The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-06
CHINA is PARALYZED.

Sui1OUo clOu1Siol PiVHdilo III Nulnd-
There have been reports from time to
time about disagreements between
Yuan Shi Kai and the Chinese Ma
tional Parliament, which has shown
much suspicion of Yuan s motives. But
it appears that in all these Yuan Shi
Kai is playing his own hand and is
also playing the Parliament of China.
In the matter Of the $125, 100000 loan
recently negotiated, the Chinese Parlia-
ment was understood to be opposed to
the terms of the loan as agreed to by
Yuan Shi Kai, whereupon he threat
ened to dissolve the Parliament and
assume dictatorship. As matter of
fact, that is about what he has done any
way, but the threat seemed to quell the
Parliament, and the negotiations with
the five powers are ratified. Those five
powers. of course, will see that the
terms Of the loan are lived up to, and
they will protect the interests Of their
financiers who furnished this money
It appears from later developments
that the withdrawal of the United
States from this (former six-power, now
five power) agreement was not only
satisfactory to the other five powers,
but was in fact relief to them, for
since the United States had abandoned
"dollar diplomacy" and would do
nothing to protect and enforce the in
terests of its citizens in their dealings
with foreign powers, the adherence of
the United States TO the former six.
power agreement would in fact be a
weakness to the ncert Of the powers
interested. The United States would
not bring China to time if it played
fast and loose with our fnanciers. The
other powers would do exactly that in
behalf Of their hnanciers, and would
REQUIRE China to toe the mark and full
fill her agreements, This Yuan Shi
Kai agrees to. while the Parliament was
supposed to favor the idea of the
United States of letting the fnanciers
that lent the money take their own
chances with China about getting the
interest and the payment of the prin-
cipal when due. This financial treaty,
therefore, entered into by the five
powers with Yuan Shi Kai, in effect
seals the doom of Chinese independence.
In all this the National Parliament
of China appears absolutely impotent,
though threatening to impeach Yuan
Shl Kai as an enemy Of his country.
Whenever the parliament undertakes to
do anything, Yuan Shi Kai always has
else to propose that ought
TO be done first. The consequence is
that nothing at all is done by the Par
lament
When that Parliament met last win
ter, there were two chief things for it
to do; one was TO elect a permanent
President for the Great Republic of
China: the other was to frame and
adopt a constitution for the Republic. !
Yuan Shi Kai was adrot enough to
play one faction of the Parliament
against another as to which proposition
should be taken up first. whether the |
President should be elected or con. |
framed and adopted. And on
that point he has kept the parliament in
play ever since, with nothing done. |
Whenever one set of parliamentary
members proposes to get on with the
framing and adoption Of the constitu-
ton, Yuan Shi Kai presents to the
other faction the proposition that
President ought first to be elected. Or
il one faction proposes to proceed with
the election of n President. Yuan Shi
kal calls attention to the impropriety
IF this, saying that before they elect
4 President they ought to frame and
adopt constitution, and put the gov
of the Republic in operation
IS an entirety, with the President
elected after the adoption Of the con-
titution, and pursuant thereto.
And so it has gone on month after
month, with nothing done. It seems
o be reasonably evident that Yuan Sbi
<ai is in accord personally with the
i've powers, and that he is determined
hat nothing shall be done to GUST him
rom the Presidency or TO organize apv
ort of government except such as he
imself shall first approve, The proba-
ility is that, acting in concert with
'ussia, Great Britain, Germany, France,
nd Japan, Yuan Shi Kai is simply i
olding China in disorganized, help
sss condition, so that the different
rovinces of that ancient country can
g apportloned out in "spheres of in. s
luence' TO the five powers that covot
hose spheres, and that he is getting
normous pay for thus serving the five. 4
over interests. Tt is a bad outlook
or China, but n rosy outlook for Yuan