New-York tribune., 1912-01-31
nv the Regular Correspondents Of The Tribunes
iu PclirSl


ern idea prevails in all its architecture
lines. although the decorations are, o!
course. Chinese. Yuan receives his visit.
ors or al least he did upon this occasion,
in a splendid room Of large dimensions, IL
the centre Of which was a long table sur
rounded by a dozen chairs-eyidenUv a con-
ference room Of some sort. The Premier x
own Office is somewhere Off up the hallway,
Yuan Shih-kai looks like great man,
He shows il IN his face and in his ConVcr =
sation, despite the strain which he has
undergone these last few weeks. He Isl
not tall, but he is large and seemed really
tremendous i'm his heavily padded clothes.
His garments were simply made. with an
absolute lack Of pretenson or display. lie
seems to have the simplicity which 30
many of the great Of other countries have
60 often shown. IN his greeting he =
cordial and courteous
Busiest Man in China
He is perhaps the busiest man in China
these days. but he seemed to have time To-
listen to questions and 10 answer them
With due consideration and thought. They
SAY that ne sleeps but little now and
works prodisiously. His friends declare
he has undergone a severe strain recently..I
since Tang Shao-yi, his peace commission
or AT Shanghai. has failed to carry out his.
instructions and apparently turned TO the
other side His face, however. doesn't
show II much hut " is a Chinese face. and
the Chinese face isn't one that pOrtrays
inner feelings. Yuan Shih-kai wears a
gray mustache and small gray queue.
'On his chin there is stubhly, sparse ho-
ginning Of a beard which Is not usually
there Perhaps it is gone to-day.
interviewing Yuan Shih-kai is one thing
getting him to give up real information
ss TO his policies and plans is quite an
other and far more difficult He did not
fail 70 talk in response to the questions
which were put TO him. but he was dis
Greet and careful and said but little that
had not been said before. Among this
group Of correspondents there was one
who in years gone by had been college
professor in Pekng. He had among his
pupils one Of Yuan Shih-kai's sons The
Premier knew this and thanked the man
for having instructed his stupid SON" as
this Chinese mode-tly put it. The CORE
spondent averred that the son was not at
riJ stupid; in fact, he was very bright. !
Coupling the fact that the instruction in
question was in political science and that
the son I'm question is now reported 10 be
. rabid revolutionst. taking position
distasteful to lis father one can see
humor In the incident.
,i The Premier sat at the head OF the ia bIe
iHis interpreter. a colonel Of the army who
.spoke perfect English except when he let
Slip, now and then. a bit Of Americans
slang, sat at his right. The general situa-j
ton was first discussed, always thro1gnl
unteered little; he merely responded 10 thet
inquiries This he did freely. and with no,
outward effort to conceal Nevertheless
when II was all over there was little that!
had been told that had not been known he!
fore. The Premier declared himself oD-t
posed to the demands of the rebels for an.
imnediatc national convention to decdci
whether China should be republic or O,
constitutional monarchy. He favored al
convention, and was willing 10 go in for'
one but he wanted it to be therouehIy,
representative, while the rebels suggested.
It's immediate convocation in Shanghai thef
Verv centre Of the revolution. and that ita
be composed Of provincials already There's.
The Premier considers this absurd andy
said he would not agree TO IL. The rebels
also demanded that the imperial forces be.
Withdrawn 4 hundred li-thirty miles or so
-tfrom their present positions, and that thea
Imperial government agree not 10 borrowi
money from abroad. 1t will be seen thau
the rebels ask all and give nothing. This;
indicated the Premier, was one-sided. and!
he would not agree TO It.
Replies in Chinese Fashion.
His excelency. as he is called here, was.
then asked concerning what he would do II:
fotlad -
with the fight or would he given in 10 a;
republic? His answer was cast in inter5
rogative form:
IF they attack us do you think We WOULD
rum"
This however, was not very specific, 50
the Premier was asked If he would take the
aggressive IL the negotiations fell through.
n he would renew the fighting in an effort
20 reconouer some of the lost territory. Hel
said he would put that matter up to the
imperial family, which seemed one way on
saying that he wouldn't say what he would
do The truth about II probably is that
Yuan Shih-kai will fight on II the princes off
the imperial clan give him the money.
They insist they have no more money, butt
this claim is declared TO be without founda7
ton. II IS alleged that great boards OF
imperial gold are hidden away in the for-'l
eign banks here in Peking and in other,
places OF safety.
In response TO further questions Yuan
shih-kai said he thought a republic impos-.
sible for China, and that a constitutional
monarchy is the only thing. In this most
people here heartily agree with him. al
though the attitude OF some OF the powers
has been such that a republic is now possi-
BILE, whereas II the powers had permitted
the lending OF money TO the Peking govern
n,ent. the propriety Of which would be un-.
questioned the rebellion might now be end
ed and China I'm possession Of constltu-
tionaI monarchy The Premier thought
that the establishment Of a republic would
break down such time-honored and impor-
tant institutions as filial piety and the like,
He was asked about the state of the coun-f
tfy's finances and whether he had enough
money 10 carry on the war. He wanly adj
nitted that nc didn't have enough. His
general attitude, however, was not one of|
hopelessness and there is evidently fight
or two 'oft IN this MAJ II only he could
gel the money there Is no doubt that We
would have stirring struggle down south n
The imperial troops are clsmoring for 1iI
hght and the rebels are not so strong ajl
ahAY YniRhf be In the opinion Of Pek!nEt