His Alleged Democratic Leanings: Desire to Be Regarded as a Private Citizen "There is na intention whatsoever to restore the monarchy," Hsuan Tung (Pu Yi), the young Mancha Emperor, is reported to have said in the course of an interview with'
representative of the Chinese press.
The young Emperor, who was seen, according to one rews-paper, at the Chang Gardens in Tientsin, said that he was now like a free bird in comparison with his in the Imperial Palace] where he was a prisoner. He had no special aim when he left Peking except that he wanted to live amongst his own countrymen as free, private citizen, When he went to Tientsin from Peking, he said, he travelled in a second class carriage where he came into contact with his own country- of people, people whom he would never: have met otherwise, and made friends with many of them. He! felt freer, and better, and certainly' much happier than he did when he. /was living in the palace, an emperor with an empty titi The young Emperor added that he wanted to be treated as a free, private citizen and that the special good treatment privileges accorded to the Manchu House should be cancelled in order that the burden of the people might be lightened; that all eunuchs should be sent away to their homes in order that bad habits and customs should be eliminated; and that his private properties should be sold and the proceeds used for the establishment of factories for the employment of the ex-bannermen and for the relief of the poor of Peking.
These aims, he thought, were good, but he was afraid that they would be opposed, not only by the Chinese people, but by his fellow Manchus. Although it meant hard work to put them into practice he would do his best.
Certain newspapers had published Ineorrect articles about him, said the young Emperor, and these were in lous. He had cut clippings and had pasted them in a book which he was; Keeping ax a souvenir. The report that Mfr. Kang Vu-vel had called on him wrong as he had not seen Mr. Kang. since he arrived in Tientsin. It was untrue to say that] hho had sent out agents to different parts of the country. All he had done was to send his tutor to Mukden to repair the graves of his (the Emperor's) ancestors who had been buried there, Concluding, the young Emperor! tated that he had no intention' whatever of restoring a monarchy or taking part in such an attempt. He was a private citizen and he would remain such,.In spite of everything said to the contrary he was a good citizen, and would remain so; he did not desire to commit treason. He had very few friends with him, and these did not exceed a score in number.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.