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a settlement with the South. As these leaders were under the control of Feng Kuo-chang himself it became obvious that the President was intriguing against the Premier who promptly resigned, then reconsidered his decision at the request of the President, resigned again, this time finally. The President found that it was not easy to obtain a successor but ultimately Wang Shih-chen was induced to become Premier and to form a Cabinet. Feng Kuo-chang's ideas on the subject of compromise with the South did not commend themselves to the Northern Tuchuns who took the bit between their teeth and declared that they would carry on the war themselves, a course which com- pelled the President to identify himself with them and to make their action official.
The year 1917 is also noteworthy for the disastrous floods which devastated huge areas in the north of China and caused widespread misery and distress. In Chihli alone three million people were in receipt of relief. Another important event was the decision, of the Powers to sanction the revision of China's import tariff, the details of which were negotiated by commissioners representing the Entente, neutral countries, and China and completed the following year.
1918 opened with an abortive attempt by President Feng Kuo-chang to bring about peace by mandate. He ordered the cessation of hostilities. Unfortunately, the Southerners did not accept the olive branch, and by the spring had advanced their armies almost to Hankow and had obtained control also of Sze- chuan. Tuan Chi-jui was brought back to the Premiership, money was borrowed extravagantly and recklessly, and the campaign against the South was resumed with such vigour that Yochow and Changsha were recovered and the Government troops reached almost to the borders of Kwangtung. Then the rot set in. For several reasons the affensive was not maintained. Perhaps the real explanation was the intriguing of the President with the South. Whatever the actual cause, there was little or no fight- ing during the summer. The great heat was the official excuse. Then Feng Yu-hsiang, a northern commander, perturbed the military authorities in Peking by his independent attitude on the Yangtsze. Having been stripped of his honours, he repented and proceeded to the "front" to achieve merit. Soon afterwards Wu Pei-fu, General Tsao Kun's lieutenant, developed into a pacifist. He memorialised the government in favour of peace. He was repudiated by his superior, but it was felt that he had the support of President Feng Kuo-chang. Matters drifted for some months until the assembly of Parliament in Peking in August and two months later this body practically unanim- ously elected Hsu Shih-chang President, than whom it was believed no one was better suited to reunite the country. So far the belief seems to be justified, for his labours towards reconcilation have up to the present contributed to the hope that peace will be established. It must be admitted that timely foreign advice assisted the President, inasmuch as it alarmed the northern tuchuns who looked at one time as if they were again going to take charge of affairs. At the moment of writing the Peking Govern- ment and the Canton Military Government are agreed to meet in conference, presum- ably in Shanghai, to arrange a basis for peace.
A history of 1918 would be incomplete did it not contain a reference to events in Siberia, whence a Bolshevik threat emanated. This was met by allied intervention. Japanese furnished a considerable proportion of the troops and found it necessary to take military measures in Manchuria which were not altogether pleasing to China. No danger from Siberia existed at the end of the year but the situation vis a vis China was then by no means clear.
PEKING
天順 Shun-tien
The present capital of China was formerly the Northern capital only, as its name denotes, but it has long been really the metropolis of the Central Kingdom. Peking is situated on a sandy plain 13 miles S. W. of the Pei-ho river, and about 110 miles from its mouth, in latitude 39 deg. 54 min. N. and longitude 116 deg. 27 min. E., or nearly on