The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-02
Stops in Peking and Sees Good
Deal of Provisional President
of Chinese Republic.
ny LA MAnoUIsE DE ro>rEyoy

bS LA MARQUISE DE FONTENOY,
%-AMBASSADOR BRYCE. who, on
severing his connection with the
British diplomatic service last
spring, left Washington for England
via Japan. China and Siberia has only
Just now reached home. While at
Peking he saw a good deal OF the
Provisional President OF the Chinese
republic. Yuan Shi Kali and came away
with the conviction that the dictators
heaith Is breaking up very rapidly, and
that his death is likely to occur at any
moment quite suddenly: an event for
which 1T Will be we'll to be prepared
but which cannot fail to still further
complicatc the troubled situation in
China.
According to Mr.. Bryce General
uan Shi Kai is an altogether prcma-
turely aged man. his shattered health
and system being due to the abuse OF
drugs. presumably opium He bears
All the evidences of Il confirmed drug
taker. and as one of his chief advisers
ana principal lieutenants is an openly
aVo~ed opium smoker. it would seem
that Sir Edward Grey, the English
Foreign Secretary, was right when he
declared the other day in the House
or Commons that the existing Chinese
government was not sincere in its anti
opium crusade, and that the only re-
suit of the restriction of the exportn
ton of opium from India to China had
neen to enormously increase the Gull
tiNation OF the poppy in China
Just what Will happen when Yuan
Shi kai vanishes from the scene no one
can say: not even those American and
European diplomats who have the
greatest experience Of Chinese arrairs
NO one has as yet appeared with sum
cient authority or prestige to take his
place or to exercise his dominant SWAY
over the warning factions of what for
merly used to be known as the Middle
Kingdom. Indeed, it looks as n HE
sudden demise would precipitate a con
dition of complete chaos and CT anarchy
in China.
The conversion of Princess Beatrice
OF Great Britain and OF Coburg, wife
or the Infant Alfonso of Spain, from
frotestantism to Roman Catholicism
merits more than passing attention. by
reason of the fact that until now she
mas occupied place in the lire Of sue
cess1on TO the throne of Great Britain:
place superior to that of the Duke
OF Connaught. of his son. Prince Ar
thur, and of his daughter. Princess Pa
tricia. For she is a daughter of Ed
ward wills second and sailor brother
Alfred, Duke OF Edinburgh and CO.
burg, and granddaughter, therefore
or the late Queen Victoria. The terms
of the act cf settlement, by which the
present dynasty occupies the throne of
England, and which is part and parcel
of the national Constitution. expressly
bars from the succession to the crown
any prince or princess Of the royal
house who becomes 4 convert to the
Church OF Rome, and Princess Beatrice
therefore, Will from henceforth be sub
ject to the same disabilities in this
connection as her cousin and most in
innate girlhood friend. the Queen Con-
sort of Alfonso MIL
Princess Beatrice's husband, the In
FAINT Alfonso, is the elder son of the
1nfanta Eulalie by the latter's mar
riage with Prince Anthony of Orleans
Duke of Galliera. He was deprived of
all his honors, and of his rank in the
army, by the Spanish government for
marrying Protestant princess with
ont the permission of the crown. But
a couple of years afterwards he was
pardoned, and his honors and military
commissions restored to him. And now
that his wife has become Il convert to
the church TO which her husband and
her two little boys belong, there is no
doubt that she will be invested with
the rank and title of an infanta of
Spain. This could not be done as long
as She remained Protestant.
Lord Sondes, whose marriage to Mrs
James Meakin. of Westwood Manor,
Stoke on Trent. Stafordshire. is to
take place within the next ten days,
has hitherto been looked upon as
confirmed bachelor and is about fifty