Dr Sun Yat Sen's Revolutionary Activities

by James Cantlie

Dec^ber 23^rd

To the Editor
of the Times

Dear Sir

I am pleased to see that your correspondent in China has seen fit to go beyond the walls of Peking, to gather information concerning the revolutionary movement in China. Hitherto he has neglected the opinion of any persons of position in China except those in Peking, but his recent journey to Hankau Nanking & Shanghai, has evidently impressed him that the Manchu cause is hopeless. The practical recognition of the revolutionaries as belligerents by the Powers has raised them to a position of importance politically, & commercially, which must tilt in their favour. Practically every Chinaman is a reformer, & in belief if not in fact, his sympathies are with the reformers, but mostly with the revolutionaries. It is surely time the world realized this, as your Peking correspondent somewhat tardily has done.

The election of a President of the Republic is an important one. The desire of the Revolutionaries I have known personally for a considerable time, from the best authority, namely, D^r Sun Yat-Sen, is—that Yuan-Shih-Kai should take up the duties. He seems to be the man recognised by the Powers as fitted for the past.

The revolutionaries in hopes of speedily settling the chaos into which the country is plunged & in order to further the interests of peace, are not disinclined to acquiece in the desire of the Powers & it may be in the interests of China itself, but they but they do not forget that Yuan-Shih-Kai is primarily a soldier & not a Statesman. He is unacquainted with any country except his own, he has never travelled beyond the boundaries of China & his mind clings to a monarchy of some sort. The adopted son of the General Chang-Chin-Woo, whose own son Pao-Tsu-Woo has been for many years a revolutionary, Yuan remained faithful to the Manchu, & he has felt that the only possible Monarch must be one of the family; this the whole world now knows, as well as Yuan--Shih-Kai
^ himself, is held by the Chinese revolutionaries (which practically means the people of China) to be an impossibility & will not be considered for a moment. Had Yuan-Shih-Kai been a diplomat he would never have allowed the Empress Dowager to stifle the spirit of reform shown by the late Emperor, or to so earnestly desire his decease before her own death took place.

We must not forget that Yuan-Shih-Kai has shown that he belongs to the “old China” regime, & it has yet to be proved that he is ready to introduce modern forms of Government into China. A civil service on a sound basis has to be brought into being, justice properly administered in Courts of law, has to be established, properly constructed roads of which China possessed none, education on a broad basis has to be introduced & representative Government made possible.

Can Yuan-Shih-Kai be entrusted to see that these reforms are carried out. His previous training has not prepared his mind for such a so called ‘revolutionary’ step & it remains to be seen whether he is a great man & a patriot or but a narrow minded autocrat unfamiliar with the wishes of the people & without desire to further their cherished (illegible text).

Yours faithfully,

James Cantlie