Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 17.djvu/211

 CHINA 195 CHINA

Federal Telegraph Company was given the lig^t the end of 1915 he engineered a campaign to revert to erect five powerful stations in the largest cities to a monarchial form of government, and as a of China in consideration of a loan, payable in result of elections, was invited to ascend the throne ten years. Among China's demands at the Paris as Emperor. The southern provinces, however, Peace Conference and the Disarmament Conference immediately rose in revolt. The movement failed was the demand that no foreign wireless or tele- and finally ended in the death of Yuan Shih-kai in graphic installations of any kmd shall be set up June, 1916. In accordance with the constitution, on Chinese territory, and that such installations li Yuan-hung became President. The provisional as have been established shall be handed over to Constitution of Nan-king (10 March, 1912), was China upon due compensation being given. restored; Parliament which had been suspended by

Po0TAL Ststkm.— At the end of 1917 there were Yuan Shih-kai was formally opened. Yet the 9,103 localities open to postal business, and the constitutional differences between Parliament and number of articles dealt with had increased to the Cabinet continued and resulted in the dismissal nearly 260,233,000. The number of parcels reached of the Premier, Tuan Chi-jui and the dissolution 2,640,355 and money orders about $21,523,300. of Parliament in June, 1917. In the next month

Rbcbnt PouncB.— As early as 1906 preparations there was an attempt to restore the Ching dynasty, were made in China for the introduction of con- with the Manchu Emperor, Hsuan Fung on the stitutional government. In 1908 an edict promised Dragon Throne. Chang-Hsun, the military com- the convocation of a Parliament and the proclama- mander of the Yang-Tze provinces, who had come tion of a Constitution, drawn in the mnth year to Peking with a number of troops, was bombarded from*the date of the edict, i. e., 1917. Until then, in Peking. His defeat, and flight to a foreign legion, certain measures of reform were to be undertaken ended the ^anchu restoration, and Tuan Cm-jui each year. In October, 1910, the Senate convened was premier once more, with Feng Kuo-chang as in Peking to form the nucleus of the future Parlia- acting President in the place of Li Yuan Hung who ment, it however had only deliberative power and had resigned.

the Throne refused to yield to its demand that the In the meantime the Radical party of the Parlia- Grand Council be made responsible to it. A most ment which had been dissolved by li Yuan Hung determined demand for an earlier opening of a in June, 1917, gathered in Canton and under the Parliament resulted in the edict commanding that leadership of Sun Yat Sen, set up an independent the Parliament be convened in 1913. A rebellion militaxy government and declared a state of war in the autumn of 1911 precipitated matters; in between the South and the North, claiming that October Wuchimg was taken by the revolutionaries it alone represented the constitutional government and an independent military government declared, established by the treaty of Nan-king after the The provinces seceded, one by one, until fourteen revolution of 1911. Military operations continued out of twenty-two including Manchuria, Kiang-si, intermittently until November, 1918, when Hsu- Hu-pe, Hu-nan, and the viceroyalty of Liang- Shih-Chang who had been unanimously elected Kwang, had thrown off their allegiance to the President oy the Parliament in Peking ordered Manchu government. The learned Dynasty offered a cessation of hostilities. The Canton government to grant every demand of the people, retaininjg did likewise, and a conference of the two parties for itself the mere title of sovereignty. A consti- was called at Shanghai, but failed to estabhdi an tution was immediately drawn up and sanctioned entente.

by edict issued on 3 November, 1911, and on 26 The Northern Military party which has had con- November the Regent in behalf of the emperor trol of the Pekins government for the last four took the Oath of Constitution. He summoned years has from the first been divided into two Yuan Shih-kai former viceroy of Chi-li, whom he factions, known as the Chilhli and the Anhui fac- had dismissed in 1909, granted him the powers of tions. The increasing supremacy of the Anhui dictator, and appointed him Prime Minister and faction, aided by the An Fu (pro-Japanese) party. General of the forces. A constitutional monarchy was resented by the Chilhli faction and friction with the Manchus as a figurehead was decided upon, between the two developed into open warfare, in and accepted by most of the northern provinces, July, 1920. The Anhui faction was defeated. The but not by the southern provinces, whose aims government ordered the disbanding of the troops were more anti-dynastic. A truce was called to but instead they were incorporated into the armies <lecide on the exact form of government. On 6 of the rival militaxy governors and the central gov- December the Re^nt abdicated and the young emment was powerless to enforce its decision. Emperor was provided with two guardians, one a The only real power and authority in China is Manchu and the other a Chinese. On 29 December in the hands of the Tuchuns or Military Governors the Nan-kin^ (Republican) Assembly, a provisional of the separate provinces, each acting for himself in convention m which the 14 provinces only were his own field, and taking advantage of the wealmeas represented, unanimously elected Dr. Sun Yat of the central, government to raise large armies to Sen President of the Republic of China and adopted serve their own ends and thus to usurp complete a provisional constitution. In February, 1912, the autocratic local power. China is now, therefore a Manchu dynasty abdicated. Under the provisional con^omeration of separate states under the auto- constitution, a provisional Parliament was assem- cratic control of Military Governors who tax their bled in Peking and in due time passed laws for the people to the limit and who have raised large loans, election of a bi-cameral legislature, at the same for the support of their armies and their own time determining its powers and fimctions. The enrichment principally from the Japanese, for which new Parliament met on 8 April, 1913, and api)ointed the provincial resources are pledged. These armies a Committee to draft a permanent constitution for are a horrible incubus upon the people, and the the Republic. The Conamittee sat from 21 July to ^^stem which keeps them up is intolerable, but 25 October, and completed a draft of the Constitu- there is no force in China strong enough to compel tion consisting of 113 articles, of which only those their disbandment. At present (1922) there are dealing with the election and term of oflSce of three super Tuchuns or "Inspectors General," who President and Vice-President became law by the aim for supremacy in the Peking government: act of Parliament. By virtue of these, Yuan Chang Tso-lin, the uncrowned King of Manchuria, Shiii4cai was celebrated president for five years. At who controls the Peking-Mukden railway; Tsao-