General Liu Tsun-hou was born at Chien-yang Hsien, Szechuan province, in 1885. In 1903 he entered the Military Academy at Chengtu and in 1904 was sent to Japan to study in the Japanese Cadets' Academy. He was graduated from the Infantry Section of that Academy in December 1908. Upon his return to Peking, in 1909 he passed examination and was given the rank of Chiu-jen. Subsequently he went to Yunnan where he was appointed Director of the Yunnan Military Academy, ranking as & Major. During the First Revolution in 1911-12, he was Chief Staff Officer of the Yunnan Revolutionary government. In the meantime Yunnan leaders had an unworthy ambition to gain control of Szechuan and they made plans to come into the province in the name of assisting revolutionary movements whereas their ulterior motive was to make Szechuan which is rich to supply Yunnan which is unproductive. General Liu knowing the secret reported the matter to the Szechuan government and there was a united stand against the Yunnan invasion. Subsequently General Liu returned to Szechuan and was given to command the 4th Szechuan Division, and also made a Lieutenent General. In October 1913 he was appointed Garrison, Commissioner of Chungking and given the Second Class Wenfu and Second Class Chiaho. In 1914 he was given to command the Second Division of Szechuan Army. In December 1915 came the Yunnan Revolt led by the late General Tsai Ao against Yuan Shih-kai's monarchical movement. General Liu responded to this call by gathering troops to help the Yunnan forces. This attitude led to his dismissal from the post of Garrison Commissioner in February 1916. After the death of Yuan Shih-kai, the Peking government gave him the brevet rank of Full General and also the command of the First Szechuan Army. In February 1916 General Liu was relieved of the Garrison Commissioner post. In July 1916 General Lo Pei-ching was appointed to act as both Civil and Military Governor of Szechuan for General Tsai Ao who was sick. The new governor planned to set up a Southwestern government. His plan was, however, discovered by General Liu who at once reported to the Peking government. LO was furious at this and drove him away from Chengtu. In the meanwhile another general Tai Kan came into the province from Yunnan to oppose General Lo and gradually assumed the position Lo had held. In April General Tai was appointed by the Peking government to succeed General Lo. At the same time General Liu was made a Chingchun with “Ch’ung-Wei” as special title. In July 1917 Chang Hsun attempted to restore the Manchu Throne. He appointed General Liu Governor of Szechuan. But this movement died away shortly afterwards. Subsequently the Peking government appointed him Commander-in-Chief of Southern Szechuan. This appointment led to fierce fighting between General Lo and himself. The former yielded but was eventually killed by him. In December 1917 he was appointed Tuchun of Szechuan. In the spring of 1918 trouble again blew up. This time General Hsiung Ke-wu threw in his lot with Yunnan and Kueichow and drove General Liu from Chengtu who subsequently went to Shensi where he remained for some years. He was able to return for a short period of time after the coup of General Lu Tao who succeeded in driving out General Hsiung in 1919, at which time there was a series of reverses with several men trying to gain control of the province. In 1920 General Hsiung was himself a fugitive. While at Paoning he sent to General Liu for help. The latter appealed to Peking and was given order to proceed at once to settle affairs of Szechuuan calling on Hunan, Kueichow, Shensi and Kansu to assist him. This brings us down to the winter of 1921. In the spring of 1924 when General Hsiung was finally defeated, the Peking government made General Liu a Full General. As Szechuan was now in peace, he asked four times for permission te resign from the Tuchunship which he had held amid many viccisitudes since 1917. In May 1924 General Yang Sen and Teng Shih-hou were appointed Military and Civil Governors of Szechuan respectively. General Liu was appointed the Frontier Defence Commissioner of Szechuan and Shensi, and in June 1924 he became Inspector General of the Szechuan Army which position he is still holding.
