"Tsao Kun has not yet abandoned his presidential ambitions. He feels that he cannot retreat. Advice and his own experience in this matter have had no effect. Some days ago Tsao Jui came to see me and asked for my advice. Whatever our relative positions are now, I cannot refuse to see these men and give them my—sincere opinions. I brought them up in the military world and they are in many respects my children. I therefore gave Tsao Jui a message for his brother. I said:
"Tell him that he must either get on or get off. His present position is untenable. If he thinks he is qualified to be a President of China, if he is sure that he can carry out such functions, then, since he has gone so far, by. all means let him assume the Presidency whether through election, the exercise of force, the expenditure of money or any other means that will get him there. If he is not sure that he is qualified and can discharge the functions of such an office, then let him quit at once and announce frankly to the country that he has withdrawn. If he hesitates to quit now and fears that it will mean complete defeat and collapse, I can personally guarantee out of my knowledge of affairs that I can protect him. But if he has a try at the Presidency in spitd of this advice and then fails, as he will fail, he must take his deserts,""
At the close of this talk the writer asked Marshal Tuan whether he still thought, in the light of ® 12 years' experiment that' the republican form of government was suited to China or that China could eventually adapt herself to this form. The writer, after a moment of marked hesita—. tion and -silence, ined that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.