Ang. 6.
Lerrers to the Diplomaiic' Body from every faction ju China are & commonplace nowadays and rarely attract attention. But the following from the Representative Body of the Hupeh Seif-Government is worth quoting, for the light it throws upon the perplexing conflict in the Middle Yangtze. 1t is addressed to the Diplomatic Body end to the Consuls in Hankow We are convinced that, in ov to secure the safety of the Republic of China and the restoration of her political order, it is absolutely. neces. sury to introduce the system of Sell-government into every province. Further, it is the duty of the military governor of a province to pro-
residents, foreign and Chinese, tect the life and Property of all within that province. But Wang Chan-yuan,. Military Governor of{ Hupeh, has put im check all the movements towards f-government in Hupeh, and, having held up the pay of his soldiers to enrich himself, has brought about mutinies throughout the province, with the result that thousands of lives and hundreds of millions of property, foreign and Chinese, have been los: For these reasons, we have petitioned the Peking Government miss him, but although 3 approving our request, confesses that it is beyond its pawer to do so, To prevent the repeti of such disorders and to secure introduction of Self-government in Hupeh, we cannot byt rosers to arms.
Accordingly, on July assembled together, the provisional Hupeh, In accordance constitution, we elected Chang Tso-bin as Provisional intendent of Hupeh service ci same day, he ass and is now commanding oe Hupeh Self-governing army north: with the aid of Hunan soldiers, for} and property of all residents, foreign and Chinese, in Hupeh. Under whatever circumstances, none of these soldiers are allowed to cause any trouble. We sincerely hope that, in order io avoid any misunderstanding on the part of your subjects or citizens in China, you will kindly inform them of the aim and the nature of our movement.
There follows the usual request a gri representatives will abstain from all interference in Hupeh—which, in passing they are certainly noi likely to attempt. Now in this connexion it is important to remember that Wang Chan-yuan is anically Inspec-of Hupeh. The explanation of for-General of Hunan as well as
the conflict as resolving itself into, a movement to get rid of Wang Chan-yuan is contrary to that suggested in these columns a week ago, but it is the view taken by @ large number of Chinese in' Shanghai and might also help to explain the laet that Chinese! business men here have shown! less anxiety than might have teen expected. For a movement to get tid of an unpopular Tuchun is less disrupting thing than a clash of provinces. Frankly, we make no pretence to ommiscience in respect of @ quarrel which is, puzzling the best informed observers, and only offer these notes from day to day for what they' may be worth. The record of Tuchun Wang's administration might certainly justify the Hupeh "people in wanting to be rid of him. maintaining the present, there should the fighting, be able to such a pos
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.