Evening star., 1924-05-14

downs, more victories and defeats,
more loyalty or more treachery, than
DR.. Sun Vat Sen, the first provisional
President of China, frequently called
the Father of the Republic" and
often referred to as the George
Washington of the far east"
The name of DR.. Sun first began to
appear in newspapers Of the western
world back in the late eighties, when
his vigorous pronouncements against
his archenemies, the dynastic Man
chu emperors of China, attracted
some slight attention. He was then
living in the Hawaiian Islands with
his widowed mother, who had mi
grated to Honolulu with her husband,
an agent of a Christian mission, when
Sun Vat Sen was an infant. Since
1895, however, when he eSsayed the
first of his many revolutions, his
name has become almost as well
known to the occident as it is to the
400.000,000 Chinese nationals on be-
half of whom he spent a lifetime
of unremitting hardship and constant
danger.
Made President in 1911.
DR.. Sun was twice named to the
highest constitutional office in China,
the first time in the fall Of 1911,
vixen he was proclaimed the first
provisional president of the Chinese
Republic, and again in May, 1921,
when he was elected president of all
China.
Preceding his first election the Chi
nese people, rising in their wrath
against centuries of bad government
under the monarchial Manchu and
previous dynasties, overthrew the ex-
iStlng government and set up a re-
PUBIC, naming as president DR. Sum-
who was understood to have engi-
neered the uprising. All of South
China and most of the Yang-tse
provinces Were thus brought under
single banner emblazoned with the
principles of republicanism.
The strongest man in North China
at that time was Yuan Shih-kai,
governor Of Chilli Province. De-
termtned that the country should be
united under one leader, DIR. Sun,
termed an experimental government
IN the south resigned in favor of
1uan Shih-kai. This marked the he
ginning of the end as far as SUNS
nnlan' s, republic was concerned. for
while Yuan Shih-kai was stronr
enough to guide the ship Of state,
ne likewise had personal ambitions :
centered In a new dynasty
nafing tasted constitutional free
I'm. ~ the masses were in no temper
~ couhtehance monarchistic aspira-
llons' whereupon they soon over
turned the rule of Yuan and elected
successor
Escapes to Japan.
Mean~hlle It had become impos
Sipie for DR.. Sun to remain in China.
Tsn.n g maae , sensational escape to
IF
ana await patiently the time when
he would again be ready to act in
me I'M interest of the republic.
rho ms Us opportunity eluded him until
Sme late summer of 1921, when the
.nihese parliament, sitting at Can
ION, unanimously elected him presi.
cent of the Chinese republic.
,rnnh,od nnG months that followed were
many attempts to bind the m,Ss ef
loose and broken ends, the new nresi-
GENT began to realize that his mi
ication schemes were not bearing
1raI'' a ana that his political influence
min >Niuhs
The final break between these two
HIATT frnd1vs hraTe cane in May, 1922: Chen
slstance was offered at Canton and
iorced Sun to flee the CITY
IN dealing with the career Of Sun
nsaotSi sen IT IS esse tial to note that
practically all of his best work in
the overthrow of the Manchn orn IN
perors and the various reyolutions
Whlch followed was done when he
was thousands of miles from China.
Known Throughout World.
Ihere are few parts OF the world
20 when ne was a stranger. Where
always with the same miss;on tho
same appeal-a Chinese Republic A
small, quiet, stoop-shouldered man.
with thin, grayish mustache point
ed about the world holding his life
IN his hands every moment of tho
DAY and night. for it would have been
worth $4,000 to any one who could
T,ane a knife between his shoulders
rms reward, offered originally by the
Manchu government. was standing
Tor nearly twenty years
While in New York, during 1911.
Dr. IT. sun was dining in a prominent
bankers. They were inclined TO
minimize the accounts of his con-
stant Danger, whereupon Sun asked
that th they accompany him to one of
avenue There. standing in the dark,
they were able to look out upon the
street and distinguish three evil-look-
ing Chinese skulking in the shadows
When Sun left they disappeared
Perhaps his narrowest escape was in
Canton in 1895. One of his plots to
assassinate the Manchu officials and
seize the city was betrayed, and a
roundup of the leaders was set in mo-
non. DT: Sun fled with band of hos
Tile soldiers at his heels. Suddenly a
door opened and he was drawn inside
The door closed as mysteriously as it
mad opened, and the pursuers passed on.
A friendly servant in the house of a
prominent mandarin had made the res
cue.
Held Embassy Prisoner.
Another time, while in London. he
was kidnapped and held prisoner in the
Chinese embassy. While awaiting a
special steamer which was to take him
to Peking and death by the ak, he man
aged to get word to his friends on the
outside High officials of the British
government obtained his release
He has made his way through China
in every known form of disguise, and
by every conceivable method Of trans
portation. AS a coolie laborer, a man.
DARN, a fisherman, a jinriksha runner,
a soldier. sailor and a student, he has
p, fitted about the great Chinese nation,
always hunted and bounded. even when
he occupied the high office Of president.
DR.. Sun, although few of his associ-
ates knew it, was a Christian. He was
born in Honolulu in 1862 and received
College. He was married quite early in
life and was the father Of two children,
q son and daughter.
rs Diocesan Body Meets Tonight.
+. The Diocesan Young Peoples So
.riety of the Epicopal Church will
hold it's last meeting for the season
.at the Chapel of the Nativity, 18th
or