Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-07
Confusing
Dispatches,

by the telegraph dispatches is not Only
confusing. but tends to prevent clear
understanding OF the reason for many
things that appear absurd.
On April 1 Dr. Sun Vat Sen, president OF
the provisional Chinese republic, resigned
from that office, and in so doing declared
that he trusted Yuan Shi Kai, his sue
cessor to carry out the good work he had
begun
The same dispatch reports that The
Russo-Asiatic Bank of Picking mas
handed to the Chinese republican govern
ment the sum of S.DN,oo0 on behaif OF
the Belgian syndicate with whom the
recent loan was negotiated But there IS
suspicion in the Chinese mind that the
Belgian loan is in reality a Russian en-
terprise. and thus Tang Shao VI. the
premier. who is the negotiator. IS the
subject of a growing hostility. Sd.h d
situation augurs i'll for Tang. as well as
for Yuan Shi kai. The new president
and his premier are one in TINS new
venture. as they have been in preced ng
ones and the fall of one means the ran
of the other. Yuan and TanS are as IN
separable as the Siamese twins. Unlike
the latter, there is a certain cereprai IN
equality Yuan supplies the artful cum
ming. Tang the inspiration or brains The
pair is hard to beat
DR.. Sun Vat Sens retirement in favor
Of Yuan is inexplicable except upon the
basis that it is pro
SIM Vat Sens visional and that the
assembly possesses the
Ase'AA Son'' power to control all
Yuans acts. The confidence, in any
event. is risk.
On February IL Yuan Shi Kai was
elected provisional president, DR. Sun
Vat Sen strangely enough assent ng.
Gen. Ii Yuan Heng. formerly command
ing the revolutionary forces at Wu-Chang.
was elected vice president The latter 3
election was possibly to get rid of him.
for it appears that Ii Yuan had proved
troublesome TO the revolutionists. His as
s0ssinat.on has just been reported.
On April Yuan presented himself before
the national assembly in military uni
FORM The new president read the fol-
lowing proclamation:
t'The republic having been establshed
there is much to be ACCOMPLISHED. j VIII
seek to develop the republic. do away
with the inconvenience of the absolute
monarchy observe constitutional laws, in
crease the well being of the country and
consolidate and fortify the nation COM
posed of five races. When the national
assembly shall have named the definite
Chinese republic
After the ceremony DR. sun Vat Sen
formally handed over to Yuan Shi kai
the presidential SEAL and at the same
time he appealed to the Chinese people to
support the new government. During the
function the list of the new cabinet was
announced:
Premier. Tang Shao vi; foreign affairs.
Lu Cheng Hsiang: finance Hsiung Hsi
Ling: navy. Lin kwan Hsuns; army.
Tuan Chi Jul: justice. Wang Chun Hui:
communications. Lang Ju Hao: COM
merce. Chen Chi Mel: interior. Chou Ping
Hsun; education, Tsai Yuan Pie, and aSri-
culture. Sung Chiao Fen.
1t is worthy of remark that the name
of one of the republics stanchest sup
porters. our worthy friend WI Ting-fang,
is missing. 1t is safe TO conclude that
the eX-minister to Washington is too
gacious and experienced in politics to be
caught in the trap which both Yuan and
Tang would be happy to catch this wary
old foe.
Gen. De Nesrier. who was in China in
1910. on his return contributed an arti-
Gle to the Revue des Deux
Chinese Mondes entitled THE Chinese
Forces in 19l0'' The distin-
Amy guished French soldier was
decidedly pessimistc in the matter Of the
Chinese modern army, which had been
organized, it was said by Yuan Shi kai.
The imperfections of that army, as shown
in recent events, were clearly foreshad-
owed by Gen De Negrer, who perceived
symptoms of an early decomposition.
The Chinese revolution was a surprise
Its rapidity was vertiginous and the de-
movement extraordinary. To change an
old monarchy into a modern repuDilc
would have created smile of incredulity
in all save the leaders of the revolution,
whose faith in the republic was perhaps
their only religion.
In December, 1911, fourteen provinces
out of eighteen of China proper broke of
relations with Picking and with numer-
Gus army commanded by generals VINO
had sprung apparently from the earth,
was prepared for service. The reVolu-
ton in China was composed OF nan
philosophers and students. who for the
most part took for model the French
revolution, excluding its pages of terror.
At Marking it established its states gen
eral and its Desmoulins was Sun Vat Sen.
The names of Washington and Napoleon
l haunted the dreams of these oriental
stand the conservatism of old Europe
and young America, for ii represents
fifteen centuries of Christian ntality
and scientific culture. They do not I'M
derstand that such a condition may not
he commanded as by the wave of ma
gician's wand. Besides the question of
race hatred between the Chinese ana the
Manchu, there exists the hatred engen-
dered by the merciless 263 years of Man
chu msrule.
The .Manchu Remuneration address
ed by the prince regent October ii, 1911,
in the name of the infant emperor, Pu VI,
is a remarkable confession OF shame and
corruption.
The Manchu, already conscious of his
peril. recalled from exile Yuan Shi Kali
who was made premier. Yuan and
Tang now We're the principal actors
in the play. Under the alarm created
in Picking by the dread that the revo-
lutionist army would march upon the
capital Yuan proposed abdicaton OF
the emperor with the comforting hope
that the emperor should be retained
as the religious head of China Inc
prince regent out of the way. 1T was |
necessary to arrange matters with the
empress dowager the power behind the
throne. The latter, it was important 10
hear i'm mind. held the keys TO the trea-
sury of the royal family. The fertile brain
of rang suggested to the empress that she
should name Premier Yuan the recon
structor of the republic" She gave Yuan
So. 600, 900, and after appointing him re-
of the republic, bade MN
The COAL STRIKE.