The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-18
CANTON QUIET
DESPITE SPIRIT
OF REvOL UTI0N
Foreigners Perfectly Safe in
Yunnan Province, Accord
ing to Travellers.

Canton, China, March IS. Not
withstanding the reports of revolu-
tionary victories in Szechuen which
are reaching Canton, this city is very
quiet and at present there is little to
indicate that Kwantung province is
greatly interested in the revolutionary
movement. General Lung Chi-kwang,
the military governor, has a tight
grip on affairs and is loyal to the Pc
king government. AS long as he re-
mains SO, there seems to be little
danger Of any extensive trouble in
Canton. Half of the troops COM
naanded by General Lung are Human
csc. He has kept these separated
from the troops which make up the
rest of his forces; and so far the HUI
nanese have not made any decided
move to join the movement against
the Peking government Instituted by
Yunnan province.
Canton, even in normal times, is a
turbulent center. Bomb-throwing is
common in this city, and the govern
ment is constantly on the lookout
for smugglers who bring in explosives.
Consequently General Lung lives in a
bomb-proof yamen and is practically
a prisoner, as he does not dare TO
move about the city without taking
every precaution to protect himself
against persons in sympathy with the
movement against Yuan Shi-kai.
Canton is the great trading center
the merchants may generally be judg-
ed by their commercial transactions.
When they regard the conditions un-
settled, they buy few goods and pre-
pare for poor trade. At this time
Canton merchants are practically all
heavily stocked, and are buying more
goods. This is regarded by bankers
and other foreigners in Picking as a
certain indication that the Canton
csc expect no extension of the Yum
-
ince.-
Little attention is paid by the man
in the street to reports from the revo-
lutionary zone. Even the capture
of Suifu, in Szechuen province, by
the Yunnanese forces, did not create
meht that Kwei-chow province has
joined Yunnan in a movement
against PeIing provoked little dis
cussion. The Cantopese appreciate
fully how sterile and unimportant
both Yunan &and~ KWeichoW provinces
are. They realize how limited. the
wealth of the two provinces is, and
apparently do not attach great i'm
portance to a movement whielI has
no greater financial backing than
they believe the Yunnanese can com
mandJ
Revolutionaries have found Hong
Kong poor refuge. The British
have done everything possible to dis
courage the enemies of Yuan Shi-kai.
Demonstrations against the Chinese
central government has been frowned
upon, and editors who printed mat
ter of a. seditious character, have been
harsh1y dealt with by British off,.
Gals.
A missionary returned from a two
years tour in Yunnan province re-
ports that in spite of the revolution,
the province is perfectly safe for all
foreigners. Missionaries have not
been troubled by the revolutionaries,>
and foreign corporations engaged in
business in Yunnan have not been dis
turbed. Every effort has been made
by the revolutionaries to get the SYM
-pathy of foreigners. This returned
traveller reports that the Yunnanese5
army is poorly equipped, and is es-
peciaI1y lacking in clothing. In some
cases the revo1utionaries were COM
PEELED to loot because of absolute
want of food. clothing, and funds to
buy the same. Tsai 40 is held in the
hi ghest. esteem by the YuHHaneseI
revolutionaries.A according to the re-
turned traveller and is apparently
making the best of the limited re-
sources at his command.