The Cordova daily times., 1917-09-25
FORMER CHINESE PRESIDENT |S
 PRISONER
(By Associated Press)

PEKIN, Sept. 24-Li Yuan-hung. once President of the Chinese Repub. lie. possesses today less power here tran the lowliest coolie He Is a pri- soner in the capital of the land over which he once ruled, and for the first time in many years he holds no office except that of Prince Wu Vi, he holds no title.
 It is Ii Yuan-hung's desire to leave Peking and seek rest in Tien-tsin, but the government has repeatedly deni- ed his request. Premier Yuan Chi Jul and acting President Feng Kwo- chang apparently have no intention of allowing the veteran warrior to de- part for any settlement where he would be in Q position to communi- cate with revolutionists In the south. The government Is said to realize how potent the name of Ii Yuan-hung would be were he made president Of southern republic such as Sun Yat- sen, Tang Shao-yi, c. T. Wang and other Kuomintang leaders are endea. yoring to establish in Canton.
 Since he surrendered the presidency over two months ago and allowed General Chang Hsun to take over the central government. u Yuan-hung has divided his time between the French hospital and his home in the Tartar City. without the walls of the Forbidden City. He also took refuge for a short time in the Japanese Le- gation, and he handsomely rewarded the Japanese soldiers and officers who protected him In the trying per iod when tho Republicans were oust. ing the boy emperor, Hsuan Eung, and over-throwing the shortlived monarchy set up by Chang Hsun.
 Li Yuan-hungs illness was serious enough to make his retirement to the hospital necessary. But the French Hospital Is in the Legation quarter It is under the protection of foreign guards. And u Yuan-hung was not the only chinese who was ailing at the time conditions were so unsettled on the outside of the foreign settlement. Hotels. hospitals, legations and pri. vate hospitals within the legation quarter were filled to overflowing when Yuan Chijui's troops moved against Peking on July 12.
 During the years that u Yuan hung served as president under Yuan Shih-kai his position was much the same that it is at present It is true he then held the title of vice-presi, dent, but it was a shallow honor. He had no,-p9wer. He had no freedom. Most of those years were passed in an isolated palace on an island in the Forbidden city. He was seldom per mitted to leave the walled compound No visitors saw him without the Der. mission of the all-powerfull. Yuan sohih-hai, WHO iiN6u on the mainland in palace Ii Yuan-hung could see across the lotus covered lake.
 The central governments power to-day apparently grows stronger every hour IL has the support of the great goreign powers. They have no thought of recognizing a struggl- ing band of parliamentarians in the south who have only the luke warm support of the provinces south of the Yang tze.
 All hope Of convening in legal way the parliament which Li Yuan-hung dissolved under pressure has appar- ently disappeared. The Kwo-min tang, or party which is opposed to Premier Yuan Chi-jui and President Feng Kwo chang and their government, controls far less than quorum of the dis banded parliament Sun Yat Sen and Tang Shaoi-yi, they would not, it is declared have enough to satisfy their