The Detroit times., 1912-08-20
Reported Assassination Of Liber-
ator of China Is Dis
credited
WRATH BREAKS AROUND
PRESIDENT YUAN SHI KAI
Execution of DR.. Suns Friends
Precipitates Country Into
Maelstrom of Dissension

PEKIN, Aug. 20.-President Yuan
Shi Kat made vigorous preparations
today 10 meet what trouble may de-
velop out Of the execution Of Sun Yat
Sens friends, Generals Chang Tsen
Chu and Feng Wei, whom he ordered
snot last week when they accepted
his invitation 10 come TO Pekin from
the up-country TO talk politics with
him.
Strong forces OF troops were on
duty everywhere. The presidential
headquarters In particular were sur
rounded Street gatherings were brok-
en- up scores OF times during the day.
A reign OF terror prevails In the
city. No prominent man of RepuDi-
can afiliations considers himself
safe.
1t is OF assassination that Yuan
himself is most in fear. No one whom
he is not absolutely sure he can trust
Is allowed 10 approach him and he does
not dare TO venture out of doors even
snder guard Everyone arriving In
the city either by rail or by boat Is
suspected as a "dare-to-die" and close
ly watched until the police are salts
fed that nothing is 10 be feared.
Some of the most expert bomb-throw-
ers developed during the revolution
were women.
Yuan has the whip hand In the
north. He has a well-trained army
and the troops are loyal TO him. The
northern people care little what form
OF government they live under so
long as they are not taxed too heavily.
II the southern Republicans, VINO
predominate in about )ne-halt OF
China, are able TO overthrow the
president, they can only do II 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 a formid-
able enemy is Vice-President Ii Yuan
Hung. Generals Chang and Feng
were of LIS military command In
Hupeh province and as soon as he
Irealized that he had stirred up hor-
nets nest by having the two generals
killed. Yuan sought TO shift the re-
sponsibility upon Ii. who refused TO
accept It.
III Yuan Hung was the first mill
| tary hero OF the revolution. He led
the Republican troops who overthrew
the imperiaiists at Hankow and was
proclaimed the original president OF
the republic OF Han. giving way later
to Sun Vat Sen who, in turn, gave
way TO Yuan Shi Kai He Is probably
the most trusted man in China. he Is
regarded as possessing ability to
Yuan without his thickness.
In the event OF civil war between
north ard south, Gen. Ii would un-
doubtedly command against Yuan and
foreign military experts as well as
the Chinese agree that there Is not an
abler soldier in the country.
Confirmation of rumors that Sun
Yat Sen has been killed Is lacking
here. nor is the story believed. So
far as can be learned Sun Is at sea
somewhere between Shanghai and
Ten Tsin on his way 10 the capital.
From the moment he lands, he VIII
] be in the utmost danger. IL Is the
consensus OF opinion Yuan has made
capital blunder. Indications are
that he has brought about temper
ary situation which will make easy
the establishment OF the dictatorship
a. which he is believed to have been
aiming Even the view that his
course will prove finally TO have been
mistaken is dissented from by foreign
residents In China, who as traders,
have all along favored the presidents
strong hand policy and still hope he
will make a success OF II.