New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-22


every province there is evidence of a state
OF mind which might. under a number of
possible circumstances. lead to an actual
declaration Of independence. Should al
most any province declare itself separate
from the central government it would
doubtless carry its point, as the Picking
government is not as strong as it might
be.
Like United States Civil War Crisis.
The question Of the powers Of the prov
inces. involving the sending of revenues
70 Picking. the making Of loans. the ap-
pointment Of local officials, the main
tenance Of troops and things of like char
acter IS really one Of the greatest which
the builders Of this new machine have
TO face 1t is a matter quite similar 10
that which was thrashed out in America
half century ago.
Tang Shao-yi's abrupt departure has
not been sufficiently explained There
appear on the surface enough disagreed
bio things TO make any man quit his To-
s1tion. but Tang's friends declare that if
these are accepted as affording the true
explanation it proves that Tang is
Ccward and has simply run away. while
me truth is that there was ample justi-
fcation for the departure of the retiring
Prime Minister These friends. however
fail TO furnish proof of their statements.
For a good many weeks past it was
evident that Tang's life was a pretty mis-
cradle affair. His disagreeable position
was due TO a number Of events and cir
cumstances. one of the most important Of
which was his health and his unfortu-
nate inability to keep on good relations
with any one. 1t is told that during the
last few weeks the Premier had been
given to ungovernable bursts of temper
making il impossible for any one TO deal
with him.
He failed utterly TO make progress in
his negotiations with the representatives
Of the foreign banks from which China
vas obliged to borrow money; he quar-
relied with the National Council, where
the Opposition was making a disagreeable
inquiry into the disposal of the money
borrowed in March from the Belgian syn
dictate, and he found antagonsm and OPP
position in his own official family-the
Cabinet. Last Of all, he fought with
Yuan Shih-kai on various points. His
brief career as Premier was scarcely sue
cessful
,Tangs enemies, Of whom there are
great many. say that one Of the causes Of
his downfall was his enormous conceit.
He believed that everything he advocated
was right beyond any criticism, and he
could not bear to be crossed. He also
wanted more power than could be given
him and desired to make himself greater
than Yuan Shih-kai himself. When he
took office Tang declared 10 foreigner
that under this regime the government
would be on the French system, where
the Premier would be everything and the
President a figurehead. Tang found that
opposition on all sides made it impossible
for him to carry out this scheme. So he
slipped of to Tientsin, and from there
sent in hiS resignation.
Tans's Men Want to Resign.
/; Now the Tung Meng Hui members of
the Cabinet, all Tang's own men, nat
uralIy want TO resign. They sent repre-
sentatives to Yuan Shih-kai the other
day and announced that the four min
jsters would quit office They also eX-
pressed the view Of their party which is
very strong. particularly in Canton and
vicinity, that the next Cabinet should
not be a coalition AFFAIR, as it is now, but
should consist OF members Of one party
only. They said that the failure OF the
present Cabinet was due TO party warfare.
Two kinds, OF Cabinet could be had. one
composed of men of different parties, the
other of members of one party. If, they
said the first kind were adopted the
yung Meng Hui wanted none of it and
would not let its members serve.
Yuan Shih-kai gave the ENJOYS OF the
Tung Meng Hui some sound advice. He
said that Tang had gone off TO Tienisin
and from there made a request for leave
which statement is, according TO good in
formation, slightly wrong. as Tangs leave
was granted without his asking for 1t
hut he could come back If he wanted to.
III he did not, then successor must very
shortly be appointed.
Yuan went on to say that party Caol-
net was not at all practicable. The gov
ernment has not been fully organized
there are no strong national parties ana
IL Is Impossible 20 get enough talented men
from any one party TO rll all the Garnet
positions. lie said that the President OF
This republic was forced 10 consider the
capabilities rather than the politics OF
the men whom he summoned to office. lie
declared. In a manner more straightfor-
ward than the Chinese usually use, that
his one desire was TO establish the Re-
public Of China. II. he said, his hearers
did not agree with him in this he did not
want them In the government.
Yuan Pictures Gloom.
Yuan then gave a lucid description OF
conditions He said that half year had
elapsed since the inauguration OF the
republic. yet a stable government had
hot been recognized. Recognition by the
foreign powers had not been obtained and