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Rh ory Council was organized with Li Yuan-hung as its President. In January 1916 Yuan Shih-kai declared himself Emperor of China. He made General Li Yuan-hung a Prince with the special title in two words "Wu I”. As an expression of his unwillingness to serve Yuan as a monarch, General Li confined himself to his private residence in Peking until the death of Yuan, which occurred in June 1916. Upon the death of Yuan Shih-kai, General Li became President of China according to the constitutions. Feng Kuo-chang became Vice-President. The Old Parliament was reconvoked. The Advisory Council was dissolved. Tuan Chi-jui became Prime Minister. Then the conflict between the President's Office and the Cabinet started. On the May 23, President Li issued a Mandate dismissing Tuan Chi-jui as Prime Minister and appointing Dr. Wu Ting-fang Acting. Premier; Chang Shih-yu, Acting Minister of War; and General Wang Shih-chen, Commander of the Precautionary Forces in Peking and Tientsin. Marshal Tuan went to Tientsin. On May 29, 1917, Li Ching-hsi was appointed Premier. General Ni Tzu-chung, then Civil Gorernor of Anhui who was a strong supporter of Tuan Chi-jui, declared independence and detained the cars on the Tientsin-Pukow Railway mobolizing his troops. On the 30th Chang Tso-lin, then Tuchun of Fengtien, declared independence which was immediately responded to by Shantung, Fukien, Chekiang. Honan, Shansi, Chihli, Shensi, Heilungkiang, and Shanghai. On the 31st May Tong Hua-lung, Speaker of the House, resigned. On June 1st 1917, General Chang Hsun. then Tuchun of Anhui sent out a circular telegram advocating the restoration of monarch and the retirement of the President. On the 2nd he sent to President Li another telegram volunteering his own service to mediate between the President and the Military Leaders and suggesting the dissolution of the Parliament as the condition for the withdrawal of troops by the military leaders. On June 5, the Tuchuns' Group established their headquarters at Tientsin with the object to put up a provisional government there. On the 6th Wang Chia-hsiang, President of the Senate tendered his resignation. On the 7th General Chang Hsun mobilized his troops northward and demanded the immediate dissolution of Parliament. Dr. Wu Ting-fang, the Acting Premier, declined to counter-sign the Mandate ordering the demanded dissolution of the Parliament and resigned. General Chiang Chiao-chung, then Commander of the Gendamerie was appointed to act as Premier and he countersigned the mandate which was issued on June 13. On June 14 Chang Hsun's troops entered Peking. On July 1, Chang Hsun restored the Manchu Emperor to the throne. General Chang's coup d'etat did not last long and he was driven into the Dutch Legation for refuge. The Republic was re-established by Marshal Tuan. But General Li refused to resume his office as President of China, and he was succeeded by General Feng Kuo-chang. After the restoration of the Republic, he stayed for a time in Peking, but later went to Tientsin to live. During his retirement in Tientsin, General Li took great interest in industrial and mining enterprises in the country. His name has been found among the list of important shareholders of the various big industrial and mining corporations. In June 1922 General Li was prevailed upon to re-assume the Presidency: