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Show I CHINA NOW JOINS SISTERHOOD I OF THE WORLD'S REPUBLICS I Peking, Feb. 12. China toduy join- I ed tho slstorhood of tlio world's re- I publics. In tho lmporlal edicts the I Mnnchua dynasty chhngca 400,OUO,'.00 from subjects of an ubso'.uto ruler to I citizens of tho largest self-governing H nation on the earth. The first edict IttffjA announced the abdication of tho dy-P dy-P nasty after 300 years of absoluto rule, the second declared that the throno accepted tho republic, tho third approved alt tho conditions agreed upon by I'remlor Yuan Shi Kal nnd the republicans. Tho third edict creates great astonishment. as-tonishment. It had been expected that the Manchus would demand conditions con-ditions which would safeguard many of tholr privileges, but acordlncg to tho proclamation tho surrender Is unconditional. un-conditional. Tho edict Informed tho viceroys nnd provincial governors of the retirement of tho throno from political po-litical powor and Instructed them to continue doing duty nnd to preserve order throughout tho land. It declared that tho step taken by the throno was In order to moot tho wishes of tho people' Tho abdication of tho Chinese throno by Pu YI, tho child umperor brings to an end tho powerful Man-chu Man-chu dynasty which has relgncM in China since 1644. Tho boy ruler has bocn on tho throne since Nov. 14, 1898, when tho Emperor Kwang Su, his uncle, died. His father, Prlnco Chun, was appointed appoint-ed regent and was tho chief guro in China for three years. Surrounded by a large number of princes of ho lmporlal clan and Man-chu Man-chu officials with reactionary Ideas the regent was brought faco to face with a revolutionary movement In favor of modern reforms. Ho endeavored en-deavored to placate both parties but ended by causing genoral dissatisfaction dissatisfac-tion which led to his resignation on Dec. G, 1911. The promise of a constitutional government made by tho dowager empress on her death bed In 1903 was not fulfilled In any way until May, last year. In that month an lmper- I ial edict abolished the old grand I council which together with tho 9- court, .had nbsoluatt powor and sub- Aj. stltuted a constitutional cabinet. tA Revolutionary Ideas had been WfW spreading In the meantime and tho Jfif southern provinces declared ogalnat tho continuation of Mnnchu rulo and broko Into open revolt. After much fighting revolutionists proclaimed a republic at Nanking In December, and Dr. Sun Yat Sen accepted the presidency on Dec. 29. Negotiations between tho republicans republic-ans and tho imperialists followed and an armistice was arranged. This was not strictly observed but tho negotiations negoti-ations continued with tho result that the Manchu rulers, seeing that China proper was almost entirely In favor of the republican Idea and that tho outlying dependencies of Tibet, Turkestan, Tur-kestan, Mongolia and Manchuria were breaking away, decided that It was their best policy to ylold to tho popular demand and abdicate from H power. |