Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-13
the meanest act on record-even worse than
the looting of the imperial palace
Peking May Be Abandoned.

EekluS may BE ADal1ooneo.
There seems to be an expectation among
the high officials that Picking will sooner
or later be abandoned by the imperial
household and the court and that they will
retire to one Of the ancient capitals in the
interior Of the country, far. away from the
danger of invasion, which will make them
nervous as long as they live SO near the
sea. No official steps nave been taken, how
ever, and the proposed removal would be
resisted by many influential mandarins who
nave spent much money in buying and
building palaces at Peking.- You will re-
member that when the foreign troops In
vaded Peking the empress and emperor, at
tended by the court, fed to the City of
Hsi-An-fu, in the province of Shen-si, about
five hundred miles distant This Is the most
ancient and venerated of Chinese cities and
was the capital of The empire for more
than three thousand GEARS. There are pal
aces and other buildings ready for oceu-
pancy, and probably il would be chosen in
case Picking is abandoned. Kai-Feng-fu, in
the province of Honan, about four hundred
miles in straight line from the coast, was
the capital of the old Middle Kingdom after
Hsi-An-fu was abandoned, and that also
would be more central and satisfactory
than Picking, because there are no rivers or
railroads or other means by which foreign
devils" could come to bother the court.
The disposition of tho officials who con-
troll the government is undoubtedly favor
able to remaining in Peking. although they
would be guided entirely by the wishes. or
rather the superior will, of the empress
dowager.
The Grand Secretariat.
The grand secretariat, the supreme power
OF the empire, is now composed of three
old veterans, Wang Wen-shao. Sun CHA
mai and Chung Ii, who were In power be-
fore the Boxer trouble, and three new men
Ching Sing, Hsu Flu and Yu Te-who are
new and progressive. The tendency OF
wang Wen-shao, who Is the emperor'S tu-
tor, is also progressive, which gives the
progreSsiyes' a majority of the grand sec
retariat and thus insures policy favorable
to modern inventions. There is also ma
Jorfty of progressfves' in the grand coun-
Gil, which is composed of the chairmen of
the five most important boards composing
the government These are Prince Ching,
the emperor's uncle. whose functions are
the same as those of a prime minister in
other countries; Wang Wen-Shao and Yung
Ching. The conservatives in the grand
council are Chu Hung-chi and Lu Chuan-
lin.
| Prince Ching and Wang Wen-shao, prac-
| tically control the government and hold all
of the principal offices. Prince Ching Is
president of the department of state and
Wang Wen-shao is vice president. Prince
Ching is also president of the new Wai-wu-
pu; or foreign office, which takes the place
OF the Tsung Ii Yamen, which was abol-
ished during. the reorganization Of the gov
ernment after the Boxer troubles.
Ex-Minister Wu's Office.
Our old friend, WI Ting Fang recently
minister at Washington. is senior vice
president of this board. which gives him
active control of the details, because Prince
Ching has so many offices and so many re-
sponsibiities that he give matters in
| that department only limited attention.
WI ring Fang is also president OF the
bureau of foreign commerce, and MEM
Der OF commission which is negotiating
treaties with foreign countries. He Is in
nigh favor with all concerned and his abil-
tiles are recognized by the empress dow
ager, who thinks that he distinguished
| himself as minister to the United States,
even though he did take the part of the
missionaries and exercise all of his infu-
ence for their protection. He is also a
great favorite with Prince Ching and has
his entire. confidence. AS long as the latter
| is prime minister and the actual head of
| the government WI Ting Fang will occupy
honorable and responsible positions.
Mr.. -Wus experience in the United States
was of the greatest value to him. His dis
position was always progressive. He is
very quick to learn and is intensely prac-
| teal While he has many enemies mostly
inspired by jealousy and envy he is one OF
the rising men in the Chinese empire