe

A peace powwow of the four war
ring tongs in Chinatown will be held
this afternoon at the auditorium of the
Six Companies in Stockton street fol-
lowing an agreement by the highbinder
leaders to stamp their tong seals to a
document decreeing an armistice dur
ing the Chinese New Year beginning at
midnight Friday.
Three of the lighting societies tacitly
agreed yesterday afternoon to suspend
hostilities at the urgent request of
merchants, spurred on by Chief of Po-
lice Whites ultimatum that he would
blockade Chinatown unless peace was
restored. The Suey Sings, however, de-
INJURED and said they could not get
kilograms to ali their members outside
OF San Francisco in time to act with
the other tongs. Later. however. they
agreed to hold a secret meeting last
night, and after it stated through the
consul general that the Suey Sings
stamp would be affixed to the peace
pact. Word therefore went to the
directors of the Six Companies to be
present at o'clock this afternoon.
Chief of Police White and Attorney
Carroll Cook, for the Chinese organiza-
|
With the Spey Sings In line, this aft
ernoon's gathering will witness for
the first time an assembling of the
warning chiefs without their body
guards of gunmen, trusting implicitly
in the word of their opponents that no
violence will be offered. The consul
general, the consulate secretary, di-
rectors of the Six Companies and
Chinese newspaper men will be present
at the conference that is hoped to end
in cessation of hostilities.
TREACHERY Is FEARED
Fearing treachery on the part of their
hated enemies, the Hop Sings who
frequently have broken truce in the
past, the leaders CT the Suey Sings yes
Iterday afternoon declined to pledge
themselves to a discontinuance of the
tong war at the behest of Chief of Po-
lice White The Suey Sings informed
Consul General Ii Yung Yew that If
time were allowed they might submit
a draft of their demands to the Six
Companies as a basis for a settlement
of the strife.
Upon receipt of the communication,
Secretary Ow Yang Kee Of the con-
sulate called upon Hong .Dai, the rich
est Chinese merchant in America. di-
rector in the Suey Sings, and persuaded
him to use all hts influence TO bring the
leaders of his tong into line. Hong
Dai was informed that the Hop Sings.
Hip Sings and Sen Suey Ngs had agreed
to temporary truce to last during the
New Year celebration to forestali dras-
tic action by Chief White. The result
of the secretary's activity was shown a
few hours later when the consulate
officials were informed that the .Suey
Sings would hold meeting at night to
empower its president to affix his stamp
to the peace protocol.
The precautions taken by the tong
men to protect themselves from death
were shown by the trouble and diff
culties encountered by the consulate
secretary in finding them for the pur-
pose of communicating Chief White 3
ultimatum. OW Yang Kee was forced
to telephone to several Intermediates.
beginning with his own personal
friends, extending through their ac-
quaintanceship and finally reaching the
tong leaders through their confidants.
AN UNDERGROUND WIRELESS
To reach the ear of Wong Quong.
president of the Hop Sings. the secre-
tary was forced to talk with 15 other
men. Thesconsulate officials were un-
able to see any of the tOngmen per-
sonallv. None of them will leave their
hiding places or appear In Chinatown
tonight until shortly before the hour
set for the conference Bodyguards
and gunmen will be dispensed with,
however, for fear of clash between
the turbulent members, while the lead
ers will enter Chinatown each accom-
panied by merchant escort whose
members shall not belong to any of the
warning societies. AS soon as the peace
document has been decorated with the
rubber stamp insignia Of the tongs, or
as soon as the conference may break up,
If no agreement be reached. the lead
ers will be escorted to the four borders
OF Chinatown, where their gunmen will