CO129-408 - Public Offices & Others - 1913 — Page 265

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is concerned, with whose prosperity the Colony of HongKong is intimately connected.

Venture to emphasize the opinion that Substantial progress towards adumis If financial reform is possible without priancial assistance to deal with the

unsecured wire issue complei

ist effe and guidance I press Tatives

Cortist

some

Frith Treat Torus.

From what I could learn outa Condition in other provinces and at the Capital I venture to think that similar corti

& guidance is

necessary

there also.

I have the honor to be his

Your obedient brwant..

32414 254

Rect 16 SEP 13

Note of Jonversation with Mr. Tang Shao-yi at

Shanghai on 24th August, 1913.

Mr. Tang called on me at the Astor House where I was staying, and had a long conversation with me on the political situation in Ching.

Heexplained that he was die satisfied with the conduct of affairs by Presiden Yar

for the following reasons:-

(a) The President was more inaccessible to the public and even to leading politicians than had been the former Emperors. He lived shut up in a Palace close guarded by soldiers. I remarked that this attitude had been forced on him

Mr.Tang

by the attempt on his life some time ago. answered that the bomb thrown at Yuan had been

meant for another; and that in any case a public man in China must expose himself. He himself had been threatened by a man with a revolver in

each hand.

-

(b) The President was untrustworthy he did not keep his promises. For example there were the cases of Tuan Sze-Kwei and Worg Tsz-Hsiang which led to Tang's resignation of his appointment

as Premier. Tuan was a low fellow of no education whom Yuan appointed to command his body-guard. He lived in Peking with great display

with