'A Peking dispatch reports that some of the Southern Viceroys and Governors, such as Ting Chen-to and Li Hsing-jui, Viceroys of the Yun-Kuei, and Min-Che provinces, and Lin Shao-nien and Li Chin-hsi,' Governors of Yunnan and Kueichou provinces, respectively, recently sent a joint telegram addressed to Viceroys Yuan Shih-kai, of Chihli, and Chang Chih-tung, of the Hukuang provinces, and Tuan Fang, Governor of Hupeh province. They stated that force of circumstances and the history of the past few years hav, e revealed to them at last that Chinas down-trodden condition, which has placed her at the mercy of foreign countries, many of whom desire her partition at any moment, have been due to the refusal of statesmen to inaugurate drastic reforms and reorganise the system of Government after the model of the civilised nations of the West.
"We have tried to op) the West with our ancient civilisation and weapons and have failed. Japan, before her reformation, tried to do the same and failed also. Then Japan took up reform in earnest and in a short thirty odd years has attained to her present condition where she has been able successfully to defy Russia, one of the greatest military nations of the earth, to strike fear into an empire fifty times larger than herself, and to make that huge Power actually hesitate to oppose her on the ji battlefield. China, on the other hand, with a territory more than ten times larger than Japan and a population nearly twice that of Russia, dare do nothing of the sort and consequently lies at that Empire's mercy, just because we have refused to seo any good in modern civilisation and blindly follow our ancient of government and education. This is an object lesson indeed, and we who love our country should take it to heart without hesitation. Now Russia has made her occupation of Manchuria on the pretext that we cannot govern the country on civilised lines, and Japan is determined to drive Russia out of the country. If there is war between the two Powers on account of Manchuria, no matter which nation wins China will be the only one to suffer, and even the integrity of our whole Empire will probably be endangered as an outcome of hostilities. We do not therefore desire war on such grounds. Since Russia has given the excuse noted above for her occupation of Manchuria, cannot an effort be made to stop hostilities by proposing that Russia evacuate Manchuria for the nonce (sic) and we will engage to follow Japan's example and set in motion drastic reforms after Western models, throughout the whole Empire, not in Manchuria only. If in three or five years it is seen that China is unable to execute reforms then let Russia return to Manchuria if she cares to do so. If Russia can be made to consent to this we can enjoy peace once more and we will then have time to set about our reforms and make China the powerful nation she should be. Under the present uncertainty, with all the good will in the world, we can do nothing for our country. We would ernestly beg your excellencies to consider this matter and persuade their Majesties to command reforms to be started without delay, so as to show the world that we are in earnest and able to follow in the footsteps of Japan and so guarantee the peace of the Far East, which will be of advantage to all countries. Should Russia reftise to consent to our proposal as set forth above. then there is no other way for our Government but to ally ourselves with Japan and fight to the last for our independence. Possibly out of the ashes of the fires of wata new China may be evolved able to take care of herself like our little neighbour of Japan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.