Show I u THE YELLOW CORD OF CHINA AND ITS MEANING Imperial l Death Warrant Of tIle Celestial Empire Reported to Have Been Sent to Yuan Ship Kai What L Must fet y r Be Done fl by Those Who Receive It UBLICATION of mows dls patches from Peking that the Regent Prince Chun has P I sent an imperial messenger bearing the yellow cord to Yuan Shill Kal will excite worldvldo Interest for several sev-eral reasons writes TlioiaiH e lard In tho Philadelphia Lodger Thor la unusual solicitude tor this eminent Chinese statesman International considerations con-siderations of importance nro believed to l > o Involved with his fato and till Tumor Illustrates the survival of one of those curious customs which West crners habitually associate with the cocalled mysterious east As Its alleged uso In this connection connec-tion Intimates the yellow cord takes place with tho yellow Jacket tho peacock pea-cock fcathor the ruby button and other ancient symbols of tho Celestial empire to which extraordinary slgnlft canco Is attached tend which amy popularly pop-ularly supposed to bo confined to China Tho west horn from time to time of how higher Chinese officials have been endowed with or deprived ot such honors and Its estimation ol tho Importance of those events do ponds upon whether a practical or comic opera view oC Chinese politics Is taken To many westerners these political symbols nsfluuitJ a romantic and mysterious aspect to others they eavor of tho preposterous Doth ol these estimations arc Incorrect for when scrutinized they are like most oriental customs found to bo almost exactly parallel In their prnctlqnl effects ef-fects to contemporaneous Western customs Matter of Etiquette Tho yellow cord Is a symbol attached at-tached to superior dignity It has JIko many oldtime ceremonials of court etiquette In Europe become much modified In modern times Its legendary functions confine Its operation opera-tion to members of tho Imperial family fami-ly and to officials of vlcoregal grade And Its exercise always has been n prerogative of the throno thus to receive re-ceive a yellow cord was In a sense a sort of melancholy distinction and was presumed to open a way for honorable hon-orable melt from this life to persons who had unforgivably offended the emperor and whoso elevated rank or considerations of state placed them above ordinary legal processes Tho old method was attended by considerable ceremony The symbolic death warrant was conveyed by a special spe-cial messenger of high rank who was accompanied by an Imposing escort anti who upon arriving at his destination destina-tion was received by tho unfortunate official with ambassadorial honors n t jr rt f a M t o r vF I v I y JV ti 1G 1 J t It I tkl 3 ° I r v d s tI d fi I fi I II tt n Chinese Emperors Funeral Procession much as heralds In Europe l In the middle ages The function frequently was accompanied by a banquet at which tho recipient of tho fatal cord 1 was host and when it was considered a violation of etiquette for any ono present to refer to or appear to understand under-stand the tragic nature of tho mission mis-sion ulonThoso Thoso preliminaries over the mos sanger would deliver tho cord it would bo received without any display of emotion Indeed it was considered good form to feign pleasure and tho messenger would depart During tho interval from the receipt of tho symbol sym-bol until the day when It must bo acted upon the recipient would be permitted per-mitted apparent liberty although actually ac-tually kept under strict surveillance and this period usually would bo do voted to putting his affairs In order rind in giving a nodes of farewell entertainments en-tertainments to hls relatives and friends Although n tlmo limit was set within which the offender was ox pecttd to dopart this life It was not considered good form to defer until tho lust day neither was It proper to display undue haste Honorable end to Life Theoretically the yellow cord was supposed to provide a way for the offender of-fender to take his own life by strangulation strang-ulation but usually a different means like ono of the subtlo and deadly poisons long known to orientals was actually used After death tho body of tho man thus honored would bo burled with full official honors If ono failed to dlo within tho specified time ho was stripped of all honors and his Immediate family degraded and ho then would die by the hand of tho executioner exe-cutioner This was tho function of the yellow cord in ancient times as I have hoard I It described by Chinese friends of mine but not for very many years I has It actually been employed In fact the function Is now obsolete and while Its theoretical symbolism survives sur-vives It Is doubtful If It ever again will bo carried out or that Chinese