PRESENT CONDITIONS IN CHINA 
an important career, being for 15 years 
closely associated with Li Hung Chang, 
on whom the Manchus had relied in war 
for half a century, and was recognized 
as his legitimate successor. In 18098 he 
had become a powerful administrator 
and military organizer, and by 1907 had 
built up a defense army of foreign- 
trained battalions numbering nominally 
80,000, and was rated the military master 
of the Empire. 
At the end of 1909 the government 
was making every effort to calm the 
reformers and revolutionaries and get 
Yuan Shih-k’ai back to Peking. Yuan 
Shih-k’ai understood the dangers of the 
situation, but did not believe it was time 
to return. In 1910 the throne sent his 
protégé, Tong Shao-yi, well known in 
this country, where he was educated, to 
his home to request him to return. He 
named conditions, such as would guaran- 
tee his freedom from court interferences ; 
but as these were not in the power of 
the regent to grant, he remained at home, 
about midway between Peking and the 
seat of the coming revolution. 
When rebellion broke out the throne 
threw aside all indirectness and appointed 
him viceroy of Hunan and Hupeh, and 
imposed upon him the task of pacifying 
the revolutionary region. It was too 
late. 
I mention this aspect of the revolution 
because it immediately concerns the dip- 
lomatic interest of the United States, for 
when Yuan Shih-k’ai was dismissed from 
office in January, 1909, this government 
believed, with that of Great Britain, that 
the dismissal endangered the peace of 
China and the welfare of foreign in- 
terests there. In consequence the two 
powers joined in representations to 
China, requiring on her part a reply as 
to China’s policy under the new reign. 
The statement, I believe, was not con- 
sidered satisfactory, and in fact the 
gradual weakening of the central power 
in Peking took place. 
THE BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION AT 
CHENGTU 
The opening revolt of the revolution 
in China will ever be memorable, and I _ 
eset 
will give you the graphic account which 
has reached me from an eye-witness in 
Chengtu, Szechuan, where rebellion was 
organized by the Tong Chi, or Anti- 
Foreign Loan Society. When the mo- 
ment for raising the standard of rebellion 
approached, the revolutionists printed 
reassurances to the people and sent 
speakers into the streets, who harangued 
them from positions of advantage. These 
speakers were heard to say, “Don’t touch 
the foreigner or his property, or our 
cause is doomed.” 
In the forenoon of September 6, 1911, 
a student, under guise of being possessed 
of a demon, secured audience with the 
viceroy and told him he had witnessed 
the destruction of Chengtu in a dream, 
at the same time handing him a copy of 
the book of preparations of the revolu- 
tionists. September 7 the viceroy called 
up the leaders of the Anti-Foreign Loan 
Society by telephone, told them he had 
an important communication from the 
Emperor to submit to them, and invited 
them to his residence to dinner. Six 
responded and two declined. When 
greetings had been exchanged the vice- 
roy said: 
“Why have you compelled the mer- 
chants to close their shaps, the people to 
refuse to pay their taxes? I have treated 
you kindly; why are you inconsiderate 
of me and my country? I have reported 
your conduct to the Emperor. Do you 
not understand the position in which you 
have placed yourselves? ‘Today I have 
prepared dinner for you.” 
Saying this, he called to his attendants: 
“Escort the guests.” And_ soldiers 
stepped in, handcuffed the leaders, and 
took them to prison. The viceroy then 
raided the offices of the Anti-Foreign 
Loan Society; and, having previously lo- 
cated the two absent leaders in their 
houses, arrested them. He now had all 
the leaders and much evidence. 
The populace learned of the loss of 
their leaders and swarmed into the 
streets, where altars had been erected to 
the late Emperor Kuang Hsu, and, led 
by students, marched against the vice- 
roy’s official residence. The viceroy 
closed the city gates and sent cavalry 
