New-York tribune., 1917-07-22
Feng, New President Of China,
Is Puzzle to Friends and Foes
They Are Uncertain to Political Pans OF Nepuoh'
Executive-Has Friends in Northern Mihtarlst
Partv-Character Sketch of Leader
By ADACHl KlNNOSUKE

him to abandon Wuchang and SHIFT ms
base 10 Human. But whatever be the
Shortcomings Of ex-PrcsIdcnt Ii Iuan-
hung. the fear of a soldiers death Is
certainly not among the NUMBER LII
did not bulge a foot. ,,I
The Northern army, under Feng, GIu
not push its advantage. 1t was rot tns
Southern republican army whicn nelu
il: il was the traitorous hand OF yuan
Shih-kai at Peking which did. yuan
was irving TO trick his own Manchu
sovereign out of the imperial throne
A mighty-ln appearance II not IN
rea,ity-republcan army threatening
the annihilation Of the Northern I'M
perial forces was the trump caro- lusn
had to have to bring his little COMEDY
successfully through the NTH act
Dominated General Feng
Yuan dominated General Feng and
the other commanders Of the Imperial
army at this stage-Tuan Chi-Jui
among them. He pulled the wires ana II
made them dance to his tune. ne
secretly ordered General Feng ana
others to memorialize the Manehu EN- :
peror to abdicate tho throne as tne
only effective measure for the salVa-
ton of the country, as we'll as the oniy
insurance for the future saiety OF the
Ia Ching dynasty itself. The whoIe %
show went off like magic, ana the
poor baby Emperor was shooed on tne
throne with ease and dispatch ano as
little ceremony as circus nio"NeS
jumping through a paper hooP.
And Yuan became the nrst fresiueh'
Of the Chinese Republic:
As for General Feng, ne was reward
ed for his faithful services with inc
rank of baron and with the estaoilsh-
ment of the republic he received the
eovernorship Of the metropolitan prov
ince Of Chilli. That was IN Septem-
Der, 1912.
When the Southern republicans rose
in the second revolution that year
General Feng was solidly with Yuan.
He led his army down to Nankln-
which was the capital Of the Southern
republicans at the time-and laid siege
to it, cooperating with the army Oh
Chang Hsun.
Nankin was defended by Huan Hsing
for a time, but 1t fell easily enough.
At the time there was marked differ
ence between the behavior Of the men
under Genral Feng and tina. OF Chang
Hsun's men.
Feng's Men Well Behaved
The soldiers Of Chang looted the city
of Nankin and committed all sorts of
excesses. They went so far as to rob
and murder a number of the citizens
of Japan, for which Chang little later
had TO pay indemnity and present his
apologies at the Japanese Consulate.
In sharp contrast, the men Of Cen
eral Feng held themselves back. Cen
eral Feng did not forget the penalty he
had paid fer the lawless actions of his
men at Hankau, when they had burned
the native city. After the suppression
Of the second revolution he succeeded
Chang Hsun ss military governor of
Kiangsu and stationed himself at
Nankin.
He stood exceedingly high in the
eyes Of Yuan Shih-kai at the time.
Yuan had adopted young girl, noted
for her beauty and exceptional graces
Of mind. General Feng was fifty then;
but Yuan insisted that he should marry
the young girl. Yuan seemed to be
desirous Of attaching Feng with a sort
ot blood tie.
All this did not help Yuan very
much, however. When Yuan aspired to
the throne Of Chine General Feng
Kuc-chang for the first time in his
life firmly opposed his master.
Summoned to Peking
Yuan summoned him to Peking, ap-