Mr. Kang Vu-wei's Views upon its Failure: The Unsuitability of China for a Republican Form of Government:
Benefits Under the Monarchy A number of leading Chinese have consented to express their views upon the situation in China and the present outlook. The following gives the views of the noted reformer of monarchial days, Mr. Kang Yu-
An interesting Chinese resident in our midst at the present time i Kang Vu-wei, the famous narchia) reformer, who is now ving a life' of retirement in Shanghai.
Mr. Kang Vu-wei was born in the district of Nan-hai, Kuangtung (the home of many famer Chinese), 61 years ago. Alter ing his examinations for the high A Chinese Reformer for his arrest. This was subsequently cancelled and he was pardoned. To-day he is" a free man again, Mr. Kang is an ardent advocate of Confucianism and has repeatedly urged its adoption as State religion, but so-far his efforts in this direction have proved unsuccessful in spite of the fact that the I/teraté look upon him as their leader. Though he gave up the leadership of the Confucian Society in 1917 he is still looked upon by many as such, and by his students he is considered a sage, Tue Lack or AvrHoniry, Since his retirement Mr. Kang has received only his intimate friends and has repeatedly refused to be drawn into politics. He informed the representative of the North-China Daily News" that he was the first' newspaper representative he had received since his retirement. He could not say whether he would re-enter politics, and at present his services were not called upon.
Chinese literary degrees, he started a campaign. of reform in south China by means of lectures. and pamphlets. On June 14, 1898, upon the recommendation of Wong Tung-ho, Imperial Manchu Tutor, he was received in audience by the late Emperor Kuang Hsu. Over him Kang at once obtained a strong influence and the Emperor's reform decrees of that year were inspired by Kang. On this account he came under the enmity of the famous Empress Dowager, who effected her well known coup d'etat and ordered Kang's arrest. An order for his execution was issued, but Kang escaped and went abroad where he resided for 16 years, visiting 30 countries.
Upon the. overthrow of the monarchy, he returned to China, and was prominent in Peking during General Chang Hsun's attempt to restore the Manchus to) Chi the throne in July, 1917, When Marshal Tuan Chi-jui upset Chang's scheme (which, it should be mentioned, had previously received the approval of practically all the military Teaders of the country—including Feng Kuo-chang, although they withdrew at. the last moment), Mr. Kang was once more compelled to flee from Peking and a warrant was issued Asked what he thought of China's present condition, Mr. Kang replied without—hesitation—"It is getting worse and worse. There is no discipline. No laws are observed. There is no authority which is absolutely respected. There is no government in China now that is worthy of or deserves that name. At present nobody is responsible and nobody will accept responsibility. With the whole power in the hands of a few militarists, nobody dares say anything with freedom. China a republic? No. China is not a republic. How can she be called such? She has no constitution, no laws, no parliament, no vice-president and no legal president. China to-day is a thousand times worse than ever she was under the Manchu government. Morals have been broken to pieces and law is no more.
"Who controls China to-day? Do not a few militarists control the country? It is all very well for China to hang out a signboard and call herself a republic. But is she? Do the people have any say in the affairs of the country? You are forced to admit that they do not. Then is it not deception to say that China is a republic when in reality she is not?
Tue IutecaL PARLiaMeNT, "Hsu Shih-chang and Tuan borrowed a loan of $20,000,000 from the Japanese and set up 'a parliament. This parliament. elected' Hsu Shih-chang as 'President' and now 'President' Hsu has dismissed this very parl-lament which elected' him on the ground that it was "illegal." And what about himself? Ts his not an illegal position? Yuan Shi-kai had the whole country under his control when he was President. Li
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.