seriously expect It to be However It has nominally been brought Into requisition In quite recent re-cent times It was reported to have been sent to LI Hung Chung after the disastrous debacle of tho Chinese array In the last war with Japan when the vcnornblo statesman was also temporarily tem-porarily stripped of all his high honors hon-ors But whether tho cord was sent to LI or not he merely retired to his native province whero ho was supposed sup-posed to purify himself by communing commun-ing at the tombs of his ancestors and In a short tlmo time dlfllcultles of tho Peking government compelled It I to recall him and to intrust to his experienced ex-perienced hand tho negotiation of the treaty of peace between Japan and China which was signed at Shimon osekiLIs Lis Return to Power After his success by Inducing tho Intervention of Franco and Russia In preserving tho territorial Integrity of the empire LI was restored to full honors which ho retained until his death The last previous Instance which I can recall of tho presumed uso of tho yellow cord was In 1901 following follow-ing tho Boxer uprising when upon tho Insistence of foreign powers that some high Chinese officials be punIshed pun-ished for alleged complicity in attacks upon the foreign legations at Poking Prince Tuan and others were supposed to have received It but all of them so far as I know arc still living In retirement re-tirement nun disgrace although those I Is no reason to suppose that their situation sit-uation except for loss of face Is I very uncomfortable I As Illustrating this somewhat peculiar pe-culiar Idea of the Chinese 1 recall tho dally scene In a Chinese police court whero misdemeanants are tried and punished usually by so many strokes of a bamboo stick administered Immediately Imme-diately after passing of sentence In the presence of tho magistrate Guilty miscreants anticipating convjctlou generously wad their clothing with cotton so that tho strokes of the cudgel cud-gel will Inflict no serious bruises and furthermore sometimes by bribing tho bailiff will Induce him to lay on the blows very lightly although with I apparent vigor Thoso little evasions are perfectly well understood yet the = = = person who Is being punished will make a great outcry whon In reality lio hardly feels the blows Yet ho dare not omit the groan which Is the outward out-ward testimony of his suffering under punishment Should tho culprit fall to bellow loudly It Is considered a reflection reflec-tion upon the court and tho magistrate magis-trate may order the number of blows to ho doubled and to be laid on In earnest So If any Chinese official should be sure that overy ono In China will make a pretense of taking tho matter quite seriously when In fact It Is nothing more than a severe imperial im-perial reprimand Yuan a True Patriot Yuan Is Inimical to tho Manchu faction fac-tion as is any Chinese who displays extraordinary Ability ho also Is disliked dis-liked by tho remnant of the antipro grosstvo cabal which sees In reform the end of Its influence and furthermore further-more ho Is hated by an extreme faction fac-tion of reformers which considers him too conservative None of these Influences In-fluences alone could have accomplished Yuans dismissal but all of them together to-gether added to tho supposed desire of the regent to retaliate for what ho I considers the humiliation of his brother broth-er the former emperor and aided by some casual International complications complica-tions rondo It possible Tho sensation which Yuans dismissal dismis-sal caused Is still fresh In mind as nro the pessimistic forebodings which It excited Some thought that It would precipitate the longexpected Internal CA h IM L l i T f m 1 u ar j t tY Ip t s O r I l ir tt v v I J 7 i dim I z ± 2 = di = I C L J I r = Imperial 1 I Messenger Bearing I the Yellow Cord cataclysm and that Yuan would place i himself at the head of the modern I army which he created and seize Peking Pe-king It Is possible had he been so disposed that Yuan might have accomplished ac-complished such a coup detat But his conduct under tho circumstances Is a complete refutation of adverse conceptions concep-tions of his ambitions and character Ho chose the patriotic course and proved his devotion to his country by quietly accepting his dismissal and retiring re-tiring to his native province whero he has slnco lived For tho last fow years he has directed direct-ed the foreign policy of tho nation and none knows bettor than he tho designs de-signs focused upon China and tho influences In-fluences which seek her dismemberment dismember-ment There Is slight reason to doubt that tho first sign of Internal disorder would have been tho signal for occupation occu-pation of the country and possibly the