The record-union., 1898-09-24
Life Of Chinese Ruler Thought to Be
in Danger.
Orders Issued for the Guards at the Palace
to Be Strengthened.
Text of the Edict Issued Calling
the Dowager Empress Back to
Power-Nothing in It to Indi-
cate That It Is a Triumph Of
One Foreign Element Over An
other

! One fOTe1Sn Element over An
other
! LONDON, Sept 23.-According to
special dispatches received from Pekin.
members of the European community
there believe the life of the Emperor
| of China is in danger. 1t is added
that the Dowager Empress desires to
place Prince kWang's grandson on the
| throne. The Emperor realizes the
strength of the conspiracy against
him, and has ordered the guards at the
palace to be strengthened.
TEXT OF THE EDICT.
WASHINGTON, Sept %. The
Chinese Minister, WI Ting, to-day
received a cable message from the
Chinese Foreign Office at Pe41in, giving
the text of the edict issued by the En-
peror yesterday, in which, owing to the
critical condition of Chinese affairs, he
calls back to power the Empress
Dowager, and commits to her hands
the direction of the vast affairs of the
Empire. The edict, freely translated
from the cipher is as follows:
Now that China is disturbed, there
is need that all business shall be we'll
|
morning to eve for the welfare of the
affairs and fearful lest errors may oc
cur, observing from the beginning of
the reign of Tung Chi that the Empress
Dowager had twice given instructions
to the Emperor, and with signal ability
and success, so we now, considering the
| important interests of the Empire, have
begged the Empress Dowager to give
4 70 hn % Of hnY I-iYyk
| experience and her instruction. The
| DoWager Empress has been pleased to
accede to this request, and therefore
| it is the good fortune of the whole
Empire that this auspicious event is
| brought about. From to-day the En-
press Dowager conducts the business
| in the imperial departments, and on
the Sth day of the present month
| (Chnese calendar, meaning to-day
English calendar) we will take all the
Princes and Ministers to perform the
| ceremony in the Chin Chung Palace.
Let the Foreign Office prepare that the
| ceremony may be performed with fit
| ting nonors."
The Chinese Minister was seen at the
| Legation to-day and talked freely con-
cerning the edict He said there was
| IlO S6CISCy dDOuI IL, IlOlIlIIlS " HUI
cate that it was a triumph Of one for
| eign element over another, and that
it's essential purpose was to strengthen
| China herself at the time when serious
| foreign problems We're presented, 1t
was quite natural he said, that the
Dowager Empress should be called to
the aid of the Emperor, owing to
| dynastic reasons.
mi + -oI
three dynasties, beginning with that OF
Emperor Holm Fung. She was the sec
ond wife of the Emperor. and bore him
| a son. who on the death of his father
became Emperor The latter was an
| infant ruler and the mother, then and
now Dowager Empress, directed for
| him the vast affairs of the Empire. On
| his death without issue the Dowager
elected her nephew, Kwang Tsu, to be-
come the Emperor, and his reign is
| now in progress. He was a child
when he took the throne twenty four
years ago, and up to a few years ago
the Dowager directed affairs for him,
acting much as the Queen Regent of
| Spain acts for the boy King
The recall of the Dowager EN-
press to the active assistance of the
! E<fnptIOI, llIe 1IllHGSt minister pOlillS
out, is natural move toward the
strengthening of the hands of the EN-
peror, giving him that same aid which
the Dowager Empress gave while the
Emperor's predecessors We're infant
rulers.
Concerning the report that the En-
press return to power was a coup
| d'etat favorable to Russia, the Min
/ L
move favorable to any Power as
| against any other. It's effect, he says,
would be toward strict impartiality in
| China's treatment of Russia, Great
| Britain, Germany, France, the United
| States, Japan, and the world at large.
| During the former regency of the
Empress she had shown marked friend
ship for the English, so that, in the
| opinion Of the Minister, it was unfair
to presume she had English preju-
| dices.
| AS to it's effect upon Ii Hung Chang,
the Minister says, the Dowager En-
press had long admired the rugged
| ability Of the old statesman. But he
| did not think this would result in the
return of Ii TO the Foreign Office, from
which post he was recently relieved,
| OWlUS, IL was uiiueTSIOOQ, TO foreign
| influences. 1t is probable, the Minister
says, that Prince Ii will continue in
his nominal post as Imperial Secre-
tary.
When asked if China had the
strength to resist dismemberment by
foreign Powers, Mr.. WI Tong Fang
said:
IT am confident China will remain
intact, and l am glad to note that your
Minister in China, Mr.. DENLY. has the
same opinion. China has the native
resources, wealth and population to
make her strong within herself 1t
should not be overlooked that some of
| the foreign influences, such as con-
cessions for railways, etc. will benefit
and develop China far more than they
can benefit any foreign country. These
concessions will tap the rich interior
of China, giving highways for the
products now confined to the interior.
and carry them to the outside mar
| kets.''
The Minister speaks with special sat-
/ isfaction of concession which he
signed short time ago, by which an
American syndicate will build the rail-