75
When calling
on me after taking up their appointments, the Premier and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Justice, each dwelt at some length on the feeling of profound gratitude entertained by the President and Government of China towards the Govern- ment of His Majesty for the friendly and sympathetic attitude adopted by us from the commencement of the revolution, and continued during the recent rebellion, an attitude which they hoped might still be observed in the future.
I replied in each instance to the effect that the policy of His Majesty's Government would always be in favour of a strong and stable Government in China, and that our sympathetic support to this end could be relied on.
I have, &c.
[46367]
No. 151.
B. ALSTON.
Sir,
Foreign Office to War Office.
Foreign Office, October 18, 1913.
I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to transmit to you herewith, to be laid before the Army Council, copy of a telegram from His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires
*
at Peking, recommending that the decision as to a reduction of the garrison in North China should be postponed for the present.
am to inform you that the Secretary of State is entirely in accord with the view of the situation expressed by Mr. Alston, and would deprecate any reduction of the garrison in the immediate future.
[48735]
I am, &c.
W. LANGLEY.
No. 152.
Mr. Alston to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received October 27.)'
276
!
(No. 387.) Sir,
Peking, October 11, 1913. I HAVE the honour to report that the election of the first President of the Chinese Republic was held on the 6th instant.
Article 2 of the law for the election of the President states that the President shall be elected by an electoral college organised by the members of the National Assembly, and that, for the purposes of the presidential election, a quorum shall be constituted by two-thirds of the total number of electors voting by secret ballot. Of the total number of votes cast an absolute majority, amounting to three-fourths, must be obtained by the successful candidate. This procedure is followed twice, and, in the event of no decisive result being obtained, a third ballot is held, the candidates being limited to the two who headed the poll at the second ballot. On this third occasion à bare majority suffices for election.
Contrary to general expectation, the proceedings were protracted throughout the day, and three ballots were required before the provisional President could be legally confirmed in his office. It had been hoped that the unanimity with which the members of both Houses had hurried forward the election, in order to enable the inauguration to be held on the second anniversary of the outbreak of the revolution, foreshadowed a similar unanimity in the choice of the President. But this proved not to be the case. At the first ballot 759 members were in attendance, of whom 471 voted for Yuan Shih- kai and 154 for Li Yuan-hung. The remaining votes were cast for Wu Ting-fang, 33; Tuan Chi-jui, 16; Sun Yat Sen, 13; Kang Yu-wei, 11; and Tang Shao-yi, 5; several others obtained one or two votes each.
Yuan Shih-kai was therefore short by 99 votes of the number required for election.
• No. 149.
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