Peking, Feb. 19.
Traffic and general conditions on the Peking-Hankow Railway, so seriously disorganized by the strike, are improving rapidly, on the surface at least. Although the whole strike situation has called loudly for journalistic comment from the first, it has been so difficult to get accurate information and the inspiration behind tke strike has been so obscure, that both foreigners and Chinese have hesitated to commit themselves in print or to comment except with the greatest caution. Even the Chinese liberal press, which would have been bitterly critical of the acts of violence perpetrated by soldiery upon the strikers at various points on the line if the editors had been certain that the causes of the strike were economic and that the inilitary were arbitrarily interfering with freedom of assembly and speech, has not been too sympathetie and there are now several of the most reputable papers which are mildly though outspokenly expressing doubts of the good faith of the strike leaders.
The press sympathizes with the unfortunate workmen, the employees of the railway, deplores the acts of violence which might under some circumstances lead to a general strike on all Government lines, but denounces the strike leaders. While no evidence is yet available, foreigners in touch with the workings of the Kin-Han, the Tao-Ch'ing, and the Pien-Lo Railways are all convinced that the inipiration was political. They say that the majority of the men were unable to give any adequate reasons for the strike, and that there was little difficulty in persuading them to resume work. Had been a genuine grievance of any sort or a majority in favour of the strike, it is the opinion of foreigners that the interference of the military would only have aggravate ed the situation and would have prompted many and lasting sympathetic strikes. All advices from Chengchow indicate, moreover, that when the union conference was first opened in that city the military showed no disposition to interfere. A delegation called upon Wu Pei-fu who assured them that they could meet and talk to their hearts' content. It was not until there was evidence of a political purpose behind the conference that the military made an attempt to break up the gathering. This report is confirmed by the telegrams of various commercial bodies bodies in Chengchow.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.