The Power and Profit Struggle in the Establishment of the Committee for the Dredging of the Huai River by the Beijing Government in Republican China
In 1922,the Shanghai International Famine Relief Commission proposed to set up a committee for the dredging of the Huai River.It requested the military and civilian officials in Jiangsu,Anhui,and Henan provinces to submit the proposal to the central government for approval.Later on,Qi Xieyuan,the military governor of Jiangsu province,secretly sent a telegram to the Beijing government for ratification.The relevant departments of the central government refuted his proposal on the grounds of sovereignty and funds,so the proposal was temporarily suspended.Half a year later,Qi sent continuous telegrams to the central government regarding this issue,his words were fierce,and his focus turned to recommending himself as the supervisor of the committee for the dredging of the Huai River.Although the central government insisted on its previous resolution and there were various opposition forces from provinces along the Huai River,a compromise was quickly reached due to the influence of Qi's power and other factors:the central government would set up the Committee for the Dredging of the Huai River,and Qi served concurrently as its supervisor.According to historical materials,Qi's real demand was to create more sources of revenue in response to factional and territorial disputes.However,Qi failed to obtain funds,and he did not take any substantive measures to dredge the Huai River until he was forced to relinquish power in early 1925.This incident to some degree reflects the political ecology in the late period of Beijing government.
National Water Conservancy AdministrationShanghai International Famine Relief CommissionCommittee for the Dredging of the Huai RiverBoxer IndemnityQi Xieyuan
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