Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-11

Lord. without regard to the views and
opinions of the day, | go my way,
which is devoted simply and solely
to the welfare and peaceful develop
ment of our fatherland. In this l
need the cooperation of everyone in
the land and to this cooperation l in
vite you
Picking, China.-The latest revolu-
ton in China, which had for its OBJ
ject the punishment of President Yuan
Shi Kai, because of his alleged uncon-
stitutional methods of government,
saw very little actual fighting. There
was much massacring and many ex-
ecutions, but the cases where armed
encounters amounted to anything more
than skirmishing we're rare. On the
contrary. the campaign was conducted
in the manner so often defended by
the Chinese, that it is cheaper and
less bloody to buy over hostile ele-
ments than to attempt to defeat them
with expensive ammunition at a cost
of many lives.
The military attaches who left the
legations here at the outbreak of the
rebellion, are now returning to Picking
and bring the foregoing result of the
observations. They witnessed some in
teresting events in the Yangtze Valley
but learned nothing new or novel in
the way of warfare. The consensus
of foreign opinion in Picking is that
the Chinese army as fighting ma
chine is only little better than it
was at the time of the Japan-China
war, and that it need not be reckoned
with seriously by any potential invad-
| ing force. Some divisions of 1t, trained
on modern lines, drill as well as Eu-
ropean armies and follow. recognized
tactics CLEANED from translations of
German military manuals. But they
Lac. the essentials of patriotism, dis
cipline, and the ability to shoot Other
! b. lies of troops, especially some OF
those employed by the south, are only
armed coolies attracted by the promise
of better wages for carrying guns than
thew are able to obtain by manual
labor.
An appalling case of slaughter oc
Cured at Sianfu, in Shensi provin ce
Here thousands of Manchus, variously
estimated from II to 80. were caught
in a trap and slain in cold blood oil
driven to suicide. Missionaries who
gave refuge to a few of the womer
who escaped say that these refugee:
apologized for not dying with their sis
tiers, explaining that the wells were
so full of bodies that they rose above
the water.
There we're also numerous decapita
tions and executions by shooting II
order to terrorize and thereby subdu'
cities disloyal to which ever side wal
uppermost in authority. But in actua
fighting there were in the anti-Manchl
revolt only two or three encounter
that could be dignified by the term o
battle. Not more than few Thousand
troops on either side were engaged a
any one time. 1t took very little kill
ing to persuade the mercenary sol
diers to dispense or transfer their al
: legiance.
Some of the troops that went owe
to the rebels seem to have been pull
. chased with actual cash or promise
| of better conditions after Yuan Shi
: Kai was turned out of the presidency
The officers, of course, either symps
| thi.;ed or had faith in the success @
: the enterprise. Some, however, too
: the southern side as a result of coei
| cion, or went over with the majorit
without demur Then, in turn, the
] went promptly back to the norther
: side when the pressure from the GO
t eminent forces seemed to be the mos
dangerous.
! The garrison of Marking gave r,
n markable evidence of the preyailin
e instinct. Three or four times the 1000
] soldiers stationed there went over
e the rebellion and back again to I'll
j government Whichever side SCENE
e to have the upper hand for a ds
I would swing the majority Of officei
l., as well as men over with IL.
S The Chinese have not yet begun
n take war seriously, or to apprecia
1 that the man who is bought off on
n will have to be bought off again. TT
n true patriots who believed that th'
# had a Just cause and were willing
k die for IT do not seems to have be,
e many. Those who were killed we
e mostly coolies who took a chance
e lettering their condition by increas'
5, wages or loot.
IT Though a number Of leaders OF Il
% revolt have taken refuge in Japan, al
L. although as an organization the moN
% ment TO get rid of President Yuan b
S, collapsed, the struggle continues
ID half a dozen provinces. During 4
j. first part OF the campaign. when the
e was some uncertainty regarding t
le extent TO which the army and ma