File No. 893.00/2860
The Minister in China (
Reinsch) to
the Secretary of State
No. 2083
Peking,
June 5, 1918.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit copies
of despatches on political conditions in the Provinces of Fukien,
Hunan and Szechuan as follows:1 despatch from
Amoy, No. 116; despatches from Changsha, Nos. 266, 267, 269, 281,
286, 288; despatches from Chungking, Nos. 135, 154, April 1, April
6, April 25; despatch from Swatow, No. 52.
The behavior of the troops under both the Northern and Southern
generals in the Province of Hunan has been cruel and barbarous, as
appears from the reports made by the Consul at Changsha. The looting
of Liling was a particularly barbarous outrage. Incidental danger to
the safety of foreign residents, consequent upon the customary
behavior of the troops, led to the joint protest and warning by the
British, Japanese, and American Ministers, reported in my No.
2082.
Further illustrating the conditions in the provinces directly
affected, as well as in those adjoining, there are herewith enclosed
copies of despatches Nos. 555, 615 and 632 from the Consul General
at Hankow;2 an article
on the financial situation in Hunan, from the Peking Leader of May 19;2 and two articles on the organized
lawlessness, brigandage and kidnaping which prevail particularly in
Honan and Shantung, taken from the Peking Leader of April 20 and April 27.2
From the political point of view, the fighting in Hunan Province is
not likely to have any decisive influence. There are now several
generals, such as Wu P’ei-fu and Feng Yü-hsiang, who not only
exercise adequate control over their soldiers but also act on the
principle that the business of the soldiers is to fight, at times
when hostilities are going on; but these leaders have not sufficient
forces at their command to exercise a decisive influence. The
majority of the military leaders seem to be intent rather upon
saving their face and making money than upon carrying out a military
campaign which would be decisive in its effect. For this reason the
military action in Hunan, with all its terrible byplays, is only one
of the many complex elements of the present Chinese political
situation.
I have [etc.]
[Page 99]
[Enclosure]
The Consul at Changsha (
Johnson) to the Minister in China (
Reinsch)
No. 281
Changsha,
May 16, 1918.
Sir: Supplementing previous
communications on the subject of conditions in Hunan Province I
have the honor to forward herewith an account of the happening
at Liling which lead up to the looting of mission property at
that place. This account was prepared for me by Dr. Niebel at my
request. It will give the Legation an idea of the situation
here. I need only add that the foreign community are very much
wrought up over the whole situation and are anxious as to the
results. I have found Military Governor Chang Ching-yao ready to
make promises but slow to do anything. I find it very difficult
to get him to do anything as a matter of fact. I am sure that he
could make the situation better if he would exert himself.
It seems to be true that Northern soldiers became infuriated at
the treatment given them by the country people and the Southern
soldiers at Liling and in its neighborhood. It even appears that
some of the Southern soldiers fired upon Northern troops from
one of the unoccupied mission compounds thus leading to the idea
that the missionaries were implicated in the matter. But the
missionaries were not to blame for this. They were at the mercy
of an uncontrolled band of soldiery.
The Ssu Ling referred to by Dr. Niebel, who took up his
headquarters in Dr. Niebel’s house, was General Chang Ching-yü,
so I am told, and a near relative of the military governor.
I am dispatching to the Legation to-day a telegram quoting from a
petition which is being drawn up by the foreign community
describing the situation and asking the Legations to approach
the Central Government and secure from it adequate assurances of
protection for foreign life and property.
I have [etc.]
[Subenclosure]
Report of Doctor Niebel on the Liling
troubles
Ever since the trouble between the North and South began last
fall, Liling has been one of the points to be constantly
occupied by one side or the other in the unending retreats and
advances of the two parties. Of course, this meant a big drain
on the food supply and resources of the place besides a constant
disturbance of economic conditions. With each evacuation and
reoccupation the number of available coolies decreased, food
became more scarce, the temper of the troops more irritable and
the strain greater. Of course, the number of wounded soldiers
increased and the policy we adopted of caring for the
Northerners and Southerners impartially and placing them side by
side in our hospital helped to keep us on good terms with both
sides and prevent antagonism from either by rumors or
favoritism. There were several intervals of comparative quiet
during the occupation of the Southerners but conditions grew
worse until the third week in April, the climax drew near.
At this time numbers of Northern wounded began coming in from
Tsingshih and beyond. Reports were that the Southerners were
defeated and on the retreat to Kuangtung. Wednesday, April 24,
Anhui troops commenced pouring into the city. We had trouble
preventing the complete overcrowding of the hospital by the
wounded, though many officers simply wanted dressings saying
they were leaving immediately. Five Red Cross men and one doctor
sought refuge with us and we permitted them to stay to help with
the wounded. Shantung troops also arrived, and although footsore
were most anxious to hurry on.
On Friday and Saturday the soldiers seized citizens when
possible, looted and killed some. The attitude towards
foreigners became more threatening so that guards were necessary
in going from one compound to another. One soldier struck Mr.
Knecht, and another threatened him with a gun. The troops were
unable to get away on the train because, according to reports,
the officers wished to prevent the retreat. The soldiers
circulated the story that the foreigners had spoiled the engines
and cut the telegraph wires, so that retreat or communication
with reinforcements was impossible. This aggravated antiforeign
feeling and the general temper of the troops. The citizens
seeking
[Page 100]
refuge in the
church compound increased in number until 700 women and children
had been admitted. Men were refused entrance. Proclamations had
been put up by soldiers ordering the killing of citizens on the
street after 7 p.m. By 9 o’clock a general loot began and we
could hear the crash of doors and the cries of women and
children. Constant attempts were made to break in the compound
doors, but the guards there were sufficient to hold them. About
10.30 a systematic firing of the main business section and the
big bridge connecting the North and South cities began. All the
shops on the chief business streets were destroyed within one
li of the hospital compound at one
end, and within 300 feet of the church compound at the other
end. Only a favorable wind saved the church and the homes beside
it. All night the fire raged in such intensity and brilliancy
that a newspaper could be read by its light a mile away. Many of
the troops had gone by midnight, but the next morning found
several thousand who for some reason or other did not get away.
