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There is very little restraint upon government officials, who have no conscientious scruples about using their official positions to amass private fortunes. Hence the entire system is so honey-combed with graft that it is the rule rather than the exception.
With a Government of this kind the development of capitalism would indeed be slow and uncertain.
It, too, must change and conform to the new order, and nothing short of a revolution could bring about this change. During the years of 1910 and 1911, the greater portion of the world's oldest nation was again suffering, due to the failure of her crops. Tens of thousands starved to death, poverty striken, sick and helpless; all over the empire were murmurings of discontent. Local uprisings became more and more numerous; the spirit of revolution was in the air, but those willing to rebel against the government were in mast cases poor, starving and empty handed. Now someone, or some combination of interests, did furnish these willing to be revolutionists, food supplies, guns, ammunition, in fact the most modern weapons of war, and a real revolution against the Manchu dynasty was on.
The writer is unable to tell just who financed the revolution, but feels quite safe in making the statement, that it was a combination of Japanese, German, English, French, Russian and American capitalists. Time will reveal this bit of history. The revolution was fought and a republic, we are informed, is to follow the abdication of the old dynasty,
China a Republic by Imperial Decree.
Associated Press to American Newspapers:
Peking, February 12, 1912.—After occupying the throne of China for nearly three centuries, the Manchu dynasty, represented by the child emperor, abdicted today. Three edicts were issued, the first proclaiming the abdication, the second dealing with the establishment of the republic, and the third urging the maintenance of peace and approving the conditions agreed upon by the imperial premier, Yaun Shi Kai, and the republicans. The text of the first edict is as fellows:
We, the emperor of China, have respectfully received today the following edict from the hands of her majesty, the dowager empress:
In consequences of the uprising of the Republican army to which the people of the provinces of China
