The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-29

Chinese of all factions have high
personal regard for Ii Yuan hung, and
his life seems to be in no danger. He
moves about at will. and conducts
himself in a manner which would have
been wholly impossible for Yuan Shi-
kai. The lamented president seldom
left the palace. and was believed to be
in danger, even within its protecting
walls He was a man of iron, and haG
ruled by military power and by that
alone. Consequently he had many bit
ter enemies, and few warm personal
| friends. Even his closest advisers adj
mired him more for his power than
! for any personal charm.
He Is Christian.
Lii Yuan-hung is a Christian, a COM
municant of the Roman Catholic
church, and has always been strongly
opposed to the connection of church
and state. He has at different times
openly opposed efforts to make Con-
fucianism the state religion of China.
and stands for absolute religious free
dom in the republic.
Until 1911 Lii Yuanhung was little
! known in China. He was born in
| Hupeh province in 1864, studied for
six years at the Peiyang naval college
and served on a cruiser during the
Chino-Japanese war. After the war
| he entered the military service al Nam
| king, and later went to Wuchang,
where he assisted in the organization
of modern troops under Viceroy Chang
Chih-tung. For two years he studied
Notifications in Japan, and on his re-
turn became a major in the cavalry
His service was chiefly at Wuchang,
the capital of Hupeh province, which
lies on the Yang-tse river Immediately
opposite the important commercial
city of Hankow.
Leader of Revolutionists.
Lii Yuan-hung sprang into national
fame as commandant of the revolu-
tionary forces at Wuchang in 1911. He
was the chief leader in arranging for
the Shanghai peace conference, and
after the abdication of the Manchus,
was elected vice president of the re-
public. He was Reelected vice presi-
dent October Z, 1913.
Lii Yuan-hung's 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
Yuan-hung absolutely refused % en-
dorse Yuan Shi-kafs monarchical
movement, and declined all imperial
honors which Yuan Shi-kai attempted
to heap upon him. The late president
issued edicts making Lii Yuan-hung a
prince and comforting great wealth
upon him. Ii Yuan-hung absolutely
declined to accept such honors, and
repeatedly expressed his disapproval
of all plans to abandon the republic.
He was finally permitted to move
without the Forbidden City, and for
months has lived in palace provided
for him by the government in the best
residential section of Picking. 1t was
his desire to return to his native prov
ince of Hupeh, but Yuan Shi-kal re-
fused to grant him permission to do
SO. and he lived in Picking practically
as prisoner, during Yuan Shi-kai' S
last months.
No other man in China is as uni
versally beloved as Ii Yuan hung. He
has always enjoyed the reputation of
being absolutely honest and patriotic.
Many other leaders are more forceful.
more energetic and have a better
grasp of public affairs. But Ii Yuan
hung is the one man who enjoys the
complete confidence of the Chinese
people, southerners as well as north
erners.