The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-04-04
MESSAGE WAS SENT
.u The T|MtSANhOUNClNG
CHINESE EMPEROR HAD QUIT.
Native Correspondent in Pekin
Gets Edict and Sends 1t To
Bureau in Shanghai
BAN is PUT ON "ABDICATE"
Monarch's Advisers Say He
Would lose His Face" If
1t Were Used
BAN is PUT ON "ABDICATE"
BY HARRY @. FARMER.


SHANGHAI. April A tall, fat
<lderly Chinese IN pigtail, goldbow
~ spectacles and magnificent silk
<4iment stood in an ante-room to
xuan Shi Kai's house, In Pekin, talk
ing Chinese TO a short, slender, youth.
az Chinese with his hair cut and
1ressed In a suit OF American clothes.
The tall Chinese was Ii Ven Zuk,
secretary to His Excellency Premier
subsequently presidenD Yuan. The
hort one was Shih Tu Teh, the Daily
News native correspondent In Pekin.
~ was giving Shih a piece of news
m Important piece. Shin scratched II
Town in his notebook, shook hands
With himself Ga Chinese always
Iohakes hands with himself instead OF
N with the other mani and bowed cere-
[moniousiy. Ii shook hands with him
|oelf and bowed tremendously. Then
}8hih took his departure.
"A minute later Shin might have
Ibeen seen streaking 1t down the street
tn rickshaw on his way to the tele-
IErnph once. He was going to send
thai piece of news to Shanghai TO De
|oabled to The Detroit Times.
The code has never been invented,
.
characters. So Shih telegraphed GER
tain groups OF figures instead, thus:
12s47 1lg1 2317 544S GIL 2209 and
10 on. Altogether there were 80
groups OF figures. Shin wrote them
in columns, beginning at the upper
right hand corner and finishing up al
the lower left hand one.
Not very long afterward Chinese
~<messenger boy delivered q duplicate
sheet OF figures to Chinese clerk In
The Times bureau In Shanghai. The
clerk referred to cookbook about
the 'size OF a Webster's Unabridged
dictionary and wrote down on sheet
. 81 copy paper the Chinese character
corresponding with each group OF
6eures. This was rather slow work
but II Ia the only way II is possible
70 set q telegraphic news out OF
China
The translator wrote the word
'sManchu" opposite character NO; l.
3 No. 3 II emperor. No. 3, because. NO.
4 cruntry. No. s. people. No. 6, many.
(, No. Z. number. Nos and TO
rether,, desire. Nos. 10 and IL Ito
eetlier). republic. $50 az
NO. IL means therefore. No. lS,
this. No. Is. day. NO. Is, abdicate
No. not. quite "abdicate. The
Chinese emperor's advisors refused
to agree to the use OF that word. They
said the emperor would lose face" II
~ were announced to the world that
he had been forced to abdicate. He
was willing to quit but he wouldn't
abdicate. So character No 10 was |
used. 1t Is stronger than resign but
not a. strong as abdicate. II has no
equivalent in any other language.
/. literally 1t meant he was jumping the
emperor Job.
No. 16 means position. No. IL, on.
No. is (literally), language, lhberal-
VI edict. No. 10, already. Nos. ~,
+ Al and. 81 IL 1togetherl promulgated
-. NO. %. middle No. rs. nngdom'
Middle Kfngdom-that Is TO say,
<hiua The original theory being that
~hina was the middle OF the world,
with barbarians all around II.
NO. "a and 25 (together), hereafter.
Noe rs and "a together and as In
Xos. / and %, sManchu emperor. No.
IS ~. concerning. No. 20, government.
No. 80, rule.
Government rule-Chinese for poll
No. 81, with, No. 80. conventional
-fox used to emphasize No. 80. No.
~ All or any. No. "a, to ask. No.
81. subject.
10 aslx-subject-Chinese for PROB
"a &c. whatever. No. 81, not. No.
"A Interrupt. No. 80, interfere. No.
50 10. command. No. 40, domestic
+ |ro III. pillar, support or upright:
Domestic pillar-Chinese for Pre-
Nos. ~, az and A, Yuan Shi Kai.
Yuan IL simply the new presidents
<1mf1y name and means nothing IN
nrficular. Shi means world and
|<1i .visitor." Otherwise, World-vic-
No. as. silk. No. 46. weave.
+ aIlk-weave being Chinese for or
<onfxe. presumably on the theory that
<kcro Il resemblance between weav-
AR ak into cloth and ideas into an
~ AZ and az (together), for the
~ ~ heing Nos. 40 and so, republic
~ nanese1. Nos. 81 and 81 (together)
~>-rnment. No. So, and so forth
"A. Y ~onventional way OF winding up
nv Chinese news item.
'r&c compIeted message read:
" .<r6o Manchu emperor, because
~ "a orifv (rmanu number) Of the peo-
"a IA the country desire republic,
<odav issued an edict OF abdication
onv rate abdication Is what II
-ounfs tor which has been promul-
~ throughout China. Hereafter
4 rnneror will not interfere In any
[t<(<oi uuestion whatever concern
49, rovernment. Premier Yuan
I'D IL commanded to organize
<,,-{onal republican government.