Evening star., 1924-05-22
FINDS DR.. SUN ALIVE;
BITTER AGAINST U. S.
interviewer Told by Canton Lead.
er Strife in China Due to
Foreign Powers.
RUM0R OF INSANITY DENIED
Canton Leader, Rumored Dead
Still Vigorous.
BY PERCY NOEL.

Following IS the first interpiep
10Th DR.. Sun Yot-Sen. President of
the South China Republic. st4ce the
conflicting reports Of his death tohich
first came on M1y 49,
BY Radio to The Star and Philadelphia Public
Ledger. Copyright 1924.
CANTON, China, May 22.-Occi-
dentals in China say Sun Yat-Sen
first president of the Chinese Repub-
lie. is crazy. His Cantonese friends
in Shanghai think he is broken
hearted, and last week a responsible
news agency reported. the precise
minute of his death,
After talking for an hour with the
generalissimo at his headquarters ]
am convinced all three views are er-
roneous. Suns arguments were
sound. his replies to questions clear
and there was good evidence of his
alert intelligence.
He showed too much fire and pur-
pose to be called disappointed lead
er. dying Of a broken heart. His
health is not good, but his followers
feel that the last fortnight's forced
rest has given him, new streueth
Complaining that he has been too
often misquoted and smarting under
the indignity Of the death report.
which has special significance to the
sented to grant his first interview
since his illness.
Vf1or In Stntement.
There was ample vigor in the fol-
lowing statement he made, which
afterward he handed me in writing
over his signature:
II declare that as long as foreign
powers, including the American gov
ernment. persist in recognition of the
Wu Pei-Fu clique as the Chinese gov
ernment there will and must be dis
order and strife in China.
II beg for no assistance at the
hands of foreign powers, but as the
founder of the new order in China I
have the right to demand neutrality
of foreign powers in our internal af-
fairs. Otherwise the day may come
when harasSed China may be the hand
to set afire another world conhagra-
ton"
One forgot the faint odor of the sick
room as the eyes of China'S first pres
ident flashed with emotion and as he
warmed to his subject complacency
suggested by his native robes of navy
blue and his correct sitting posture
disappeared.
Makes Himself Plain.
He did not mince matters. He con-
tinued::
Il have been deeply moved by the
manifestations of sympathy which
the false report of my death has
ELECTED from the American people.
interpret this less as a personal trib-
ute than evidence Of continued Amer
lean interest in the great processes OF
with which 1 have been identifie ed
since and before the Chinese reyoIu
tion of 1911-1912."
Such is his formal message.
After we had talked a while he de-
manded:
do the. American people wish to
see peace in Gilman
When I assured him affirmatively. he
replied that they did not act like it.
He continued:
why is there disorder and strife
in China, which is known for its
genius for compromise and peace
Because foreign powers have inter
fered, consciously or unconsciously
with the work Of the Chinese revolu-
tion. which aimed to substitute de-
INOCI dCy fGIulOCEdCy.
THE most formidable obstacle 10
revolution was the Manchu dynasty,
This was removed in three months.
Says Unity Prevented.
Except for Intervention of foreign
powers all other obstacles would have
been easily swept away and TO-DAY
there would have been a united and
peaceful China
without a 25,o0o.o00 sterling re-
organization loan and other foreign
gold," he went on, Yuan Shih-Kai
would never have been able to de-
stroy the revolutionary settlement of
1912, and there would have been no
civil war to prevent him from set
ting up a fresh imperial restoration
in 1915-1916."
There was a period of peace after
Yuan Shih-Kai's DEATH" 1 suggested.
"Yes, and it might have extended to
this day II. japanese gold, with ac-
quiescence of the foreign powers, had
not been supplied for maintaining So
called strong-man rule in 1917, and
today foreign powers insist upon con-
(COntjnued on Page CollInon 0V