The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30
1913. by Frask @. Car,
penter.)
Washington. D.

UCllSis|
Washington. D. {.
EwANT to tell you something about
Yuan Shih Kai, who has just been
III reelected President of the Chi
uese republic He is the Napoleon, the
Bismarck, the Ii Hung Chang of the
100000. 600 who make UP the China of
today He is greater and more powerful
than III ever was, and wrapped up in
him is the immediate future of that
mighty country. I have been travelling
in the footsteps of Yuan off and on
for the past % years. l first heard of
him when / went to Corea in 1888.
That country was then a kingdom I'M
der the protection of China, and Yuan
Shih Kai had been sent there by Lii
Hung Chang to dictate to the King
how the country should be run. He
lived at Seoul in great state, with hun
dreds of retainers about him and wives
and concubines galore.
It was due to Yuan that the Japan
csc were driven out of Corea shortly
before my visit and he was really tho
cause of the first war between China
and Japan which resulted in the hui
initiation of his nation. A little rebel
lion had broken out in Corea and Yuan,
contrary to the treaties of 1885, by
which each of the great powers agreed
not to land troops in Corea without
informing the other powers, had Chi
nese soldiers brought over to quell the
uprising.
of the rebellion. There were ENJOYS
In af
the Kings palace for day after day
while I was in Seoul, and later. when
] crossed the country on horseback
and Nillback, travelling for several
weeks through the mountains. 1 met
everywhere dissatisfied people and
was only safe because I had special
letter of protection which WAS given
me by the King. This commended me
to the local governors, who were In
structed to further my travels in ev
cry possible way. The rebellion in
creased later on, and by the time l
reached Japan the war between China
and Japan was brewing. AS a result
of 1T Yuan Shih Kai was forced to
leave Corea, and he fled to Tientsin.
leaving his mother and concubines be-
hind.
Tuan was an especial protege of Ii
Hung Chang. and 1t was through him,
in connection with Lii, that the mod
ern army of China was organized.
When the war with Japan closed. he
was for a time sent into retirement,
but long before the Boxer troubles he
had come again to the front and had
been made viceroy of Shantung. He
was a special favorite of the empress
dowager and had won her gratitude
by his treachery to the young En-
peror. When the Emperor Kwang Su
began to introduce foreign civiliza-
tion in connection with Kang Yu Wei.
he took Yuan into his confidence and
gave him so many offices that he be-
came known as YUAN, the reformer."
He was allowed to drill and equip
modern soldiers and he was really at
the head of the best troops in China.
In the meantime the old empress
dowager, who had nominally retired
from the government, was debating to
the young Emperor how he should do
and Kang Yu Wei and the Emperor
concluded to put her out of the way.
Yuan Shih Kai selected the
tool for this purpose, and while he
knelt on his knees before the Emperor
in the palace his majesty commanded
him to move his army to Tienstein and
there kill the Viceroy Yung Lu. After
that he was to come on Peking and
surround the palace and kill the en-