New-York tribune., 1912-02-16
Tribune Correspondent in Peklng
Saws Rebels Have Done Little
to Inspire Confidence.
ARMIsTICE OFTEN VIOLATED
Millions of People Against the
Republic - Leaders lnJudi-
cious and Without Spirit
of Compromise.
tBy the Regular Correspondent Of The Tribune
in PckingD

of Guidance TO bolster up hope that
reacofuI solution WIFI be reached while on
the other hand the situation teens win
direful possibilities
The events OF the last week have been
most momentous on January 10 huan
Shih -ka went to the palace for an auui-
ence with the Empress DOwager. Ahdlca-
tion ruuors filed the air and II was GER
tain that this audience would see decided
step IN that direction. II was said that
Yuan had finally decided 10 tell the En-
nress Dowagcr that IT was time for the
Manchus TO @. Just what happened at
the conference Is not known, but on his
way back to his own quarters a bomb was
thrown at the Premier's carriage and he
narrowly escaped death. He fastened back
to his own residence and has remained
there ever since.
1t had been arranged that on the next
day there would be meeting of the I'M
perial clan for the Durpose Of deciding the
question: and Yuan Shih-kai was to have
been there TO give counsel, He sent woro
that he had caught cold and could not at
tend tho conference. 1t was accordingly
postponed until the second day following
Friday. January 10. \ secret edict was
| issued commanding the presence OF yuan
| Sbih-kai. II was so worded that II placed
upon him much Of the responsibility Tor
| decision. The Premier then applied for
three-day sick leave, which Is way chi
nesc officials have when they don't want 10
do a thing The leave was granted ana
| Yuan did not 90 10 the palace. The meet
ing. however, was held and decision was
| practically reached that the throne woGId
| abdicate and withdraw to- Je-flol, Iour
days northward Of Peking. by cart and
the ancestral home ot Manchu royalty. II
! Is even said here that the abdicdton e'lct
had already been written.
Prince Ching. cx-Prcmier. Grand 'oun-
! ciIlor and leader among the Manchus de-
clarcd In favor " abdicatlon. He made
stirring speech and pointed out. the insur-
mountable obstacles of continuation Of the
Manchu rule. lie was supported by sew
eral other princes. Some Of the younger
element. however. backed by the Mongol
| princes. who have everything TO lose ana
! nothing 10 gain by the establishment ot
republic. which would be the inevitable re-
suit of abdicatlon, created violent opposi-
ton They favored fighting n the end NJ
the moment however. their views were not
accented and Prince Chlng's were. In the
mean time Yuan Shh-kai remained ~ home
waiting for what was considered the IN
evitabc.
an agreement had practically been
reached VITA the rebels on tho course ~
| procedure following the expected abdiea-
| tion. A provisional government would be
established In Tien-Tsin. according to the
most reliable of the many reports good
! and bad. which are IN circulation, with
| Yuan Shh-kai at lts head. Sun Nat-Sen
would resign his Presidency ~ the republic
and Yuan Shih-kai would run the show
| Sun Yat-sen, further would come north
70 assist, possibly taking Cabinet post
This seemed TO Yuan Shih-kai 10 be the
/ only solution II had many things IN its
| favor. the principal one being that all
I n,hting would stop and the country might
| have a chance 10 catch its breadth.
| on Friday night. however, there came AN
uitmatum from tho rebel capital of Nan
/ king. II WAS bomhshcll and the most
startling thing that has happened in a long
| time. II demanded abdicatlon AZ once, said
that the provisional capital should he at
| Nanklng, that no Manchus should have
! part In the government. and that. finally.
! yuan Shih-kai should stcp aside why In
| the world this ultimatum was sent no one
J knows. We have repoTts from Nankng,
! which are official and reliable, that the ac-
| ton was taken because the rebels had
! heard that the British. had finally decided
to back Yuan SRih-kai TO the limit and that
/ yuan was therefore ready to take up the
| fight again This story is not true, for II
| the British have taken sides at all they
| ,t.g o., FakaIg
/ ever, such story did reach the rebels,
! they believed 1t and sent forth the ulti-
matum which repudiated all the important
| things ppon which they had previously
reached an agreement with Yuan Shih-kai.
| The utimatum had much to do with
stiflening the backbone OF the Manchus.
| The advocates of abdication, Ching and
others withdrew and let the other princes
| decide the matter. The decision came yes
| terday. II is believed here that the rebels
became convlncd that Yuan Shih-kai was
playing double with them and that, after
all. he would not live up TO bis promises.
That the rebels have great strength is
beyond doubt. but there is no denying that
there are still in China millions OF people
! who are against the proposed republic. The
rebels would have these go unheard. The
| Manchus decline TO accept without qualii-
cation the statements of the rebels that the
entire country desires the republican form
OF government.
There has been very little done by the
rebels To indicate that a republican form or
| government would he a success. a least the
republican form Of government exemplihed
| by those now In control Of the experiment
al Nanking. An armistiCe has been on
| since last December. The rebels have vio-
lated II repeatedly and arc still doing So
The latest violation is the sending of an eX-
| pedition of two thousand or moro rebels TO
Chee-Foo, which is getting into imperial
| territory In their dealings with the inn
perial government the rebels have shown
no spirit Of compromise or readiness TO
reach a settlement by judicious method.
They simply demand.
| The imperial soldery is ready and anx-
ious to fight and, in addition. quite able
There is always. however, the question Of
loyalty among the imperial troops The
pernicious and effective Chinese secret So
cietes have entered into the ranks Of the
soldiers. carrying intrigue and conspiracy
so far that no man knows just what to ex-
! pect OF the army That disagreeable detail
aside and you find in the imperial Chinese
army an efficient personnel, well equipped
and. for the most part, ready to war with
any one II Yuan gets out, however IT is
doubtful II the army will fight for purely
| Manchu regime
ITALY NARROWS WAR AREA
Abates Hostilities In the Archipelago
Turks Fire on British.