Salt Lake Tribune | 1916-05-29 | Page 1 | Yuan near Death; Poison Suspected

YUAN SHI KAI, president of China, who is seriously se-riously ill and is thought to have been poisoned. f-r ) y vj ' ft YUAN NEAR DEATH; POISON SUSPECTED President of China, Taken III Last Tuesday, Thought Victim of Assassin. TOKIO, May 2S. Reports to the Tokio Asahi from Pekin state that the condition condi-tion of Yuan Shi Kai, president of the Chinese republic, is grave. He was taken ill Tuesday and cannot speak. It is suspected sus-pected he has been poisoned. For many months Yuan Shi Kai has been the storm center of political trouble in the far eastern republic. During this time he has made bitter enemies, and his country has been torn with revolutions revolu-tions and unrest. Yuan was inaugurated first president of the Chinese republic October 11, 1913, after acting for several months as provisional pro-visional president. His election came after centuries of Manchu rule. He was to serve a five-year term. In August of 1914 talk of re-establishing a monarchy began. There was much opposition to this move at first, but in December the council of state voted 2043 j to 1993 in favor of the monarchy. Yuan I Shi Kai was invited to be the emperor. At first he declined to accept, but finally, ' under pressure from political leaders, j acquiesced to the desires of the council ' on conditioa that he remain president until a convenient time for the corona-I corona-I tion. I Because of vigorous protests from Japan ! and Great Britain and expressions of dis-: dis-: pleasure by other powers. Yuan post-: post-: poned the coronation Indefinitely, On j ; New Year's day Yuan sat on the throne, 1 but he has never been officially crowned emperor. I Soon after the council voted for a re- 1 turn to the monarchy, a serious rebellion broke out in the southern provinces of the country. It spread rapidly, and many of the republic troops joined the rebels. Quiet was partially restored, but political outbreaks have continued since. Yuan Shi Kai is regarded as one of the greatest men modern China has produced. At the age of 26 he was made Chinese imperial resident in Korea. In 1907 he was grand councilor of the empire, and a year later senior guardian of the heir apparent. The successful Manchu rebels elected him president In 1913. Yuan is now 57 years old. !