The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-16

the interview which he gave me in De- cember 1911, he said that a constitutional monarchy was the only thing for China. He didn't accept the republic because he wanted it, nor because he thought it was the best thing, but simply because the Manchus were too weak to hold on. Had the Manchus had more courage, they might have remained in power, but with great concessions in the direction of a constitutional government. Their imperial army was the strongest. When the second revolution came in 1913 Yuan, with the same troops as the Manchus had, gave the rebels a sound whipping.
 Yuan was ruthless in many ways. He believed in the looping off of heads. which contained evil thoughts and he di- rected many executions without the slightest compunction. He was undoubt- edly cognizant of the facts concerning the murder in Shanghai of noted south ern leader named Sung Chiao-jen. Sung was shot in railway station as he was about to start on a mission to Peking That murder started the southerners on their revolt in 1913, which failed. On another occasion number of southern leaders came to Peking from Hankow. It was said they came to confer with the government. Yuan found that they came to conspire. He gave them great ban quet one night. At the finish the south ern ringleaders entered their carriages and drove away from the hotel where the event had taken place. En route to their own hotel they had to pass through a large enclosure just outside the For bidden City. Their carriages went through gate. The moment they passed whistle sounded in the darkness. The gate was slammed shut by hidden sol- diers. The southerners were trapped. Within two hours three of them were dead. X
 In January of 1912 an attempt was made to assa ssinate Yuan. He had been to see the Empress Dowager to discuss abdication. The streets were lined with troops, as was the custom when Yuan went abroad. Around his carriage was a troop of cavalry. From a tea shop on certain corner there came flying two bombs, thrown over the heads of the fringe of soldiers on the curb. One ex- ploded in the midst of Yuan's mounted escort The other fell in the roadway and did not go off. There was panic for a moment. Yuan's "mafee.' or driver. whipped up his horses and dashed down the road on the run. Yuan's attitude showed his courage Dr. Morrison, the famous Englishman who is an adviser to the Chinese government, saw Yuan a few seconds after the explosion He had told me that Yuan was absolutely un- concerned and sat in his carriage puffing away on a cigarette.
 Yuan Shih-kai was a Chinese that accounted for many of the things he did which seemed cruel to foreigners for he dealt with his own people in Chinese fashion, as was beftting, and Chinese methods are sometimes more harsh than western methods. In any case Yuan Shih-kai was China's strongest man. On that point I have never found anyone in disagreement. There are many who ob ject to his methods and consider that he was out for personal gain, but that in strength of character he outclassed all other leaders there can be no doubt It is hard to see how China will get along without him. Certainly his death opens rup golden opportunity for the land srabbers and they are already taking advantage of it. For Japan, Yuan's death is good thing. Their greatest. and only powerful opponent in China, is at last out of the way.