Kaifeng, April 18.
The situation in this province at present is anything but hopeful. A month ago General Ch'en Chen-san, the officer in charge of the militia at Changtehfu was dismissed from his post, and went to Peking where, With a few others who had grievances against the Honan officials, he proceeded apparently to plan trouble for Tuchun Chao Ti. He kept up a correspondence with a Colonel Sun, one of. his former subordinates at Changtehfu, and when the time was ripe, he placed before high officials in Peking a story that the soldiers were disaffected in Changteh and about to revolt, He pointed out, as far as can be gathered, that he was the only one who could control the soldiers, and proceed to Changteh ostensibly in the role of peacemaker.
Certain matters coming to light in connexion with Colonel Sun, the Tuchun issued orders for his dismissal, but with the backing of General Chen, and, it is said, others high in office in Peking, Sun refused to give up his post, and his soldiers followed him in revolt. General Yoa Hsien-yn, who had taken the place of General Ch'en was established in Changteh city, and there the gates were kept closed from the 15th to the 17th. Last night, so it is said, Sun's soldiers broke through the gates and looted the city, only three of the larger business' establishments remaining untouched. These were the Bank of Communications, the cotton factory, and what is called the Ta Tui Yuan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.