A GREAT VICEROY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13525, 6 November 1911, Page 4

A GREAT VICEROY.

A Pekin cable 10-day states that Yuan-Shi-Kai has declined the Premiership of China. A straw serves to indicate which way the wind is blowing, and his refusal to accept the great responsibilities that would be cast upon his shoulders at the present time may be traceable to his realisation of the critical position of the 'Government and of the dynasty, and to Ilia belief that the revolutionaries will eventually carry all before them and establish a Republic in place of a Monarchy. No one should know the position better than Ynan-frhi-Kai. He is one of China's greatest statesmen, and some years, ago was set the task of re-organ-ising the Chinese Army. He has experienced strange turns of fortune during tlio last ten years. He was a provincial viceroy without influence and apparently without prospects of advancement when the Into Dowager-Empress discovered him. Tliis remarkable woman, who ruled China bv the force of her own personality, despite the supine inefficiency of the Manchn court, realised very clearly that no member of the roval family could advance her work. She looked around her for strong men to stand liesido her and chose Yiiau-Slii-Kai to bo her principal officer. He proved a tower of strength and under bis advice the cinnirc was given a constitution and a bodv of young Chinese progressives was established at the seat of government in Pekin. A modem army wan bronn-lit into boino under the personal direction of the ex-viceroy. But the Dow-ager-Empress died before her work was completed and the Manchn party, inefficient and corrupt, regained the supreme power. Yuan-Slii-Kai. the idol of the array and the trusted friend of the common peonle, was cashiered, publicly humiliated and driven into retirement, the able administrators he bad chosen were dismissed from office and China was left in the bands of the men whose actions have produced the present rebellion. In the hour of need the bov Emperor’s advisers scut for 5 uan-Slii-Kai, who has been given suureme command of the Army, but now declines the added responsibility of Premier.