CHINESE REFORMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1276, 3 November 1911, Page 5

CHINESE REFORMS.

ARMY'S DEMANDS. ASSEMBLY ACCEPTS A GENERAL'S TERMS. RISING IN FAR SOUTH. By Tolceraph— Press Asooclation—CoprrlchJ (Rec. November 2, 10 p.m.) Peking, November 2. The National Assembly, at a secret silting, has demanded the appointment of the revolutionary leaders, Lin-Huan-llung nnd Tan-Ilua-Lung to high offices. General Chang-Shao-Feng's demands are supported by many garrisons. They include the following:— The maintenance of the existing Dynasty with a Constitution drafted by Parliament, tho Throne's approval to tho Constitution not to be necessary, as Parliament, and not the Thrones, will initiate future Const'i- . tntionat changes. Tho naval and military press lo be under the Emperor's control, except when employed within tho Empire, when they will be controlled by Parliamentary regulations. Sentence of death not to emanate from the Throne, and arrests and imprisonments hereafter to follow tho due process of law. Parliament to appoint tho Premier and Ministers. The Budget and all treaties adding to taxation or affecting tho national interests t'o bo approved by Parliament before receiving tho Emperor's signature. Tho Assembly has agreed to all : the above demands, but rejected a final cne, namely, That tho methods of calling Parliament together, t'ho establishing of Constitutional Government, and also tho settlement of all important questions bo subject to tho Army's approval. Yuan-Shih-Kai is now in full possession of Kantau with which communication has been restored. Wei-Knang-Tao, a Huancse, has been appointed the new Viceroy of Hunan and Hupeh in succession to Yuan-Shih-Kai.

Yunn-Shih-Kai has been for several days in communication by an intermedhry with Lin-Huan-Hang, the military lender of the rebels, who was a former pupil of his.

The uprising has extended to the far southern province of Yunnan.

PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. YUAN-SHIH-KAI'S FIRST MOVE. Peking, November 1. Yuan-Shfh-Kai intends stopping tho Imperial attacks on tho rebels immediately, and will negotiate for peace. He requests that he bo appointed Acting-Premier.

CABINET RESIGNS. NEW' APPOINTMENTS. Peking, November 1. All tho Ministers have resigned. Yuan-Shih-Kai has been appointed Premier. General Yin Ching becomes Chief of Staff. Prince Ching, President of tho Privy Council, will act as Premier until Yuan-Shih-Kai relinquishes tho Commander-ship-in-Chief.

THE EMPEROF?. ( I;.LEp. ' A STARTLING REPORT. . . New York, November 1. Chiness newspapers published in San Francisco contain a dispatch from Peking asserting that tho Emperor, with the Dowager. Empress, has fled, and that all trace of them has boon lost. AID FROM NEW ZEALAND. FUNDS COLLECTED. (By Telegraph— Special Correspondent.) Auckland, November 2. A well-known Chinese resident of New Zealand, Mr. Lue, is at present in Auckland, en route to China, where he proposes to take an active part in tho rebellion. Speaking to a "Star" representative this morning, Mr. Lue said ho was leaving a lucrative business in Wellington to go Iwck and offer his services to tho revolutionary party. He had been carrying out a hurried tour of tho Dominion prior to his departure, with a view to raising funds, and in Wellington alone he had raised «£3OO. Auckland and other cities were subscribing, and he expected to carry away a largo sum to assist the movement. Ho proceeds to Sydney, where ho will join other Chinese en Toute for China to tako up arms.

BOY EMPEROR OF CHINA. HIS DAILY LIFE IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY. Interesting details wero recently made public of the daily life of tho baby EmEoror of China, who is now reported to avo disappeared. His Majesty is nearly six years of age, and lives secluded from the world, even his mother only being allowed to pay occasional private visits. As soon as the Emperor Kuang-Hsu died the baby Pu-Yi was taken from his mother and placed in tho Forbidden City in the hands of tho Empress Dowager, who was hoaceforth regarded as the baby Emperor's mother. Even tho hidebound etiquette of the Chinese Court had to givo way, however, to the imperial baby's grief at being separated from his mother, ,md arrangements had to be made for occasional visits.

