New-York tribune., 1909-01-05
4 CHINESE OPPORTUNIST.

The dismissal of Yuan Shih Kai from office at
Peking is unquestionably an interesting and
| important incident. 1t was by no means, how
| ever so unexpected some reports would
make it appear, and while it would be rash TO
declare at once its precise significance, there is
room for questioning whether it is so much a
! triumph of reaction and so evil an omen as
| some are reported to assume. The observation
has long been commonplace that the Oriental
and Occidental minds are so different in const-
| tuition and operation that one of them cannot
conlpreherd the other However that may be.
If is at least equally true that practically speak
! ing Americans and Europeans have too little
assured knowledge Of the internal affairs of the
| Chinese government and too contradictory In
| formation concerning them TO Justify any Off
! hand Judgment of the merits demerits OF
| Chinese statesmen. It will be remembered that
! Ii Hung Chang who was probably as well
| known to us as any Chinese statesman who
ever lived, was, on the one hand, represented as
a broad minded, progressive benevolent and
! incorruptible patriot, and, on the other hand,
with equal assurance, as a narrow, sordd and
corrupt self-seeker. It is net st all surprising
TO find similar differences Of estimate concern
| ing LIS successor in the metropolitan viceroy-
ship
| The effusive encomiums which are now Law
ished upon Yuan Shih Kai may be amply de-
| served. 1t is to be hoped that they are. There
can be little question that in the later part of
the Boxer troubles he rendered some services
to the Western powers In securing information
of the state of affairs at Peking. 1t seems no
less certain that a little earlier he was re-
garded with profound distrust one of the
worst enemies OF reform. He first came into
prominence about a quarter Of century ago
as the Chinese power behind the thrOne" In
| Corea whose Vaccinations and arbitrary con-
duct provoked the war between China and
Japan and the consequent expulsion of the
Chinese from Corea. After that war he be
| came Provincial Judge Of Pe-Chi-Li and in 1898
is said to have betrayed the reform plans of the
Young Emperor and the reformer, Kang Yu-
Wei TO the Empress DowageT, and thus to have
caused the defeat and collapse of the reform
movement at that time. For that service of
| treachery. It has been charged, the Empress
Dowager rewarded him with the Viceroyalty of
! Shan-Tung and while he was III that office,
| instead Of suppressng the Boxers as he was
nominally commanded to do, he permitted them
to march upon Peking. He was thus easily
able 10 get information from Peking during the
siege of the legations because Of his friendly
relations with the Boxers, and it was not with
out reason suspected at the time that he ren-
| dered that service. not from any love of for
eigners nor from a desire to defeat the Boxers,
but merely through shrewd realization Of which
was bound to be the winning side.
OF his ability as an administrator, especially
fn reOrganizng a part OF the Chinese army ac-
cording 10 Western fashion and in introducing
Western methods and textbooks into Chinese
schools there can be no doubt He was also n
leader In the movement for Chinese control and
exploitation Of Chinese resources and industries.
Whether he adopted such courses through pure
benevolence or through personal ambition and
ton. 1t seems certain that he remained to the
end of her reign an apparently loyal servant Of
the Empress Dowager, executing her will with
equal readiness and zeal in reaction and in re-
form He never commanded the confidence of
the reformers after his Teachery in 1898 but
was regarded by them as their implacable foe
and was publicly accused by them of having
compassed the death Of the late Emperor OF the
truth of that accusation it would be presumpt-
nous to attempt TO judge on the meagre basis
of information which s available, but any
strong suspicion of its truth would amply ex-
plain the terms OF the imperial decree Of dis
missaI That he has made himself approachable
and agreeable TO the representatives OF foreign
governments and has greatly facilitated the
cultivation of correct relationships between
China and other countries is perfectly well
known and explains the regret with which his
dismissal is regarded by the diplomatic corps
The most judicious estimate of Yuan Shih kai
seems 10 be that he is and has ever been pure
opportunist exceling in the versatility and agil-
ity with which he has attached himself to what
ever cause seemed TO be in the ascendant. The
suggestion that his downfall is due to Manchu
conspiracy is scarcely tenahle, since he Is him-
self a Manehu The more probable explanation
is that the FRINGE Regent, who Is one of the
ehrewdast ana most enlightened and progressive
men In China. has discovered cause for distrust-
ina him, Il not for condemning him, for his con-