Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 377

CHINA

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China-by a revolution, the origin and progress of which will be found described in the following pages--decided in 1912 to adopt the Republican form of government. Sun Yat Sen, the Republican leader who was appointed first President of the Republic by the Provisional Government set up at Nanking, resigned the Presidency in favour of Yuan Shih-kai on receiving from him satisfactory assurances regarding his political views in support of the Republic. Yuan Shih-kai was unanimously elected, and Sun Yat-sen retired from politics to devote his energies to economic projects, and especially to the development of a scheme for covering the country with a network of railways Yuan Shi-kai continued to serve as "Provisional President" until October 10th, 1913, when, the two Houses of Parliament having in the meantime been set up, he was duly inaugurated.

The Boards of Government or Ministries remain, with some few changes, as they were reconstituted in 1906, when the first steps were taken towards constitutional government and a reform of the official system. There are eleven Ministries which combined form the Executive Yuan, but the State Council is the highest organ of the Government, and is composed of representatives of the Executive, Legislative, Judicial, Examination, and Control Yuan. The President of the State Council (Chiang Kai shek) is virtually President of the Government. Provincial Councils were established in October, 1909, and a National Assembly came into existence on October 3rd, 1910. Its duties were purely consultative, the actual government remaining in the hands of the officials. The intention had been to grant a full Parliament of two chambers in 1917, the intervening years being devoted to preparations for the change but, in response to repeated memorials from the Provincial Councils, supported finally by a unanimous vote of the National Assembly, the period was shortened by four years. The full Parliament came into existence in 1913, being inaugurated on April 8th. The Senate consisted of 274 members and the House of Representatives of 596. Both Chambers were dominated by an ultra-Republican majority, which showed an attitude of hostility to the President from the outset. The President did not attend the inauguration of the Parliament, because (so it was reported) it had been intimated on behalf of the predominant party that he would be welcomed only as a spectator, and the Chambers went so far in their discourtesy as to refuse to allow his Chief Secretary to read to the House a Message congratulating the Parliament upon its inauguration. After spending two or three months in framing rules for the Parlia- ment, the members by a majority voted themselves a yearly salary of $4,000 each. The proceedings of both Houses during 1913 were distinguished by violent attacks on the policy of the President and his Cabinet, and by the languid interest shown in the serious business of the legislature. Very frequently one House or the other was unable to sit because a quorum of members had not put in an appearance. Hostility towards the President found further expression in a new revolution, which broke out in the province of Kiangsi and extended southward to Kwangtung, involving some fighting at Shanghai, Nanking and a few other points in the Yangtsze Valley, the avowed purpose of the revolution being to organise an expedition "to punish Yuan Shih-kai." Within a couple of months this movement was effectually suppressed by the Central Government, and the leading spirits of the revolution fled the country. Among the refugees was Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Thereupon the President and his Cabinet showed a greater determination to secure more effective control over the provinces. The first thing to be done was to confirm the President in his office, and Parliament, evidently impressed by the confidence the country had shown in him during the late troubles, elected him President of the Republic for the next five years, and Li Yuan-hung, who since the first Revolution had remained in command of the troops at Wuchang, was elected Vice-President. Hardly a month had elapsed since his election before the