Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-08-20
YUAN PREPARES
TO MEET TROUBLE
Execution of Gems. Chang
Tsen-Chue and Feng
Wei.
A REIGN OF TERROR.
No Prominent Republican Safe-Iuan
Fears Observation-Disclosures Out
Under Guard.
A REIGN OF TERROR.

Pekin, Aug, 2o.-President Yuan
Shi Kai made vigorous preparations
today to meet whatever trouble may
develop for him out of the execution
of Sun Yat Sens friends, Generals
Chank Tsen-Chu and Feng Wei,whom
he had shot last week when they ac-
cepted his invitation to come to Pekin
from up-country to talk politics with
him.
Strong forces of troops were
on duty every where. The
Presidential headquarters in par
ticular was surrounded. Street
gatherings were broken up scores OF
times during the day. Members of
the Advisory Council and of the Ma
tional Assembly, in both of which
there are anti-presidential majorities
were under surveillance.
A reign Of terror prevails in the
city. No prominent man of republican
affiliations can consider himself safe.
Even though Yuan may hesitate to
arrest and have them executed with
a pretence of formality, as calculated
to aggravate the situation farther,they
are afraid he will have his soldiers at
tack their houses and kill them, after
which they think it likely enough that
he will punish. the assassins.
1t is of assassination that Yuan
himself is most in fear-with excel
lent reason. No one whom he is not
absolutely sure he can trust, is al
lowed to approach him, and he does
not dare to venture out of doors even
under guard. Every one arriving in
the city either by rail or boat is sus-
pected as "dare to die" and closely
watched until the police are satisfied
that nothing is to be feared from him
or her, for some of the most expert
bomb -throwers developed during the
revolution were women.
Unless he should be assassinated,
Yuan has the whip hand in the north.
He has a well-trained army and the
troops are loyal to him. The northern
people, unlike the southern, care little
what form of government they live un-
der 50 long as they are not taxed too
heavily and Yuan, in anticipation of
some such crisis as the present has
been careful not to antagonize them
If the southern republicans, who
predominant in about one-half of Chi
ma, are to overthrow the president,
they can do it only by making war on
Yuan's northern army and whoever
wins, the fight will be desperate.
One extremely valuable friend whom
Yuan has turned into formidable
enemy, is vice-president Ii Yuan
Hung. Generals Chang and Feng
we're of LIS military command in HUI
peh province and as soon as he real
lied that he had stirred up hornets
nest by having the two generals killed,
Yuan sought to shift the responsibility
upon Lii, who refused to accept 1t.
Though it has been said that Ii has
been omewhat suspicious of Yuan
from the first he has co-operated with
him Loyalty. Henceforward he will un-
doubtedly oppose him.
Ii Yuan Hung was the first military
hero of the revolution. He led the re-
publican troops who overthrew the
imperialists at Hankow and was pro-
claimed the original president Of the
republic of Ham, giving away later to
Sun Yat Sen, who, in turn, gave way
to Yuan Shi Kai. Both by foreigners
and Chinese he is probably the most
implicitly trusted man III China. He
is regarded as possessing ability equal
to Yuan without his trickiness and
cruelty and all of Sun Sens sincerity
and enthusiasm with a practical CON-
mon sense which many think Sur
lacks and certainly with vastly great.
er administrative and military expert,
ence.
In the event of civil war between
north and south General Ii would un.
doubtedly command against Yuan ant
foreign military experts as we'll as the