The baby Emperor is addressed in tho palace as Wan-Sui-Yeh (Lord of Ten Thousand Years), and reigns under the name of Hsuan-lung. Every morning he is awakened at six o'clock by tho singing of eipht ounuchs, and ho has throe meals a day, at 8 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m., retiring to rest at 8 p.m. Tho baby Emperor'? diet is a simple one, tho only rule observed being never to put any article of food upon his table which cannot be procured immediately at any timo of the year. Tho reason is that the Emperor is supposed to bo given anything he asks for, and if this is impossible tho unfortunate official responsible is liable to sovero punishment. Among many other things tho Emperor has nover tasted fish.

The Emperor is said to be wilful by nature and to revel in mischief, especially when lie can induce his attendants to follow him into a flooded courtyard after a heavy downpour of rain. By a decree issnod recently Lu-Jnn-Hsiang and Chen-Pao-Chen were appointed imperial tutors, and it was directed that they should tako up their duties upon an auspicious date to be determined by tho Board of Astronomy. The latter selected the eighteenth day of the seventh moon (September 10). Both these tutors arc Chinese scholars of tho old-fashioned type, but it is believed that a foreign tongue, probably English will form part of tho imperial curriculum at a later date.

. CHINA'S STRONG MAN. YUAN-SHin-KA I'S FEARLESS COURSE. One of the most interesting character sketches of Yuan-Shih-Kai, the new Chinese Premier, that has appeared in the press of recent years was that contributed to th« New York "Independent" in 100!) bv Mr. It. E. House, an American who had been a tutor in Yuan's family for some time. "After the war with Japan," wroto Mr. House, "the Chinese Government saw tho need of a modern army. It believed that with this now wino in the old bottlo China would 1)0 able to withstand tho outer world, no other reforms would be required, all would bo well, and China might continuo tho slumber from which she had been so rudely aroused. The 'New Imperial Army' was therefore organised and soon consisted of 60,000 men gathered in four divisions or branches

within a hundred miles of Peking. This army was equipped with up-10-dato arms and was being drilled according to the most modern method.

/'ln command of ono branch of this New Imperial Army was placed Yuan-Shih-Kai, then about thirty-seven years of age. lie hod already distinguished himself with honours during nine years of servieo in Korea, latterly as Minister during llio troublesome times of dispute between China and Japan over Korea, preceding tho war, when by his firm stand for the interests of China he incurred the enmity of Japan, which seems nover to havo been forgotten. "As commander of the branch of the army under him, Yuan was given a freo hand, lie at oncn showed the most remarkablo ability as an executive. Within three years his division of tho army, consisting then of about 7000 efficient troops, had the reputation of bein" one of tho best drilled and disciplined bodies of soldiers in the world, and his own reputation was becoming world-wide among military men and statesmen. In tho spring of 1898 Lord Charles Beresford, after an all-day review of this army, spoke of it in tho highest terms, and before leaving China said in Tientsin, 'I havo met_ ono man in China and that man is Yuan.' The same year Timothy Richard, one of the best known and ablest foreigners in China, said to the writer, of Yuan, MIo is tho best man in China; he is tho coming man.' Thus was Yuan looked upon at that time wherever he was known as a strong, aggressive, up-to-date man. Among the Chinoso ho had the peculiar reputation of being honest, a man who did not »quceze.'

"For ten years he has been in the very ccntro of the stage. Even his enemies have been unable to bring against him a suspicion of dishonesty, and his amazing enlightenment, wisdom, and ability have been known and read of all men.

"Faced by the strong and menacing opposition of tho Conservatives in 189S, tho reformers turned to the ways of China's darkest days, the headsman's axe, to bo rid of the opposition, and ordered Yuan-Shih-Kai, whom they knew to bo as much a patriot and as much a reformer as themselves, to take Yung Lu, tho leader of the opposition, behead him and oomo with his army to Peking to sustain the Emperor in his reform programme. Yuan refused to commit the crime appointed to him, he warned Yung Lu of the plot against his life, and remained inactive with his army.

"Ones again this man of nerve and wisdom disobeyed an Imperial order. Before the real Manning; of the Boxer war Yuan had been scut with his army to be Governor of the province of Shsaitrtiig. Here ho was during the height of ti.a trouble ruling with a firm hand, when lie received orders from Peking to destroy all foreigners; instead of obeying ?;e /-aved his Government from itself, choosing to call the order a forgery and immediately with redoubled energy extended protection to all foreigners and their property and saw them every one safely conducted out of the province; for this he was called by the reactionaries a foreign tlevil. and for this he risked tho anger of tho Emores* Dowager and retribution at her hands."