El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-11
CHINESE KILL
BUT ARE NOT
FIGHTERS
Government Prefers to Buy
Off Rebel Bands Rather
Than Attack Them.
KILL THOUSANDS OF
HELPLESS MANCHUS

DEKIN, China, Oct 1.-THE latest
revolution in China, which had for
u its object the punishment of PRES
ident Yuan Shi Kai, because Of his al
legged unconstitutional methods of Gcv-
eminent, saw very little actual fight
ing. There was muen mas5acrsing and
many executions, but the cases where
armed encounters amounted to any
thing more than skirmishes were rare.
On the contrary. the campaign was
conducted in the manner so often de-
Tended by the Chinese, that II Is cheap
elements than to attempt TO dereat
them with expensive ammunition at
cost Of many lives
Military Men Disappointed.
The military attaches who left the
Legations here at the outbreak Of the
rebellion, are now returning to Pekln.
They Witnessed some interesting events
in the Yangtze valley, but learned
nothing new or novel in the way of
warfare. The consensus Of foreign
opinion in Pelkin is that the Chinese
army as a fighting machine is only
little better than it was at the time CT
the Japan-China war, and that Il need
not be reckOned with seriously by any
potential invading force
Many Are Slaughtered
An appalling case of slaughter oc-
Cured at Sianfu, in Shensi province.
Here thousands of Manchus were
caught in a trap and slain in cold
blood or driven to suicide Miss 9na-
ries who gave refuge to few of the
women who escaped say that these
refugees apoloSizcd for not dying with
their sisters, explaining that the Eells
were so full of bodies that they rose
above the water.
There were also numerous decapita-
tons and executions by shooting in
order to terroriZe and thereby subdue
cities disloyal to whichever side was
uppermost in authority. But in actual
fighting there were in the anti-Manchu
that could be dignified by the term of
battle Not more than a few thousand
troops on either side were enga ged at
any one time. 1t took very little kill
ing to persuade the mercenary soldiers
to disperse or transfer their allegiance.
Some of the troops that went over to
the rebels seem to have been pur-
chased with actual cash or promises Of
better conditions after Yuan Shin Kai
was turned out of the presidency. The
Officers, Of course, either sympathized
or had faith in the success of the en-
terpriSe- Some, however. took the
southern side as a result of coercion. or
went over with the majority without
demur Then. in turn they went
promptly back to the northern side
when the pressure from the govern
ment forces seemed to be the most dan
gerous-
One Garrison Holds Out.
EdA L4SOli u -NdnAluR gave re-
markable evidence Of the prevailing in
sunct. Three or four times the 10000
soldiers stationed there went over to
the rebellion and back again to, the
government Whichever side seemed to
have the upper hand for a day would
swing the majority of officers as well
as men over with it.
The Chinese have not yet begun to
take war seriously, or to appreciate
that the man who is bought off once
VIII have to be bought off again. The
true patriots who believed that they
nad Just cause and were willing to J
ole Tor IT do not seem to have been
many Those who were killed were
mostly coolies who took a chance on
Detterlng their condition by increased |
WAGES or loot.
Though a number of leaders Of the /
revolt have taken refuge in japan, and |
although as an organization the move /
ment TO get rid of president Yuan has /
coilapsed, the struggle continues in /
nalI a dozen provinces.
me fact that some of the armies en-
ployed by the government are led bv 4
generals whose records are those OF /
lreeDooterS IS arousing particular in /
Ierest IN Bekin at the present moment /.
one Gen. Hsu- is brother of the no /
lorlOuS Tiger HSu.' who, until he was
Killed by dynamite bomb last Nav. /
leIleo the central government and /
his army of several thou |
saho men In the province Of Kiangsu
IS 2 private bCdyguard. The business
Of the Hsu brothers was the exnIoifa9
1on OF their own private interest Of /
this most profitable area of the salt
district, salt being nominally a govern
ment mOnOpOIv