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

and up to 1908 he had built lasting mon- ument for himself. Then through one of those oriental intrigues, the Manchus dis missed him with ignominy. He was in- formed in delightful Chinese way that on account of his ailing foot his services were no longer required. But into re- tirement he had to go and he returned to his home in the province of Honan. The Manchus doubtless thought they were getting along well enough without him during those three years of retire. ment but in truth their power was crumbling and it was little they did in their degeneracy to retain it. Had Yuan Shi-Kai been kept in a position of power instead of being dismissed, Chinese his- tory would not read as it does He would have instituted many of the reforms that the revolutionists later demanded and on which they based their successful revolu- tion. He might not have satisfied the radicals, but he would have pleased the conservative element which proved of so much value to those building ultra-ad- vanced ideas and thus robbed the revolu- tionaries~ of strong support. Also he
 would have developed the imperial army to a point of power that would have made successful revolution wellnigh inn possible. He would have given China that gradual modernization which would have been it's salvation.
 ASSASSIN WAS SKILLFUL
 If Yuan has now been assassinated his
 assassin must at least be recognized as skillfu l do not believe that Yuan,
 who was a brave man, feared death, but he invariably took good care of hin1- self. When he arrived in Picking on that autumn day I got my first glimpse of his precautionary methods. He had been asked seven times by the throne to come to Peking. Time after time he refused pleading. in the Chinese way, inefficiency and protesting great humility and inferi- ority. All the time, in the same Chinese way, he was really bartering for terms and powers. Finally, he came and with the rest of Picking, I went to the rail- way station to see him come in. First came a trainload of modern soldiers with uniforms after the European fashion. Well trained, too, and fine looking men. They swarmed from the railway car riages, lined the platforms and, in gen. eral, covered the situation strategically. They were Yuan's own Honanese, every man personally loyal to him, and have no doubt that these same chaps were out side his palace when he died.
 That train load was merely the advance guard. Later came Yuan's own train More troops poured forth and with them came some old-fashioned soldiers, men in strictly Chinese dress, brilliant in color, and with broad Chinese hats with
 
 bows and arrows. They looked like old Chinese paintings. Then Yuan himself. Princes of the Manchus were waiting for their savior and Yuan came forth. There was a thrill, for, behold Yuan Shih-kai wore the yellow jacket of the Manchus, a badge of Manchu title and distinction, symbol of his loyalty to the throne.
 He became premier of the Manchu gov- ernment and entered upon a long and hazardous task which ended in his be- coming the first President of China, and now in his death. Some people think that Yuan intrigued from the beginning. that even before he "came forth he had been in consultation with the rebe and that his whole scheme of action, despite it's appearance of being a vigor- ous fight for the preservation of the throne, was merely a gigantic bluff, and that Yuan was in the plot all the time, aiming to capture the throne, or If he could not get that, the presidency, for himself. I do not believe it. Yuan Shih-kai was loyal to his Manchu mas ters and he tried to save them. He may have cooled toward them, for they be- haved badly particularly in the matter of money with which to pay the troops. They saw themselves tottering and they refused to disgorge a sufficient portion of their vast hidden wealth to enable Yuan to carry on. Strange things hap pen. which people who were there are fond of discussing and wondering about. but for all the deceit chicanery, lying and intriguing that went on I believe firmly that Yuan Shih-kai played the game" for the Manchu as long as he could, and when he saw that the thing was impossible and Manchu abdication necessary, he went on for China.
 TAKE UP REINS
 ;, tucked himself away in rambling Chi nese house near the Forbidden City. He at once took up the reins of government, but not at once did he accept the pre- miership. The revolution was going against the throne. Yuan arranged an armistice and commenced a typically Chinese negotiation with the rebels. He sent his old friend Tung Shac-yi to Shanghai to negotiate with Wu Ting fang, Sun Yat Sen and the others. Tung carried an imperial commission, but when he arrived in Shanghai for the great peace conference he apparently laid all his cards on the table, told the rebels that the Manchus had no more fight left in them. There was, of course, no thought of surrender by the rebels of any part of their plan for a republic, and they continued to demand Manchu abdication. They got it, but not until Yuan had ne- gotiated good terms for the imperial fam fly, and arranged for their departure from power in a manner that would save
 face,' an exceedingly important thing Also, during this period, Yuan made his own position secure. He would become first President of China Tang Shac-vi's mission to Shanghai his behavior there and the results will ever constitute a great Chinese mystery. At the time Yuan's officials in Picking accused Tang of absolute treachery. Tang's friends have often hinted to me prearrangement of plans between Yuan and Tang I doubt if anyone ever will know the truth
 That Yuan Shih-kai believed that a was genuinely the best thing for China, as it certainly was, and that he did not abandon that belief even though he accepted the presidency I am sure. In December of 1911 I had a long talk with Yuan. By that time he was premier for the Manchus and was con ducting the revolution as best he could. It was the first time he had talked for publication since coming from retirement. found a remarkable man. Most re- markable of all were his eyes They were not Chinese They were not dark, the pupils were bluish grey. His eyes had staring appearance and instead of the slant so characteristic of the race they were round. He was short and stocky and seemed most heavy-set in the padded clothes which the Chinese wear in winter time. He was in military uniform as was most appropriate for the men who raised the profession of arms from the bottom of the Chinese social scale to some