Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Forts At Wu-sung Yielded By Rebels.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 14, 1913:
Leaders Escape — Independence Again Proclaimed in Nanking After Fighting.
ASSASSINS SEEK SUN'S LIFE
President Yuan Said to Have Sent 100 Men to Japan to Kill Revolutionary Fugitives There.
    SHANGHAI, Aug. 13.— The Wu-Sung forts, which for some time had been in the hands of the rebels, surrendered today to the Government troops.
    The negotiations for the surrender were made through Dr. Cox of the Red Cross. The commander of the forts asked for guarantees for the safety of the rebel officers and a payment of money to enable the troops to return to their homes. He requested no terms for himself or for Gen. Cheng Chi-men.
    The Admiral of the blockading warships accepted the terms, but when Dr. Cox returned for Gen. Cheng Chi-men most of the rebel officers and 1,500 of their men had decamped.
    According to Chinese reports, $75,000 was paid to induce the forts to surrender.
    The Times's Peking correspondent describes the Chinese revolutionary situation as most unsatisfactory. He says that the unspeakable slowness and clumsiness of the Northern troops have put a premium on sporadic outbursts in defiance of the central Government, and that nobody is able to tell what is going on in the Province of Sze-Chuen behind the broken communications.
    "The 25,000 Hunanese rebels," the correspondent adds, "are mostly a mob of untrained and unequipped recruits, short of ammunition and negligible as an army, but their moral effect on the loyal Wu-Chang army may be disquieting.
    "The Government has ordered the withdrawal of a third division of troops from Mongolia, for operation against the Hunan rebels.
    "The neglect of the Government to take advantage of its early successes has encouraged revolt at new points and created a chaotic situation."

    NANKING, Aug. 13.— The Southerners in this city to-day for the third time proclaimed their independence of the Peking Government, and rebel flags are again flying outside the Governor's official resilience.
    The new secession was preceded by sharp fighting for two nights between the First and Eighth Divisions of the troops, the Eighth having declared for the Government. There was a vast expenditure of ammunition, but little loss of life. The fighting ended when the Eighth Division consented to throw in its lot with the rebels.
    The famous Lion and Tiger Hill forts and the troops at Hsia-Kwan, a suburb between Nanking and the Yang-tse River, are reported to favor the Government, while thousands of Government troops are massing at Pukow, just across the river from this city.
    Hok An-min, formerly editor of The Shanghai Min Li Pao, has assumed the Governorship without opposition.
    Fear prevails among the civilians that the Southerners, seeing the hopelessness of the struggle, may pillage the city prior to taking flight. They hold the forts commanding the approaches to Nanking, but it is believed that they will be unable to hold out very long owing to the disorganisation among the troops and the lack of capable leaders.

    HANKOW, Aug. 13.— It is reported that 25,000 rebels from the province of Hu-Nan have crossed the border into the Province of Hu-Pé and defeated a small force of loyalists. It is said to be their intention to capture Hankow and afterward to move against Peking.
    Northern troops with artillery have left here to intercept the rebels, and it is believed they will easily rout them.

    TOKIO, Aug. 13.— One hundred assassins are reported by Japanese newspapers to have been sent to Japan to kill Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Huang-sing, and other Chinese revolutionary fugitives by Provisional President Yuan Shih-kai.
    The Japanese Government, in consequence of these reports, has arranged to give police protection to the leaders of the Chinese revolution who have sought asylum in Japan. It declares, however, that it will not permit Japan to be used as headquarters for Chinese plotters.

    LONDON, Thursday, Aug. 14.— A dispatch to The Daily Telegraph from Peking says that a Belgian syndicate has obtained a contract to construct a railway 500 miles in length from Tatung-Fu, Province of Shan-Si, to Sian-Fu, Province of Shen-Si.
    The line will be built via Tai-yuan-Fu, Shan-Si.

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