The Washington times., 1915-11-02
THE REACTION IN CHINA

THE REACTION IN CHINA
There Is little reason to doubt
that the movement in China in favor
OF re-establishment Of monarchic
forms Of government is a carefully
organized stage spectacle. The peo-
pie are voting on the question
whether they will resume the old
system; but Americans need not be
told that there are elections and
Elections" Yuan Shi Kai knows
the art Of managing an election; he
is the sort Of public man who ac-
quires such accomplishments in
stinctively. There have been plenty
Of models for his study in the Occi-
dental world. The Diaz regime in
Mexico afforded useful material for
his consideration; and here in the
United States he could have ac-
quired instruction Of a most illumi-
mating character.
1t may be set down that the cleo
ton is Of no Importance. Its re-
suit was predetermined, and doubt
less will be announced as a sweeping
victory in favor of the monarchical
idea. After that, a great popular
demand will go up for the installa-
ton Of Yuan as head of the new
order, and unless there is interven-
ton from the outside the scepter
will pass to him.
Great Britain, Russia, and Japan
have made protest against the
change at this time. on the ground
that it would doubtless be followed
by uprisings in the country. Yuan
is in pretty complete control of af-
fairs in north China; but, like the
Manchus before him, he is distrust-
ed and unpopular in the south. The
wealth, the greater part Of the pop
ulation, the best intelligence and the
most modern thought of China are
in the south. There is little init
macy of ideals and sentiments be-
tween the two sections: and the
south, which is strongly republican,
and which forced the abdication Of
the Manchus, will never be content
under the re-established order Of
absolutism. 1t is likely to be more
rigorous absolutism, moreover, with
Yuan at its head, than it ever was
under the later Manchus.
The whole monarchical reaction in
China has been mysterious in origin
and inexplicable in the various steps
Of its progress. There was a time
when Yuan was suspected of being
the tool Of Japan; yet now Japan
appears in protest against his
project. The subtleties of Oriental
politics and diplomacy leave room
for suspicion that perhaps the orig
inal suspicion was accurate enough.
Doubtless the powers would have
found means to intervene against
the Yuan grab for power had it not
been for the European war. That
convulsion provided the plotters the
opportunity they wanted.
1t seems strange that the United
States should not have taken more
interest in the effort to prevent the
monarchic reaction. This country
was first to recognize the Chinese
republic, which was designed to be
developed largely on American lines.
There has been nothing in the serv-
ice of monarchism to China in the
past to warrant expectation that it
will give better government in fu-
ture than the republic could provide.
The amazing performance in China
seems to be the result of one mans
Vaccinations, through which he
hopes and actually seems likely to
win imperial domination over a third
of the human race. The twentieth
century is providing some strange
reversions from the ideals Of the
eighteenth and the nineteenth.