The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-20

had not RENTED q single dollar OF
taxes since the revolution broke out
/ November, 1911, and the remain
ing fifteen had RENTED far less taxes
than usual. Therefore, despite the
small expenditures of China as COM
pared with other nations, Yuan Shi-
kai had less than one-third Of the in
come needed, and foreign govern
ments were pressing him hard for
overdue interest on the public debt.
Had Yuan Shi-kai displayed the
qualities of a dictator he would hav
removed the officials who failed to pay
taxes and would have appointed gov
errors loyal to the central govern
ment. Upon the contrary, he has dis
played great tact. Probably a policy
of mastery inactivity was the wisest
for him under the circumstances.
All who are familiar with western
governments felt that the provincial
assemblies were right in insisting upon
authority Of the provinces to elect
their own governors, n had Juan
Shi-kal presumed to remove the Of
f1cials chosen by the provinces and to
punish the provinces for not renting
the taxes, unQuestionably he would
have been charged with despotism,. and
he would have had a formidable re-
bellion on his hands. But instead of
approaching the international dangers
confronting China, the disaffected in
terpreted Yuan Shi-kai's failure to
punish them as weakness and his Dor
rowing money without a vote from the
second parliament az despotic, and
they forced on the rebellion, which
has just been suppressed.
Sun Vat Sen spent the early months
of 1913 in Japan. It seems improbable
that he received any encouragement
from the Japanese government; GER
tainly the government made no for
NAL alliance with him. But it is GER
tain that he received encouragement
from individual Japanese, some Of
whom were later captured in the forts
Of the Chinese rebels. Sun Vat Sen
returned to China in April and be-
gan an open propaganda of rebellion.
He, however, delayed n public
statement Of his position until July 81;
and a Shi-kai, despite his knowl-
edge of Sun Vat Sens encouragement
of rebellion, did not remove DR.. Sun
from his position as commissioner of
railways until three days after DR..
Sun issued his proclamation, in which
he called upon Yuan Shi -kai to re-
sign n declared "the people of six
or V provinces nave determined to
sacrifice their lives in order to oppose
his tyranny as a public servant"
On successive days between April
] 20 and May 5 it is known that It least
, TOUR or i've Americans and one Chi
nese called upon Sun Vat Sen, and each
assured him that there was not suffici-
ent u for a second revolution; that
upon the contrary the overwhelming
sentiment of the business men, of the
guilds and of the leaders of public
opinion in these provinces was against
a second revolution. Moreover, his
own party, the Kuomingtang, in Pek-
ing, was greatly troubled over the re-
ports reaching them Of his intention
to start a rebellion.
These members of parliament were
keeping in close touch with their CON
stltuencles at home and they knew the
public sentiment OF China. On May
3 they sent a leading representative OF
the party from Picking to Shanghai to
inform Sun Vat Sen that not a single
they would not follow him into poll
teal suicide. The outcome of the wal
shows that the leaders of the Kuom-
ingtang were right and that Sun Ya1
Sens statement hat the people of six
to overthrow Yuan Shi-kai rested upon
either blindness to the facts or mali.
cious Misrepresentation.
The war has brought five serious
dangers to China: First, it has com
PEELED a considerable increase in ex.
penses at a critical time and it has
disorganized the industries Of centra,
China and in some measure Of al
China so that temporarily the nation
at the close Of tho revolution. Second
1T left the nation helpless against fur.
Their aggression by Russia and Japan
and Russia has taken advantage OF
the crisis and is trying to compel Yuan
shi-kai to sign a release Of ali Chinese
claims to Mongolia. Third, the out,
come has made clear to the Chinese
soldiers that in times Of uncertainty