The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-07
VICE PRESIDENT
 TAKES UP WORK
 OF YUAN SHI KAI
Almost Last Act of Dying President Was to Desigi
 nate Him As Successor.

Washington. June 7-The state de- partment is deeply concerned over the result that the death of Yuan Shi Kai will have upon the future of the Chi nese republic.
 Ii Yuan Hung, named as successor, almost as the last act of the dying president, will assume control, of the government at once. He has been vice president
 ' The rumors that poison played a part in the death of the president will not down, although it is asserted officially that stomach trouble was the cause.
 Yuan Shi kai was known as "the man who would be king" He had himself elected emperor by conven- ton, but afterward refused to accept the office. Revolution broke out when, in December, 1915, the President an nounced his intention of establishing 8, monarchy and ascending the throne as the first emperor of a new dynasty. President Yuan died while the re- volt was still seriously threatening his hold lon the Government. The re- beIIion started in southern China and spread rapidly in the central prov inces.
 Yuan Shi kai was reported to have been taken seriously i'll on May 2S last Rumors spread that he' had been poisoned. It was said that the authorities in Pekin were investiga- ting a poison plot against him. The report was denied by the, Chinese Le- gation in Washington, which asserted that the President was not gravely i'll.
 Ever since the outbreak of the re- volt there have been rumors that Yuan was on the point of resigning. Dispatches from Pekin recently have declared that Yuan offered to resign if the Chinese people desired him to do so. He was said to have placed him. self in the hands of the peace p1en1- potentiaries who were sitting in con ference at Nankin. The conference, consisting of 10 delegates from the ten provinces loyal to the Government de- cided that Yuan must remain as head of the republic until new and pro- perly elected Parliament selected his successor.
 Several attempts were made on the Presidents life and a bomb plot was uncovered in the Imperial Palace, several months ago, before he an nouncd that he spurned aI crown, his coronation was set for early in Feb ruary of this year, but was postponed indefinitely owing to the revolution. Then he declined to accept imperial honors.
 
 ince of Honan. He was elected Presi- dent of the Chinese Republic by the National Assembly on Feb. 15, 1912. Yuan was the son of the District Gov | ernor of Honan Province. Lii Hung Chang when Grand Chancellor made a protege of Yuan, giving him his first appointment Chinese Resi- dent Governor at Seoul, Corea. Although only 26 years old at the time, Yuan displayed such marked ability in military and diplomatic af- 1 fairs that he won wide recognition.
 His effective reorganization of the 1 Chinese army after the war with Ja- I pan made him a national figure. He was made Governor of Shantung by the Emperor when he refused to join the Boxer uprising
 In rapid succession Yuan became Viceroy of Chilli, succeeding his po- l Iit1cal patron, Ii Hung Chang; Guard | ian of the Heir Apparent, Director General of Northern Railways, Con- l suIting Minister to the Government l Council, Minister of Army Reorgani- zation, President of the Board of For eign Affairs, and Grand Councillor, from which post he was dismissed by the Prince Regent in 1909, only to be recalled on the outbreak of the revo- | lution in October, 1911. He was then appointed Premier.
 With the triumph of the revolu- 1 ton he was elected provisional Presi- dent by the National Council at Nan kin, Feb. IS, 1912, and was chosen President of the Chinese Republic in l October, 1913. He was inaugurated l four days afterward.