El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-29
Is First Christian Ruler OF
China, Haoing Become a
Roman Catholic.
PUTS An END TO
MONARCHY TALK
Ii Yuan Hung Goes With
out Guard; Has Confidence
OF Al The People.

~ EKIN, China, July Ell Yuan
- lungs accession to the presidency
! L has worked a wonderful change in
/ China. The whole spirit Of public life
! in Pekin has been altered Democracy
: seems TO have come into its own again.
{ The new president lives Informally at
! his palace outside the Forbidden City
! and drives about Pekin in an automo-
bile with only two soldiers to guard
him
/ Chinese OF all factions have a high
personal regard for Ii Yuan-hunC. and
Z his life seems TO be in no danger. He
moves about al viii, and conducts him
self in q manner which would have
| been impossible for Yuan Shi-kai Tho
. lamented president seldom left the
palace. and was believed TO be in dan
ger, even within its protecting walls.
lie was q man OF iron. and had ruled
by military power and by that alone.
4 Consequently he had many bitter
enemies. and few warm personal
friends Even his closest advisers i'd
mired him more for his power than for
any personal charm.
New President n Catholic
Il fual-hung is Christian, com
municant OF the Roman Catholic
church. and has always been strongly
and state. He has a different times
openly opposed efforts 10 make con-
fucianism the state religion Of China,
and stands for absolute religious free
dom in the republic.
Until 1911 Ii Yuan-huug was little
known in China He was born in Hupeh
province in 1854, studied for six years
, at the Peiyang Naval college and
served on q cruiser during the Chino
Japanese war After tn war he en-
tered military service at Ranking and
later went to WuchanE. where he as
sisted in the organization Of modern
r-00nG ~ ( ff1-~rr rrfr
For two years he studied fortified tons
IL Japan. and on his return became
major in the cavalry His service was
chlerly At " ucnanC. the capital OF HUI
peh province. which lies on the Yang
tse river Immediately opposite the i'm
pOrtant commercial city Of Hankow
Ii Huan-huns spranE into national
fame as Commandant Of the revolu-
tionary forces at Wuchang in 1911. He
was the chief leader in arranEing for
the Shanghai peace conference. ann
after the aodication Of the Manchus.
was elected vice president OF the re
public. He was reelected vice presi-
dent October =. 1919
Declines Imperial Honors
Il Nuan-hungs popularity with the
masses was in no way diminished by
his service under Yuan Shi-kai Al
though he and the late president had
been intimate friends for years. ii
Nuan-hung absolutely refused To en-
dOrSe Yuan Shi-kaTS mOnarchicaI
movement. and declined all imperial
honors which Yuan Shi-kai attempted
70 heap upon him The late president
issued edicts making Ii Yuan-hu1e a
prince and comforting great wealth up-
on him Ii Yuan hung absolutely de-
clined to accept such honOrs. and re-
peatedly expressed his disapproval Of
all plans 20 abandon the republic. He
was finally permitted to move with
out the Forbidden City. and for months
has lived in a palace provided for him
by the government In the best resi-
Dental section Of Pekin. Il was his
desire to return to his native province
O. Hupeh, but Yuan Shi-kai refused -
grant him permission to do so. and he
lived in Pekin practically as prison
er. during Yuan Shi-kai's last months
Hns Confidence of People.
No other man in China is as unive--
sally beloved as Ii Yuan-hung He has
always enjoyed the reputation of he
ing absolutely honest and patriotic.
Many other leaders are more forcefrli.
more energetic and have better !
grasp Of public affairs But Ii Yuan /
hung ~ the one man who ENJOYS the |
complete confidence OF the Chinese |
people. southerners as well as north
erners.