New Britain herald., 1915-08-31
PLEADS FOR UNITED
 ACTION IN CHINA
President Yuan.Shih-Kai Urges Cabinet Members to Save Country

UQUluGL MltlllUtIS LU DQYO Ooun'1 1 (Correspondence of the Associated rless'' Peking. July 21.-Pres1dent Yuan
 Shih-Kai uttered at recent caoli1e' 1 meeting an impressive plea for united l ac+io, ir China which made deep 1 impression upon Chinese or1c1als. JUS 1 publication in English today caused I much discussion among foreigners The Picking Gazette characterizes the l .ddr.ss as "couched in the usual 1anguage of over-emphasds,' but 1 makes no attempt co ulscouit 'A'e l seriousness of the dishonesty and l ineff1oiency of Chinese officials which 1 the president denounced as a great 1 nnenace to the republic at a time 1 a;hen outside pressure is threatened. ! "Our suzerainty in southern Man l churia has gradually gone into the hands of foreigners" said the presi- dent. "The foreign aggresor has come to their doors. but our people are still dally1ng in the midst of calamities. As I am advanced in age and have received the sacred and weighty trust from the Tsing dynasty, how can I let the country go to ruin when I am assuming the duties Of chief executive of the republic? By all means must save the country. To avert the impending disaster is the sacred duty which lies upon the shoulders of everyone of us."
 Largely Figurative.
 President Yuan Shih-Kai is less than sixty years old and in the best of health; consequently his allusion to his old age is largely fgurative.
 Sorrow comes into my heart when ever review our present situation" were the opening words of the pres ident's appeal to the cabinet. 'It seems to me that the general policy of the nations of the world is to con- quer a weak country, to invade the country which has forfeited the con- fidence of the other nations, to force order upon the country, which is in a state of chaos, and to take by force the country, which is on the verge of ruin. In other words, as many foreigners claim, it is the heavenly duty for the strong and civilized nation to annex and control nation which is barbarous or semi i-civilized."
 Our country does not manifest any sign of instability, chaos, or the lack of confidence of other nations, and it is most unlikely that any nation for the present will invade or insult our country But when we think of the neglect of discipline by our soldiers, the irregularities in administrative af- fairs, the calamities of floods and drouth throughout the provinces, the selfshness of some officials and the To olx 1f ,>iyit pie, we cannot help realizing the fact that we are enjoying ourselves while reposing on a bed of straw with a kindling fire beneat tn it. How many of know the strength of our na- tion, the tendencies of our people and the general conditions of the world What portion of our country has been free from the disturbance and mo- lestation of banditti and outlaws, and what percentage of the officials are enthusiastic and strictly carry out their duty?"
 DeplOres Shortcomings.
 'SOme persons say that on account of our vast country and population the destruction of our country by an alien people is a matter of impossibil- ity Look at Korea, the area of which is not much smaller than Japan Some Japanese papers have stated of late that although China has changed the monarchy into a republican form Of government, her internal affairs are just as deplorable now as in the late dynasty, and that bribery and gam bling among officials still prevail.
 Back to Old Ways.
 During the Chino-Japanese war and the Boxer trouble our people were greatly stirred up and determined to lie on straws and taste the bitterness to prepare themselves for future emergencies; but when the anxious time was once passed they forgot everything.
 "It is worth while to note that l when the imperial government was gone it was the dynasty that passed away and not the country. The new method of destroying a country now | adays is not only to overthrow tho | government but also to destroy the | languages of the people and the very race of the nation.
 We cannot be ignorant of the his- tory of Poland and Annam. During the crisis of the recent Chino-Jap- anese negotiations it was good sign that our people were greatly awak- ened by the threatening calamity. | Should they again quickly forget the
 indignity the country received, the 1 greater calamity of the country Is l bound to come" l President Issues Warning. | President Yuan Shih-Kai concluded his appeal with this warning:
 Now the situation of our country
 is comparable to a small boat wan
 dering on wild sea. It is not tho time for us to pursue our pleasures
 and let things drift into the coursa