Wochang, Sept. 12.
The big Land and Water De-Demonstration of Monday Inst was the final big effort of the agitators in this centre. Their activities now are confined to the holding of continual meetings to devise the best means of annoying the so-called "enemy nations." Of these methods, the two favourite are, a boyecit of enemy goods" and a declaration of war against England.
'The proposed boycott has epparently the half-hearted support of the Merchants' Guilds of Hunkow and Wuchang. Difficulty is found in deciding exactly what ave "enemy, goods" because there are so many different kinds of manufactured articles now imported into China and also s0 many native imitations off them. A beginning is to be made with cigarettes, on the ground that natives made cigarettes can be cavily purchased from the Nanyang Bros. cigarette factories, I xo there is no need to patronize the foreign firma. But a great number of small dealers in the three cities are still selling cigarettes made by the foreign firms, ind it is prenered to deal severely with these, Waal Yegard to other gods, it wil) Recessary (o make a Vist of the. and it will be a long one. A Himit has been tet, within wu! goods alrendy in stock may Lo rey: tered, and will receive a Goods bearing the chop may be '"d after u small tax has been paid. But after the time-limit ha Pired, no chop will be made, goods found in the shops. withe it will be forfeited. But the whole business is very complicated, and in expected that at least five month: will be required in order to get the plan perfectly organized.
A "Declaration of War" regard to the second method there are no such difficult in the way. All that is required to send out telegrams urging the declaration of war, and the thing in done. The Wuchang Chamber of Pee riy eng Commerce has taken this matter in hand, and has already telegraphed to the Chief Executive in Peking demanding that relations with Eng-Jand be immediately broken off, that all Chinese servants and others in the employ of English shall be directed to go on strike, and that war shall be declared against England. "It would be interesting to Know these local patriots mean by a "declaration of war." They certainly have no intentions of sending Chinese armies to invade England oF any of her colonies. There are no English armies to be fought with on Chinese soil, The only meaning they can possibly have is, a general attack upon all foreigners resident in Ching. This, then, is the declared intention ' of the Wuchang Chamber of Commerce, of the Law: yers' Association, and of many others of the leading lights and influential citizens of this civilized city! Fortunately, there are saner elements in the population, who have learned to value the friendship of the foreigners living in their midst, and who also know what a disaster it would be for China if such a dastardly programme were actually carried out, But that such plan seriously proposed by responsible public bodies, can be commendters ight upon present mentality of the Chinese people.
The case of the robbery committed by members of the Wuchang police force in a watch-shop at Shih Men Keo has already been adjudicated in the Wuchang Court of Justice. Two of the offenders were given light sentences, The rest were dismissed. The reason given" for this leniency is that the police had no previous intention of plundering, the shop, but their cupidity was ex: cited when they got there, and there. fore they sheald not be trestle ordinary robbers. The owners of, the shop have received compensation to thie amount of $2,000 from some source which has not "been made, public.—tah eomomamaaaee
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.