come the Acting Chairman of the National Government, though no official announcement has been made yet—Reuter, Nanking, Sept. 22.
Following the death of Gen. Tan, the National Government hurriedly filled the vacancy left of chairman of the Admitistrative Yuan, which the late statesman had held until his death, by the appointment of Mr. T. V. Soong, the vice-chairman and Finance Minister, while Mr. Hu Han-min has been nominated act as Acting Chairman of the Naional Government.—Rengo, Through the death of Gen, Tan Yen-kai, the National Government thas sustained a heavy loss and it is pated that considerable diffi culty: will be experienced in finding a man to fill his place.
The late Gen, Tan was a native of Honan, being born at Chi-lin-hsien in 1876 the son of Tan Chang-Viceroy of the Hu-Kuanig Pro-Vinces. At the age of 25, he passed the metropolitan examinations and was appointed a Chih-suh (doctor of literature). He was subsequently made a Hanlin Compiler, being admitted to the Hanlin Academy, and the only remaining Hanlin scholar serving in the National Government, (he other being Dr. George Chien its, former Minister of Jostice, who retired from public life several years ago, After passing the Hanlin exam nations, he went home on ret ment bet, whilst in Hunan, he became active in Iceal polities, in consequence of which he was" elected chairman of the Hunan Provincial Assembly in 1909, when the Man-hus gave every Getermination to introduce a constitutional seevernment, When the First, Revolution broke out in 1911, Gen. Tan was appoint. ed Chief of the Department of Military Affairs with headquarters in Changsha, and, in the following year, he, was appointed Tutah, of Military Governor, of Hunan, In October, 1913, he' was relieved of office by Gen. Yuan Shih-kai, the President, on suspicion of disloyalty. in connection with the Second Revolution, and ordered to hand over: office to Admiral Tang Hsiang: ming. In August, 10916, after Yuan's death, Gen, Tan was apinted Tuchvn, this being the reed title for Tutuh, of Hunan and concurrent Civil Governor but 2 year later he was superseded by Gen. Fu Liang-tso, a confidential agent of Marshal Tuan Chi Premier, and a leach later driven away by the Kiangsi troops who invaded Hunan, In December, 1927, Gen. Tan was restored to his former pests, his appointment this time coming from the Southwestern Military Govern ment, Meanwhile," Peking ordered Marshals Tsao Kun and Wu Pei-fu and Gen. Chang Ching-yao to retake Hunan and their combined forces finally succeeded in recapturing Yochow and Changsha but Gen, Tan and his men continued to occupy Part of the province. Before the northern vielory was completed, Chang Ching-yao, an Anfu follower, Was appointed Tuchun instead of Wo Pei-fu who deserved the ap-Pointment because it was his troops alone who captored the two portant. cities. Thus, for a time, there were two Tuchuns in Hunan, one appointed by Peking and. the other by Canton, Marshal Wu Pei-fu returned from Hunan in March, 1920, to Pactings fa under the pretext of giving troops a rest but actually og a pro test against Peking's refusal to pay then! although the Anfu. generals. eecived their monthly allowance reularly. Upon Wu's retirement from Hunan, Chang Chingsyao could not hold his ground for Gen. Tan, for taking advantage of the situation, advanced with his men and captured Changsha, After Chang Ching yao's flight, Gen, Tan reigned "nee note over Hunan as Military and il Governor but he did not. fune-Mien as such under Peking's or-
On November 2, 1920, Gen. Tan declared self-government for Hunan and, three weeks later, the military and civil administrations were se-paraled, Tan temporarily' tal over the civil adnvinistration himself and the military affairs being left to Gen, Chao Hong-ti, A week later, however, he was relieved of the Governorship by Gen. Ling Chiheyw, one of Chao's men, After that Gen, Tan made a number of attempts to restore himself in Hus nan but each time he failed, In June, 1922, when the' Chihlie Mukden war broke out, he was appointed Minister of Interior in Dr. Wang Chung-hui's Cabinet but he Gid not accept office. A year afterwards, he was awarded the Second Class Order of Merit, When the Canton Government was formally established in Canton in 1923, Gen, Tan was appointed chief secretary and, in the following year, he was made commander of the Hunanese troops in Kuangtung. In 1925, he was. promoted commander of the Second Army Corps with the Anti-Northern Exe pedition and a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang.
Gen, Tan, who was a very me timate friend and adviser to the late Dr. Sun Yat-sen, was a member of the Wuhan Government but he joined the Moderates and came to Nanking where he was appointed Minister of War, Later, he was made chairman of the Administrae tive Yuan and, on numerous occasions during the absence of Gen, Chiang Kai-shek from Nanking, he acted as Chairman of the National Government, a, post which, in Nan-King's eyes, is equivalent to that of President of the Republ'y of China,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.