East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-10-15
CHINESE HEAD IS
INTERESTING MAN
DIR. YUAN HAS LED A PUBLIC
LIFE SINCE 1852 WHEN HE
WENT TO kOREA.


PEKING, China, Oct. 15.-Yuan
Shih Kai, just elected the frs per-
manent president of China, has been
the first provisional president since
March 10, 1912. Contrary 10 the
general opinion. DR. Sun Yat Sen. to
whom perhaps the greatest credit is
due for the revolution which over
turned the Manchus In 1911, was
never PROVISIONAL president of the
Chinese reppblic When the revolu-
tion broke out at WucnanS on Octo-
ber 10, 1912, DR.. sun Vat Sen was
in Europe. He hurried to China and
OH January l, 1912, he was installed
"a Nanking as provisional presl lent
of the so-called government which
the rebels had set up. AT that time
the Manchut emperor was still! the
legal ruler of China. He abdlrateC
on February 8. the edict of his moth
er, the empress dowager, directing
that from that date all power Of her
self and son should be vested in Yu-
an Shih kai, the prime minister. One
month and TWO days later Yuan was
inaugurated provisional president
with the consent of Sun Vat Sen. Pc
king continued to be the capital and
the temporary and revolutionary or
ganization at Marking ceased to ex'
list.
Yuan Shih Kai was born 81 years
ago in Honan province. Central Chi
ma. Thus he is not North Chinese.
as has been said so repeatedly in the
foreign press Another erroneous
impression in regard to Yuan, "The
Washington of China" is that he is
of noble family. His family has
been of the Honan gently for many
generations, and his uncle was a gen
eral in the old Manchu army, but
they were not noblemen. Scholar
ship has been the only sure key 10
preferment in Chinese politics. Yuan
rejected the easy path by way OF
the Hanlin academy and chose the
life of soldier after taking his pro-
vincial b. A. AS the soldier in .he
old days ranked below all grades OF
society except the merchant and the
actor his rise is all the more remark
able. He is essentially u self-made
man.
Yuan Shih Kai's pubic career be-
gan in 1862, when 70 years of age,
! with his assignment TO Korea. Three
I years later he became Chinese imper-
! ial resident He held that position
| Tor nine years and was driven out
! by the war with Japan. He has held
many other positions under the Man
! chus
! When the outbreak at Wuchang on
| october 10, 1911, startled the world
/ and struck terror to the hearts of the
Manchus, Yuan Shin Kai was lead
| ing the quiet life of a Honan gentle
! man farmer. The army that he had
/ trained the first corps of Chinese sol
diers that ever got their ruiG pay on
pay day, was in the hands of others,
but the spirit of the corps was with
its old commander and benefactor.
The Manchu emperor and his moth
er sent ont three distress signals o
Yuan Shih Kai before he responded.
He was made viceroy over the disaf-
fected provinces, with full command
of the land and naval forces. Soon
thereafter he was summoned to Pc
king and appointed prime miniser to
succeed the notorious corrupt and
reactionary Prince Ching. He ther
succeeded in bringing about the res
ignatlon of the prince regent, Prince
Chun who had dismissed him two
years before.
An unsuccessful attempt to assassi-
nate Yuan was made in the streets