Peking, May 15.
Interviewed by Reuter's _correspondent to-day Dr. W. W. Yen said that he had been most reluctant to resume the Premiership but the greatest pressure had been exercised upon him from all sides. The elders of the Committee of Safety had informed him that they were resolved to quit and had urged him to. come out and take charge of affairs, Mr, Wang Shih-chen and Mr. Chao Erh-hsun particularly had expressed the opinion that his (Dr. Yen's) plain duty was to restore the administration no matter what personal sacrifice this entailed, pointing out that there had not been a Government in Peking for "six weeks, a state of affairs that could not be permitted to continue.
Numerous discussions had ensued in which he had had to admit that from a legal point of view he should resume. Finally he had agreed to do s0 for an hour, a day or a week, but he had stipulated that he would retire as soon as the situation was clear, The main determining factor, however, was a lotter from the representatives of 16 provincial assemblies, probably the most representative body in China at the moment. These gentlemen had ex-_ plicity pointed out that refusal on, his part would probably lead to general chaos.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.