Imperial Valley press., 1913-10-14
Yuan Shih Kai
Had Great Career
,By United Pres. A-.ociation)


prNmg. China, oct. lI-l uan Shih
Naj just elected the trst permanent
president of China. has been the first
provisional president since March ID,
1912 Contrary to the general opin-
ion. DI. Sun Vat Sen. to whom per
haps the greatest credit is due for
the revolution which overturned the
Manchus in 1911, was never provis-
ional president of the Chinese repuh-
lie. When the revolution broke out
at Wuchang on October 10, 1911, De.
Sun Vat Sen was in Europe. He hur-
ried to China and on January /, 1912,
he was installed at Marking as pre-
visional president of the So-callod
government" which the rebels had
set up At that time the Manchu en-
perov was still the legal ruler of
China He abdicated on February s,
the edct Of his mother, the empress
doWager. directing that from that date
all power of herself and son should
lie vested in Yuan Shih kai, the prime
minister. One month and two days
later Yuan was inauguraJod prov
ional president, with the consent {
Sun Vat Sen. Peking continued to be
the capital and the temporary and
revolutionary organization at Nan
king ceased to exist.
Yuan Shih Kai was born "a years
ago in Honan province, Central China.
Thus he is not a North Chinese, as
has been said so repeatedly in the for-
eign press. Another erroneous i'm
preston i'm regard to Yuan, THE
Washington Of China is that he is
Of noble family. His family ha1
been Of the Honan gentry for maay
generations. and his uncle was : gen
eraI in the old 2Ianchu army, but they
were not noblemen Scholarship has
been the only sure key to preiermeat
in Chinese politics Yuan rejected
the easy path by way Of the Han..a
academy aud chose the life Of a sol
dier after taking his provincial B. \.
A. tie soldier in the aAJ aays ranked
below all grades of society except the
merchant and the actor, his rise is
all the more remarkable He is -
senually a self-made man.
Yuan Shih Kai's puI lie career began
ia 1862, when % year5 Of age. with
his assignment 70 K02ea. Three years
later he became Chinese imperial res
idcat. FL held that position for nfno
wears and wa. driven out by the Wa
with Japan. He ha+ held many other
positions under The Manchus.
When The outbreak at Wuchang On
October 10. 1911, -5artled the world
and struck terror to the hearts Of ta"
Nanchu-. Yuan shh Kai was Ieadin@
the quiet life # d Hoaan gentleman
farmer. The army ga. he had train
ed. the first corps o. Chinese soldiers
that ever cot their tull pay Oh pay
day. was IN the hands Of others, bat
the spirit If the .a p7 wa with us
old commander and benefactor. Tho
Manchu emperor and his mother sent
out three d,sbe -.gnals to Yuan
Sr.h Kaj before b.. responded. II
wa, made yieeroy ore. the disaffectad
provinces, with fa command Of the
land and naval forces. Soon there
af.e.. he was summoned to Picking and
appointed prime Minister to succeed
the notorious, corrupt and reaction
any Prince Ching He then succeeded
in bringing about the resignation Of
the prince regent, Prince Chun, who
had dismissed him two years before
An unsuccessful attempt to assas-
sinate Yuan wa made in the streets
Of Peking on January -, 1912, The
bomb thrown from roof killed d
member Of his bodyeuard. Yuan con
tinued to smoke c.garette through
out the ordeal Three times he wa.
offered and three times he refusd tn,
rank Of marquis teadered him by the
imperial family the month before
their abdication fIc opposed boti
the Manchus and the radical repubil
cans. Yet the Manchus leaned upo'
him in their last days, and the repub
licans accepted him as their frs
president. The ea-on was that h
was, and still is, the strongest ma
in China, a the foreign government
have considered him since 1900,