capital by foreign troops the excuse being that It was necessary to protect foreign Interests and Inhabitants In fact It Is well known that two nations which now are aggressing upon Chinas territory had forces of occupation occupa-tion mobilized ready promptly to seize any excuso which offered America to Be Considered Curiously enough It Is probable that the attitude of the Washington administration admin-istration toward certain matters then under consideration contributed to Yuans downfall A special embassy headed by Tang Shaoyi had been sent to Washington ostensibly to thank tho United States for renouncing renounc-ing the unpaid part of Its share of tho Boxer Indemnity but really to present pre-sent Chinas sldo of tho Miuiclmrluu question and to endeavor to rnllst Americas support In resisting Russian and Japanese cncrachments upon Chinas sovereignty The Peking govt eminent was very uneasy about Japans policy and still Is and was seeking a closer understanding with the United States and Yuan had led the Peking government to believe that such an entente could bo arranged and that It ould assure tho Integrity of the emp re Yuan therefore was per sonalty responsible for the special embassy and tho proAmerican thesis of Chlneso diplomacy as a means to tide over a critical period In Its his lady At this Junctirro Japanese diplomacy became active and the Washington government was somehow Induced to accept Japans theory of the situation The sending of only half the fleet to China which was a distinct slap and the refusal of the Washington admin lulrutlon to give any definite assur anccs to Tang Shaoyl followed Tang Shao yi I understand tried to get tho Washington government publicly to Interchange In-terchange notes with China somewhat after tho manner of time nootTakahlra communique but this proposal was declined while the state department ostentatiously concluded a socalled ambiguous agreement with Japan involving In-volving the fate of China while refusing refus-ing openly to glvo similar assurances diiectly to China herself Efforts to Save Yuan When England and the United States awoke to the tact that Yuan had been thrown they began a be hated scramble to save him The American and British ministers al Peking after falling to securo united action of tho entire diplomatic corps and after communicating with their governments took joint action and made representations to the regent by Inquiring If Yuans dismissal might bt construed to mean that China Intends to alter her foreign policy This Intervention Inter-vention was well meant but coming at tho tlmo it was rather unfortunate and had the effect of preventing any Immediate amelioration of Yuans disgrace dis-grace by creating a situation which would make It appear that any clemency clem-ency was due to foreign pressure The ineptitude of England and the United States In this matter must havo I caused many quiet smiles In diplomatic diplomat-ic circles In the far east and especially especial-ly I the neat way In which Japan again I scored at the expense of her ally not t tho first time by any means since tho I promulgation of tho now alliance And so despite the efforts of England Eng-land and tho United States to save him Yuan went Into retirement and speculation about tho political situation situa-tion In China slnco thon has chiefly concerned Itself with the question of how long the Peking government can continue to manage without his advice ad-vice That ho eventually will bo recalled re-called Is an Impression which has been steadily growing during the last three months consequently the rumor that ho has received tho yellow cord must be received with Incredulity That such a sentence will bo carried out is Inconceivable If there should bo tho slightest chance that the Peking government at tho Instigation of Yuans enemies should prevail upon tho regent to adopt severe measures toward the retired statesman the humanitarian sentiment of civilization would rise In his defense Concerning the reported dispatch of tho yollow cord to Yuan I may quote an expression of his own made to me when I saw him and when ho discussed dis-cussed the situation of China and hor relation to the world with unusual frankness timid acumen In her effort at reform ho said China must break through and dissipate dissi-pate many old traditions and customs which now hamper modern progress but If the west really Is sympnthettj to our ambitions In attempting I appreciate conditions here It will flixi It necessary to abandon some of Its superstitions about China Of western superstitions about China I can think of no better example ex-ample than tho state of mind whirl takes very seriously tho report that tho yellow cord has been sent to Yuan und that this presages his early death |