About 8.30 in the morning about a yin of
Southern troops arrived and dispersed over the city in small
squads. Then of course the firing commenced, and the remaining
Northerners in a panic dropped everything and fled in wild
confusion. Many were killed in the attempt to escape. Stray
bullets made our compounds unsafe, one bullet struck the windows
of the hospital office, passing through the opposite wall.
Others penetrated private rooms, barely missing patients within.
All around our compounds the fighting was carried on until after
a couple of hours the Northerners had all made an escape or
suffered death. Then bands of Southerners demanded entrance to
the hospital compound with a view to slaughtering the Northern
wounded, but on reasoning with them and threatening report to
their superior officers we were able to restrain them. By this
time people dared to venture out to see the wreckage and havoc
of the preceding night. Ruins, loot, and baggage dropped in
flight made the streets a sight, bodies lay here and there. We
suspected that there was a general order for indiscriminate
slaughtering of citizens for in every building where soldiers
had been quartered, murdered citizens were found. Later this
supposition was confirmed by the admission of the Northern
doctor seeking refuge in our compound. In front of one temple
lay eight headless men, one of whom was a contractor who had
built the hospital and was now putting up Dr. Dub’s house, he
was bearing our mission badge at the time of his seizure and had
proof of absolute innocence of any political entanglements. With
him were two of his chief workmen, likewise in possession of
badges. We also found that several of our catechumens had met a
like fate. In all over 100 men, women and children were murdered
that night. One example of their brutality is a case of a woman
brought to us with a bullet wound of the breasts. While nursing
her baby she was ordered to submit to mistreatment, on refusal
her baby was killed and she herself shot down.
During the days following the citizens returned to their homes,
the Southerners continued to pour into Liling and then on to
Chuchow in pursuit of the Northerners. Evidently fighting was
lively, for the wounded were daily brought to us in large
numbers. The hospital and two adjacent temples, together with
surrounding homes, were filled in several days until about 1,000
wounded were under our care. This continued until Sunday
morning, May 5, when the Southern General Wong came with the
order that all patients at all able to leave were to get away at
once towards Yuhsien, those who could, walked, and others were
carried, so that only about 80 were left. The news of the
retreat brought panic to the people and citizens fled in
confusion, waiting for nothing. Monday the city was in the hands
of the local rowdies, who looted the deserted houses everywhere.
Tuesday morning this looting continued until towards noon a
volley of shots announced the arrival of the Northerners. The
temper of the troops was quickly manifested, for between this
time and 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the church compound was
insolently broken into, the foreign servants’ quarters looted
before the eyes of the foreigners and three shots fired at Mr.
Lehman, one of which went through the upper third of his thigh.
Our school compound, before which hung a big American flag, was
entered and the school, its 80 boys, teachers and proctor, were
robbed of everything. At the same time, while Mrs. Niebel was in
labor, the hospital compound was broken into, but the Northern
wounded saved us by pleading to be shot first before the
hospital be harmed. Mr. Short’s house was also forcibly entered
and looted. Finally, towards evening we succeeded in getting
into communication with an officer and through him procured a
guard. The next day the situation was so threatening that Mr.
Knecht and Mr. Lehman, together with the
[Page 101]
women’s and girls’ schools’ inmates and
refugees, came to the hospital. That same day Mr. Lehman’s house
was burnt, and Mr. Knecht’s looted and the deposit safe cracked.
Then began a systematic burning of the whole city and the
surrounding country. We sent two letters to the Ssu Ling
requesting an interview, but he answered neither, and
antiforeign talk was rife among the soldiers. The word was going
around, “Why differentiate foreigners from Chinese? Treat them
alike!” Also, “Kill the Hunanese!” was the cry everywhere. Our
Northern patients advised us to escape at once, if possible. We
wired to Anyüan for a train, but a refusal was the answer.
Thursday night we slept with a guard of 50 men at our hospital
compound. At the station Mr. Peebles (railway engineer) and his
wife sat up all night with revolvers between them and a guard
outside that might turn to be their betrayers. On Friday Mr.
Knecht surrounded by a guard went in person to the Ssu Ling,
and, with the aid of Mr. Peebles, succeeded in getting his
promise for a train to leave immediately, and also in having his
personal conduct back to the compound. On reaching the compound,
he and his officers went to the doctor’s house, ordered dinner
and took possession. That afternoon all the sick and wounded,
including the Southern patients, were carted safely to the
railroad track and then while some of the soldiers started A Perfect Day on the Victrola, we carried
Mrs. Niebel and the three days’ old baby down the steps out on
the verandah. The Ssu Ling informed me that he would probably
use our house as his headquarters. Soon the procession of
foreigners was off, together with the schoolboys and refugees.
About 9 o’clock the train came and loading began. It was about
11 o’clock when all were on board and the train ready to take us
to Changsha. The trip was made without event, thanks to the $800
with which Mr. Peebles and ourselves softened the heart of the
officer in charge of us, and thanks to the pleas of the Northern
wounded.
How conditions are now we do not know. We are simply thankful
that Providence has spared us and those dependent on us.
