Arizona republican., 1922-06-20
FOREIGNERS
FLEE CANTON.
BEFORE FIRE.
OF SUN GUNS.
Peking Government Says
South China Republic
En- tire y Eliminated
From Political Field.

PEkING. June 19.-Foreigners at
Canton were forced to flee for safety
from the indiscriminate firing of Sun
Yet Sens gunboats Sunday accord
ing to a Canton dispatch to foreign
legations here. Awo thousand per-
sons, including many foreigners,
boarded vessel when hostilities
opened and went to Hongkong.
After a considerable exchange of
fire between the Chen Chung Ming
forces ashore and SUNS flotiila. a
truce was arranged and firing ceased.
General Chen Chung Ming, who
drove DR.. Sun. president of the south
China government, out of Canton
last week, still holds the city but Sun
is reported bringing up reinforce
ments in an attempt to recover it.
The dispatch to foreign legations
here, describing the bombardment,
says:
Sunday four of Sun Yet Sens
gunboats and one torpedo boat
steamed up the Pearl river When
they reached a point along the Bund,
between the Oriental hotel and the
Chinese postoffice Chen Chung
Ming's soldiers opened fire upon them
whereupon the gunboats responded
tinued until the gunboats reached
the anchorage for foreign warships
opposite Shameen in the river Bull
lets passed over the British steamer
Sinshan which, however, escaped un-
damaged. The fire of the machine
guns was directed against White
Cloud hill where Chen's troops We're
stationed.
After the firing had ceased Red
Cross workers went to the Bund and
took over the care of the wounded.
Two thousand persons, including
foreigners. boarded a vessel when the
bombardment became dangerous and
departed for Hongkong.
"A truce has been arranged under
which suns forces agree lS1& 10 bonn
bard the city upon condition that
Chen Chung Ming will cease firing
upon the gunboats.
During the excitement OF the bom-
bardment some of Clreng Chung
AIing's men started looting."
The Bund referred to above is
a macadamized road about two miles
long. extending along the water front.
Facing it are a number of the more
important buildings of the city. The
Shameen is the foreign settlement,
which is on an island belonging
partly to France and partly to Great
Britain. 1t lies near the western end
of the city.
The telegram from the Manchurian
assemblies stated that While Man
churia enjoys self government, it
nevertheless was willing TO join in
the program for unification. Advices
from Canton made public by the
Peking government declared that Sun
Vat Sen, former president of South
China, although still unconvinced of
his defeat, had been entirely elm
mated from the field of Chinese poll
tics and that General Chen Chung
Ming. ardent proponent of the unfit
cation movement. was in complete
control of the former south China
capital.
The Canton dispatches said that
Suns gunboats had opened fire on
the city in a desperate effort to re-
trieye their commanders lost con-
troll, but that the attack had been
repulsed.
Early reunion of China under
constitutional government is fore
cast by the Chinese press as a result
of the elimination of Sun Yet Sen
and the overthrow of Chang Tso Lin.
Has Pledge of Chen
1t is under stood here that Presi-
dent Ii Yuan Hung, before accept
ing the presidency. had received the
pledge of General Chen Chung Ming
that the latter would attempt to
abolish the Canton government and
that Chens coup of last week was
carried out in furtherance of this
promise.
In this agreement between Ii and
Chen, to which General Wu Pei-F'u,
conqueror OF Chang Tso- Lin. was a
party, the following stipulations are
said TO have been made contingent on
the fall of sun Yat Sen:
First, that the old republican par
lament be recognized as the national
legislative body with unlimited powsr
to elect a president of the republic;
second, that il the parliament elects
a president any other than Ii Yuan
Hung, present chief executive, its
choice shall be undisputed, Ii with
drawing without protest: third, that
all the provinces of China shall enjoy
autonomy with rights similar TO
those of the states in the American
union: fourth, that all armies shall
be reduced to the minimum needs
of national defense"
1t is expected that parliament will
be able to muster a quorum for a
meeting August first. All the Canton
members have been urged by Chen
Chung Ming to proceed to Peking
for the reconyening of the old re-
publican body.
Several of the provinces already
have signified their Willingness to
disband their separate armies. The
Tuchun, or military governor, of
Shansi has asked other provincial
commanders to join him in his stand
that China needs only one sixth of
her present standing army. The
tuchung of Chekiang has gone a step
further and has declared his willing
ness to resign.
-o--