The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-09-17
YUAN WOULD QUIT
, CHINA IF ASKED
TO ACCEPT CROWN
He Declares That Biggest Fool
Is He Who Would Be
STA Emperor
REPUBLIC IS ONLY
POLITICAL SOLUTION
To Ascend Throne Would Be An
Outrageous and UPRIGHT
eouS Act

When Doctor Rcinsch. American min
lister to China, was in Honolulu the
other day, en- route TO Pcking. he tod
The Advertiser that he considered all
the talk about President Yuan Shi-Kai
planning to make himself emperor of
! hina entirely unfOundcd. Neither did
he take any stock in the report that
there was scheme fermenting in the
! Celestial republic to make the office Of
| President permanent for its occupant
and hereditary. In this connection tho
following Interview given to a Conser-
vative Chinese paper by President
Yuan may be as interesting as it is
timely and pertinent:
1.-THE biggest fool in the world is he
who desires to be an emperor. For the
sake Of my country have almost sacri.
feed my life, and | am not willing to
sacrifice the lives of my sons and grand.
sons. especially as the country would
not profit by such sacrifice.
"At the time when the first revolu-
ton was spreading all over the country
the imperial household earnestly re-
quested me to be Emperor, but /
solemnIy swore that would never ac-
/ cept any such proposal. How absurd it
is for people to say that 1 have now
changed my mind.
Later on, when the whole country
was in a state of anarchy and the
people suffered untold miseries. EN-
press Lung Yu again pleaded with me,
! time after time, that | should assume
the reins of the nation so that the lives
of the Empress and her son might be
preserved. ID In order to save the country
| from ruin and the imperial family from
threatened calamity |, resigning myself
, to the possible sacifce of my own life,
assumed the heavy task of restoring
order. Should l now, at this later date,
/ carry. into effect the wishes of the late
Empress aud become Emperor ! would
commit an act of deception upon the
imperial widow and royal orphan, an
/ act which could well be characterized
as most outrageous and most upright
! eous.
Sees No Benefit to China
60 From ancient times to the present
most Of the despotic Emperors ruled for
several generations in succession, and
I their descendants were frequently ex-
terminated when a dynasty was chang
ed. That country which is ruled under
a limited monarchy likewise has its
dangers, its evils. A change of rulers
is bound to affect the state IN one way
or another. Thus to permit myself TO
be made Emperor would be to sacrifice
myself and my descendants without
bcncfting China.'
Yuan elaborated on the above state
ment in conversation with General
' Feng Kuorhang (the General in com
mand of one of the Yangtze divisions
of the Chinese army early in July,
when the old soldier told the President
of the rumors then in circulation in
Nankin
81 have heard this rumor,' he said.
''SOmr state that it is | who started
: the talk Of a change in the form Of
government. Some cast the blame upon
my elder son, Ko-ting. Needless to say
that this rumor is absolutely unfOundcd,
but it is difficult to trace it to It's source.
"Whcn l began to concentrate my
efforts ON the establishment of the re-
public ! could not see clearly whit
effect the new form of government
would finally have on the country.
| Considering the fact that Chinese his
tory, environment and the qualifications
of the people were different from those
of America, France and other republics
! ! naturally raised some questions of
doubt IN to the advisability of giving
the people a republican government.
In discussing this vital subject with my
friends might have dropped word
or 10 in regard to the mOnarchical gov
eminent which might possibly have
been misunderstood.
To Decorate Patriots
"ln the second place. the question of
giving orders of nobility may be ac-
cOuntabIr for the circulation of this
nefarious rumOr. Outsiders think that
the comforting of such orders is the first
step toward the change of the system OF
administration. 1t Is true that in this
republic, consisting of FIVE races, all
citizens are equal and there shall be no
racial, class or religious distinctions.
| But it is certainly unfair to give no
title Of distinction to the Hans, while
MOngols and Manchus and MOhamme-
dams all may receive the ranks of baron,
duke and prince. As the provisional
Constitution vests the President VITA
the power to confer orders of merit |
behcN" those Chinese who have worked
for the wen being of their country
should receive suitable recognition III
the form Of ranks of nobility. ] decid-
ed long ago to confer such orders, but
wing to Misunderstanding in some
circles have postponed carrying
that desire into effect However when
such decorations are conferred this will
| be don" IN accordance with suitable
rules The people should not indulge in
usIess speculation.
| - do not think that the restoration
of TIA" monarchy would enhance either
my dignity Or my power for the trans
action of State affairs. 1t may ne
argued that in changing the form of
government could lay plans for my
sons But it is well known that my
elder ~un. Ko,tiug, is an invalid most
Of the time. My SECOND son, kowen,
does moi ann at ANYTHING higher than