The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1920-09-11
4 Bridgeport Boy In China
Interviews George
Foochow

Gorge G. Hanson, American Consul at
NUMBER 2

men who have occupied the throne
during the long stretch of China's
history.
China's first treaty with a foreign
power was signed in 1859 with Rus
STA, securing peace between those
two countries for $50 years.
'Ch'ien Lung was the fourth of
the Manchu Emperors. He ruled for
a period of sixty years, his reign en-
bracing nearly the whole of the life
time of George Washington.
1.-THE Manchu Dynasty declined
after his time. Secret societies grew
in number and influence; intriguing
plotters aspired to positions of power
and influence; luxury, dissipation,
and inactivity, Slapped the strength of
the Manchu domination was one of
weakness and decline"
1.-THE misfortunes that China had
experienced during the past two de-
cades, together with Japans success
in the Russo-Japanese War, had by
1905 awakened the country to a
full realization of the necessity for
reform. The reactionary Empress
Dowager now came forward as the
leader in the reform movement, and
during 1905 an imperial commission
was sent abroad to study a system
OF representative government, pre-
paratory to giving China par1iment.
Both the Empress Dowager and
the Emperor died in November,
1908. There are probably few more
pathetic characters in history than
was the Emperor, Kwang Hi. Genu-
inely intent upon helping his coun-
try and thoroughly alive to the dang
ers besetting it because of it's weak
ness, he strove to give it what it
needed most-name1y, modern edu-
cation, modern transportation, and
an effective army and navy, and a
good administrative system-on1y to
be .outwitted and rendered power
less by those skilled in the art of in
trigue and bent upon furthering their
own se1f-centered interests On Oc-
tober 10, 1911, Young China came
forth determined to redeem the
country of it's ancestors in the eyes
of. the world, and overthrow the
Manchu Dynasty. On February IL,
1912, China was proclaimed a re-
public
''The President is elected in ac-
cordance with the terms of the presi-
Dental election law of October 5,
1913, which forms the only part of
the permanent constitution that has
Article I provides that a native of
sesing citizens rights complete and
unimpaired, who has lived in the
country for upward of ten years, is
eligible for the presidency of the
Republic Election is by an cleo
torial college composed of the two
Houses of the National Assembly sit
ting together. The term of office is
five years, subject to one re-electio
1.-The duties of the President, until
the permanent Constitution is pro-
mulgated, are as set forth in the
Provisional Constitution of March 5,
1912. That instrument provides that
the President is the source of all
executive powers He promulgates
the laws and issues orders for their
execution He is the Commander in
Chief of the Army and Navy. He
appoints and removes all civil and
military officials on his own RESPONSE
bility, except in the case of the ap-
pointment of members of the Cabi-
net, ambassadors, and ministers,
when the concurrence of the legisla-
ture is necessary. With this concur
renee of the legislature he can also
declare war and conclude treaties.
He can introduce bills and veto leg
| islation, but his veto may be over
ridden by a two-thirds vote of the
legislature. The President may be
impeached by the legislature for high
treason after a majority vote OF
three-fourths of quorum consisting
| of more than four-fifths of the total
number of tn emenlbers.
| 1.-The National Assembly, the 1egis-
| lative branch of the government, is
made up of a Senate and a House OF
| Representatives. The powers of the
National Assembly are laid down in
the Provisional Constitution, but, in
| fact, this body is still in an expert
| mental stage, the Government hav-
| ing been carried on since the Repub-
| lie was established in 1912 for the
most part without a legislature, the
| law-making power being exercised by
| the executive.
| "a system of auditing the Govern,
] ment accounts is provided by law. Al
| Government offices throughout tn,
| country are obliged to submit month
| 1y reports of their receipts and ex
| penditures to the Audit Department
| at Peking for inspection and vertical
| ton. The department is also en-
trusted with the work of auditing the
accounts of the whole country fo1
the fiscal year and submitting sugges
tions to the President.
There are nine ministries: Foreigl
Affairs, Interior, Finance, War, Ma
rine, Education, Agriculture an
| Commerce, and Communications. TIL
organizations of the nine ministrie
are similar
1.-THE Supreme Court is made up O
a Chief Justice and a number O
justices, who are apportioned t
three civil and two criminal di
visions, and five of whom sitting TIC
gether constitute a court.
What about China's future?
I'm spite of Chinas disturbed con
. ditions during the past six years tn
lives of foreigners and the foreig
: interests generally have been SAT
and the great masses of the Chimes
} population have remained compare
| lively unaffected Foreign trade ha
} actually increased during this tim
reaching for the year 1917 the III
| precedented total of more than hi
lion tae1s (more than $1,000, 100000
United States currency. Modern il
r dustry and modern education al
making substantial progress. Chin
is going ahead Notwithstanding vi
i favorable political conditions; wit
:, a few decades of peace and ord
it's progress will exceed the mo