Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-07
YUAN SHI-KAI,
CHINA'S STRENGTH
The Man in Whose Hands Ii Hung
Chang Saw the Destinies of His
Mighty Country-Incidents of His
Career.
By ELLIS RANDALL

even If she did not face the prospect of war
with Japan, but with that likelihood present
in the situation uncertainty is added to uncer-
tainty In China the old order is stlll only in
the beginning of its mighty changes the ad-
! justment Is not yet, and what will befall the
! young republic, war or no war, is not a mat
ter of easy conjecture. Clearly the times call
for a strong man. and a strong man China
has in President Yuan Shl-Kai.
! Born in 1859. he was only 25 years old when
the famous Grand Chancellor, Ii Hung
Chang, discovered in him man of power
| In his early twentles Yuan, whose father
was District Governor in the province of
Honan, went into Korea with the army in
secretarial capacity. He showed such quail
ties Of action and diplomacy that Ii APP
pointed him "Chinese Resident at Seoul. 1t
was highly important and an extremely
delicate position, and it came to him at
period when the Chinese regarded a man of
SO as very young to hold high public office.
Ruler at Twenty-Five
For several years Yuan was the virtual
ruler of the peninsular kingdom, the King
being mere puppet in his hand At the out
break of the war with Japan in 1894 or more
correctly during the stormy period immedi-
ately preceding that event, he thought that
Ii was not acting with sufficient vigor and
decision, and So quite ignoring his immediate
superior at Tientsln, he communicated di-
rectly with the Pekin Government, urging the
latter to send troops Immediately to Korea
in order to forestal Japan.
For this slight of his authority Ii never
forgave his young protege, of whom he spoke
to his confidential friends in the bitterest
terms until within few moments of his
death. When he knew that his end was fast
last asserted itself, and the last thing he did
on his deathbed was to dictate message to
the Imperial Court then staying at Si-an
praying that on his demise the important
post left vacant by him be conferred on
Yuan than whom he could not think of a
better successor. This story does much
honor to his heart 1t undoubtedly speaks
volumes for the exceptional capacity of his
former disciple and protege.
In his long and varied official career Yuan
has more than once been charged with
double dealing, but perhaps the accusations
may be explained, at least in part, by the
extraordinary requirements of Chinese poll
tics in the last few decades and by the
Chinese capacity for compromise. During
the Boxer troubles he was Governor of the
province of Shantung. 1t was through him
that all news of the isolated legations
reaCneu tne WOTlu, anu through MIN lndL
Minister Wu got Secretary Hays dispatch
to the hands of Minister Conger, and secured
an answer that formed the basis of reviving
hope that the foreigners in Pekin might be
saved. When acting contrary to orders from
the Manchu rulers, he entered into agree
ment with the Powers to maintain order in
certain provinces in cooperation with other
Governors, the Boxers threatened his life.
When 1t was seen, however, that his policy
had prevented Shantung from being overrun
with foreign troops Chilli had been, popu-
lar feeling changed Sometimes he offended,
sometimes he pleased the Boxers. then the
Manchu rulers and again the foreigners. Yuan
professed hatred of the foreigners, but at the
same time he delicately hnted that it was
impossible for him to comply with the anti
foreign edicts which issued from the Court.
On one occasion, when compelled to post an
anti-foreign proclamation he put UP another,
written by himself and announcing that no
attention was to be paid to the first And
he ruled shantung with an iron hand.
The duplicity of which Yuan has sometimes
been accused may be diplomacy, and the
diplomacy for which he has sometimes been
praised may be in part the expression of
not discreditable quality in his mental make
up. Sherwood Eddy an American who
knows China intimately and has talked with
Yuan Shi-Kai, says this:
1.-TWO eras meet in this man as the repre-
sentative of a great nation in this hour of
crisis; the medieval and the modern, the ORR
entail and the Occidental the patrarchal and
the patriotic, the autocratic and the demo-
cratic, the forces OF the old era and of the
new"
Making a Nation
Yuan's ability as a harmonlzer has been
Fao hot Of Y.aha
who menaced the newly established Govern
ment are now cooperating effectively in the
work It is doing for the New China. 1t is a
mentionable fact also that he has never
shown himself vndictive. More than once
the opportunity has presented itself for max
ing himself Emperor, but he has passed 1t
by. Though graft was the custom of Chi
nese officialdom until very recently, he has
never been a CRATER.
The positive facts concerning Yuan entitle
him to be judged according to the standards
by which statesmen are judged. He has
spoken of one of his principal aims as fol-
lows: "I am especially concerned with prac-
tical technical and primary education. For
merly our educational policy was classical
and literary. What we need now is practical
education which will develop the industries
of China and the character OF her men," To
Mr.. Eddy only little while ago. he made
the remarkable statement; "confucianism
has given us valuable principles, but Chris
tanity gives us power. confuciapism has
given us a foundation. Christianity will fur
nish the superstructure."
THE WAY OF GOING