Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-30

duce foreign civilization in connection
with Kang Yu Wei he took Yuan into his
confidence and gave him SO many Offices
that he became known as Yuan. the re-
former" 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 dow
ager. who had nominaily retired from
the government. was debating to the
young emperor how he should do. and
to put her out Of the way. Yuan Shih
Kai was selected as the tool for this pur-
pose. and while he knelt on his knees be-
fore the emperor in the palace, his
army to Tientsin and there kill the
Viceroy Yung LII. After that he was to
come on to Picking and surround the PAL
ace and kill the empress dowager This
was q big contract, and Yuan said he
would have to have sealed instructions
before he would undertake it. These or
ders the emperor refused to give. There
upon Yuan Shih Kai apparently con-
scented and left Picking. the emperor ex-
pecting he would do the job.
i \
After considering the matter for twen-
ty-four hours Yuan concluded that the
job was too dangerous. and he went to
Tientsin and laid the whole plot be-
fore Yung Lu. Yung Lu took few SOL
diers and went on a special train post
haste to Picking. He marched out to the
summer palace. where the empress dow
ager was then living and laid the situa-
ton before her. At her orders he then
came into Picking and entered the palace.
He captured the emperor and confined
him in a building on q little island In the
dowager came back. She dethroned the
emperor. and from that time until her
death she was supreme. When she died
the emperor suddenly took sick, and it Is
supposed that he was poisoned by her
orders.
In this way Yuan and Yung Lu really
saved the empress dowagers life. and IT
is no wonder that she was grateful. 1t
was as a kind of thank Offering to Yung
Lu that she had his grandson. the little
Pu vi, elevated to the throne, and 1t was
not her fault that the boy is not en-
peror today. She also gave Yuan Shih
Kai many high offices and showered him
with commissions of one kind or other.
I am told that some of these commits
sions would have resulted in Yuan's ruin
had he carried them out. but. just as he
refused to obey the emperor. SO his good
sense showed him that he would have to
disobey the empress dOwager. One OF
these cases occurred during the Boxer
rebellion. I was in southern China at
the time and one of Yuan Shin Kafs for
eign advisers told me the story.
The empress dowager was supreme at
Picking. The Boxers Were rampant at
all the chief centers. and here and there
they were slaughtering missionaries and
demanding that all foreigners leave. The
empress dowager sent word to Yuan Shih
Kai to take his troops and move forward
to Tientsin and kill all the foreigners
there Yuan delayed on one plea or other
until the siege of Pehing occurred. after
which the old dowager got a holy fear of
all outsiders. She was forced to leave
the Chinese capital, and only came baca
to power under the most bitter humilia-
ton She then realized that had Yuan
carried out her instructions as to Tientsin
China would have been ruined. At any
rate, Yuan was never called to account
for his delay. He made himself popular
with the foreigners by his protection OF
them during the Boxer rebellion and al
ence with the foreign powers. As soon as
the troubles were settled he came to the
support of the empress dowager and took