Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-12
old MANCHU COURT
REMAINS AT PEK|NG
interests of Forbidden City
and Republican President
Have Not ConfIicted.
CARTS BEING DISPLACED
BY EUROPEAN CARRIAGES
New Roadways and New Gates
Through Walls Prove Big Ben.
eft to Residents.

Through Walls Prove Big Ben
eft to Residents.
PEKIN0, June 10, 1918.
Contrary to declarations made at the
time the throne abdicated in favor Of
the republic, sixteen months ago. the
court of the old Manchu rulers Of the
Chinese empire still remains at Peking
The terms of the final agreement with
the representatives of the new repub-
iican government provided that the
Manchu mobiles, including all the mem
bers of the reigning family, should re-
tain their hereditary titles and be lib
orally pensioned. and that the young
emperor after his abdication, should
be accorded in China the honors given
visiting foreign sovereign. These
stipulations have been carried out.
At the same time it was declared the
court would eventually move away
from the Forbidden City, but no steps
In this direction yet have been taken.
There has not even been an exodus to
the summer palace or to the ancient
palaces at Jehol, which were mentioned
at the time of abdication as places Of
u.
chu princes and officials have deserted
their residences in Picking and moved
away. genaral1y to the foreign set
Elements at Tientsin or to Manchur1a,
where they can obtain Japanese or Rus
sian protection ii occasion arises. But
the ex-prince regent and Pa-Yi, the
boy emperor. now seven years old
still reside In the palaces occupied by
the reigning family for 26s years. and
imperial guards still forbid entrance
to their palace cOmDOundS
Manchu Troops Still in Arms.
The Manchu troops continue in arms
and obey the instructions Of President
Yuan Shih-k'ai in all matters that do
not affect the safety of the court.
Should there be a conflict OF authority
between the president and the court it
1T believed they would stand by the
Manchus; but the interests Of the re-
publican president and those of the
Forbidden City have not conflicted. In
deed. 1t is believed in the legation quar-
ter that they are closely allied. 1t is
thought among foreign observers that
the court depends on Yuan Shih-k X al
for a regular payment of It's pension
from the republic and, on the other
hand. that Yuan may be compelled at
any moment to re- establish the dynasty
and proclaim himself regent in order
to give his orders the weight of i'm:
peTlai authority. Al present, Win n
hostile parliament. presidential or
ders which are essential to the mainte-
nance of the government do not re-
ceive the sanction of any organized
body of lawmakers.
A question interesting to old observers
who knew China under the dynasty Is
whether the empress dowager. who re-
Gently died. will be the last empress of
China. II the republic succeeds there will
probably be no other.
Picking Changed in Appearance.
Two striking changes have taken place
in the appearance of Picking as q result
Of the revolution. One is considered a
Disagreement; the other an Improvement,
and great advantage. The disfigure-
ment is the disappearance Of the Manchu
cart. which an American lady Of literary
gifts once characterized as Portals
casket on wheels" The brilliantly col
ored sedan chair. borne high on the
shoulders of four or eight coolies, disap-
peared to a large extent after the Boxer
rising In 1900 and has since been used
only at funerals and weddings. and by
few ultra-smart foreign legation ladies.
who adopted the old when the Chinese be-
gan adopting the new.
Now the Picking cart is being rapidly
displaced by the European carriage. Only
the poorer classes are still riding IN these
little blue-cOvered springless carts with
huge brass-studded wheels. Along with
the adoption of the brougham the Chi
nese outriders Of this new official vehicle
are adopting European saddles for their
ponies in place of the gay caparisons in
use under the dynasty: and instead of
flowing dresses Of white or light blue.
with red streamers to their hats, the SOM
Der garb Of the west is being affected by
these outriders in imitation of their re-
publican masters.
New Gates Through Walls.
On the other hand the Picking of the
people has been made much more beaut
full by the opening up OF several roadways
through the Forbidden City, and also by
the breaking Of several new gates in the
wall Of the imperial city AS is known to
all Americans who have visited Picking.
the city is place Of walls within walls.
The Forbidden City, where the court re-
sides, is within the imperial city, which
in turn is within the Tartar city. sur
rounded by the great Peking wall. Again
the legation quarter. the Southern city
and the Winter Palace. where the great
empress dowager lived. and which Yuan
Shih-k'ai, the president, now occupies, are
inclosed within their own piles Of mason
ry. Under the Manchu regime the entire
extent OF the Forbidden City and that Of
the Winter Palace were guarded by i'm
perial troops, who refused passage to all
but privileged officials and foreign diplo-
matistS when they were honOred with
audiences at court. AS these extensive
palace Enclosures lay directly across the
center OF Picking, traffic was badly i'm
peded and had to make long detours
round them.
But now two main gates have been cut
in the walls OF the imperial city, and the
great wide park in front OF the Forbidden
City, together with the roadway behind it,
which runs alongside the moat, covered
with water lilies at this summer season,
have been opened to traffic. The camel
driver the rickshaw coolie and the for
eign tourist may now pass through these
hitherto reserved places. getting near to
the great dragon poles Of marble and the
massive stone lions that stand beside the
front gate of the palace and any one
may cross the famous marble bridge over
the lake in the Winter Palace and get
close view of the empress dowager's pa
CODA and the wonderful cluster of yellow
rooted palace structures.
The Rout Of the Money Germ.
From the Chicago Post.
One of the marks of the amateur in
counting bills is an unrestrained habit of
wetting his fingers with his tongue. This
has long given experts the fidgets and