The Fight for the Republic in ChinaPutnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox)
History
The Fight for the Republic in China
Putnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox)
China -- History -- Republic, 1912-1949; China -- Politics and government
In any event he will be a figurehead in whose hand will not be
vested political, financial and military power, which will be
controlled by foreigners. All the valuable mines, various kinds of
industries and our abundant natural resources will likewise be
developed by others. China will thus disappear as a nation. In
selecting a man of the Li Wang type, the aforesaid foreign countries
will desire merely to facilitate the acquisition of China's
territory. But there can be easily found such a man who bears
remarkable resemblance to Li Wang, and who will be willing to make a
treaty with the foreigners whereby he unpatriotically sells his
country in exchange for a throne which he can never obtain or keep
without outside assistance. His procedure will be something like
this: He will make an alliance with a foreign nation by which the
latter will be given the power to carry on foreign relations on
behalf of his country. In the eyes of foreigners, China will have
been destroyed, but the people will continue deceived and made to
believe that their country is still in existence. This is the first
step. The second step will be to imitate the example of Korea and
make a treaty with a certain power, whereby China is annexed and the
throne abolished. The imperial figurehead then flees to the foreign
country where he enjoys an empty title. Should you then try to make
him devise means for regaining the lost territory it will be too
late. For China will have been entirely destroyed by that time. This
is the second procedure in the annexation of Chinese territory. The
reason why that foreign country desires to change the republic into
the monarchy is to set one man on the throne and make him witness
the whole process of annexation of his country, thereby simplifying
the matter. When that time has come, the people will not be
permitted to make any comment upon the form of government suitable
for China, or upon the destruction of their country. The rebels who
raised the standard of the republic have no principles and if they
now find that some other tactics will help to increase their power
they will adopt these tactics. China's republic is doomed, no matter
what happens. If we do not change it ourselves, others will do it
for us. Should we undertake the change ourselves we can save the
nation: otherwise there is no hope for China to remain a nation. It
is to be regretted that our people now assume an attitude of
indifference, being reluctant to look forward to the future, and
caring not what may happen to them and their country. They are
doomed to become slaves after the loss of their national
independence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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