The Chinese Press gives prominence to a telegram circulated on the 23rd ultimo by General Lu Yung-hsiang, Tuchun of Chekiang and Military Commissioner of Sungkiang and Shanghai, boldly advocating the abolition of the tuchun system in this country, After pointing out the critical situation beset with foreign menace and internal conflict, the necessity of immediately restoring peace and un and the adoption of the simplest way of reaching this goal. in order to avoid complicating matters and stultifying efforts. General Lu continues effect, in thus:—"The procedure adopted must be proper and open. intrigues alt and' counter intrigues must be eschewed, if we hope to attain success in our peace negotiations. Back-door games can never win our people's confidence nor can they achieve any peace that will last and endure."
General Lu then says that there is a question on which he has long wished to speak but he has refrained. Now he can no longer remain silent, and he begs to lay bare his views and requests the opinion of all his colleagues.
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"To-day, the worst obstacle to the Peace Conference and most harmful to our political administration is the system of the tuchunate. This is at least the popular conception. Whether this conception is justified or not, I will not say. But since our country is called a Republic, it should be ruled on democratic' principles. When the whole country has settled down to a peaceful state, it would seem to be still a question whether the Tuchun will or will not remain. But speaking logically, the system of the tuchunate appears to be incompatible with our democratic form of government. It would thus seem that the tuchun is not a permanent functionary, nor the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.