The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-22
THE RETURN OF YUAN sHIH-KA1

Picking has at last remembered Yuan Shth-kai, the inva i'd by edict, in polite exile at his home in the prov inces of Honan'' writes Charles K. Field in Sunset Magazine for December. In January, three years ago, when the baby emperor had come to the dragon throne and the new regime under the youthful regent had got under way, Yuan, already appointed Guardian Of the Heir by the temporizing regent, had been ordered to his home to nurse the rheuma tism in his leg which made him no longer fitted for the du- ties of his high office. Thus our elem ency is manifest added the edict which had made this imperial diagnosis, and Yuan knew as well as anybody that this meant You are lucky to be all lowed head to guide your legs
 Probably it was believed in the For bidden City last month that nearly three years of uninterrupted quiet and nursing might we'll have rendered the leg of the ex-officia1 fit once more for active service, particularly since crisis had arisen in which everything depended upon the army he himself had organized and developed. But rheumatism may prove obstinate on occasion, and from the s'c-Sroom in Honan came the same excuse that had banished him from Pelzing. His leg prevented his taking command of the army and proceeding to Hankow and .Wuchang to crush the rebellion. The government replied to this excuse: Get busy and get well Meanwhile the reports of rebel victories contin- ued and China speculated as to the loyalty of the Imperial troops.
 ''At this juncture, the troops them selves set speculation at rest. They demanded, as the price of their SUD- port, immediate concessions from the throne-co government at once, the barring of royalty from the cabinet. pardon for all rebels. From the Imperial Palace came answer, granting the demands and apologiz- ing for past delays! and then follow. ed summons to Yuan Shihkai. Rheunn atism is capricious: it's victims have their good days. At the time these words are written, Yuan is able to travel toward Peking.
 .sForei gners have long held Yuan the only man in the empire worthy seri- ous consideration as a power for good. 4n his record of something like fifteen years of activity, Yuan Sh'h-kai has been a progressive. He has been an open advocate of reform of the civil service, of the abolition Of Manchu privi ege, of Western education. It is unquestioned that he has done more for his country than any other man living. And what is more, he has been at the head of official life in China and he has never got rich, as official life goes
 And yet it seems equally unques- tioned that, in spite of all this, Yuan Sh h-kai does not possess the conf 6ence Of his country. The Chinese deny him the title of patriot It re- mains to be seen whether they will be satisfied with anything e'se in the crisis which they have now reached. Yuan is an orportunist. by general vera ct: what he has done for his country has been done for Yuan; the army he o~eanized has been taught lovalty-to Yuan.
 ssMore than rone Manchu emperor has been thought the last of the dy- nasty. In 1860 the Taiping rebellion prorrised to overturn the throne, but the Dowag ger Empress saved the day. The present Dowager, breathing fire and weavinr intrigue in the Forbidden City, is not the equal of her illustrious predecessor. There is an ancient prophecy that the Ia Ching dynasty will come to an end in the year Keng Shen, 1920 What is the relation of Yuan Shih-lSai to this rrophecy? Who will prophecy for 1922"