The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07

who desires to be an emperor"
President Yuan Shih-kai Of the
Chinese republic does not desire to
class himself in the category Of fools,
according 10 his OWN confession OF
faith" set forth in an interview pub
Iished by the Asia All Pao asia Daily
News), conservative Chinese paper.
translation of this interview was
given out by the Far Eastern bureau
yesterday says the New York Sun
Prof. Jeremith w. jerks, director of
the bureau, represented that he was
firmly convinced of Yuan Shih-k' ais
sincerity in refusing to acQuiesce in
the pleadings of some of his followers
to make himself Emperor OF China
Prof. jerks said the force behind
the monarchial propaganda in China
was believed to be "a secret combina-
ton Of Chinese revolutionaries in ex-
lie There is also evidence, he be-
lieved, that underground Japanese
diplomacy" was at work to bring
about the change in China, the in
ference being that Japan may in the
event of a revolution take hand in
establishing order"
The opinion CT local Chinese is
quoted by Professor jerks as being
that ''the revolution of 1911 will have
been nothing compared to the whole
sale uprising that would follow a coup
d'etat by the Chinese president
DIR. jerks repeated his doubts con-
cerning the report that President
GOOdnow of Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity, who is Yuan's adviser on consti-
tutional law, actually advised the
President to declare himself Emperor,
but thought that DR.. GOodnow merely
suggested that the monarchial form Of
government was better suited for
China than the republican form.
Won't Sacrifice POsterity.
translation of Yuan's interview in
the Chinese paper follows:
The biggest fool in the world is he
who desires to be an emperor. For
the sake of my country | have almost
sacrificed my life, and | am not willing
to sacrifice the lives of my sons and
grandsons, especially as the country
would not profit by such sacrifice.
"At the time when the first revolu-
ton was spreading all over the cOun-
try the imperial household earnestly
requested me to be emperor, but
solemnly swore that | would never ac-
cept any such proposal How absurd
IL is for people to say that l have now
changed my mind.
Later on, when the whole country
was in state of anarchy and the peo-
PIE suffered untold miseries, Empress
Lung Gu again pleaded with me, time
after time, that | should assume the
the Empress and her son might be
preserved. In order to save the coun-
try from ruin and the imperial family
from threatened calamity, /, resignine
myself to the possible sacrifice of my
own life, assumed the heavy task OF
restoring order. Should l now, a
this later date carry into effect the
wishes of the late Empress and be
come Emperor / would commit an ac
of deception upon the imperial widow
and royal orphan, an act which cOul(
we'll be characterized as most out
rageous and most unrighteous.
Sees No Benefit to China.
From ancient times to the preSen
most OF the despotic Elmperors rulet
for several generations in succession
and their descendants were frequenti
eXterminated when dynasty wa
changed. That country which is rule
under a limited monarchy likewise ha
its dangers, its evils. a change 0
rulers is bound to affect the state i
one way or another. Thus to permi
myself to be made Emperor would b
to sacrifice myself and my descendant
without benefiting China"
uan elaborated on the above state
ment in conversation with Gen. Fen
Kuo-chang Che General in comman
Of one Of the Yangtze divisions of tn
Chinese army early in July, when tn
Olt SOluFST lOIO the 1IGSlO6Hl Ol III
rumors then in circulation in Nankil
Il have heard this rumor," he sal
Some state that it is l who Starte
the talk of "a change in the form
government Some cast the blan
upon my elder son, Ko-ting. Neadle
to say that this rumor is absolute
unfounded, but it is difficult to trat
1T to its source.
when | began to concentrate n
efforts on the establishment of the r
public l could not see clearly VIII
effect the new form of governme
would finally have on the countr
Considering the fact that Chinese hi
tory, environment and the qualific
tons of the people were different fro
those of America, France and 9th
republics | naturally raised some que
tions of doubt as to the advisability
giving the people a republican COVER
ment. In discussing this vital subie
with my friends | might have dropp