Ousted

An event, every bit as amusing as it was surprising, was the eviction from the Forbidden City of P'u-yi, * Son of Heaven, Emperor of China. Acting upon the orders of General Feng, "Chinese Christian Soldier," soldiers took possession of the Forbidden City, forced the 18-year-old Emperor to sign a new version of the abdication agreement of 1912, wherein he was promised a life income of $4,000,000 a year, retention of his vast Imperial estates and his titles.

According to the new agreement, the Emperor's title and privileges are abolished ; a commission is to be set up to determine what is, and what is not, national property; and his yearly income has been cut to $500,000 a year.

The object of the sudden invasion and seizure of the Forbidden City, wherein, before 1912, no stranger was allowed to enter, was not made clear. M. Karakhan, the Bolshevik Ambassador, was popularly supposed to have inspired it; Dr. Sun Yat-sen's name was also mentioned; some thought it was a desire on the part of the Provisional Government to seize precious treasures hidden in the City; most were of the opinion that the coup forestalled an attempt to restore the Ta Ch'ing Ch'ao (Great Pure Dynasty).

At the time of the seizure of the City, Marshal Tuan Chi-jui, prospective President of the Republic, was absent from Peking, as was the victorious General Chang, Super-Tuchun of Manchuria. The former, as shown by his attitude during the abortive Monarchist coup d'etat of 1917, is a loyal Republican ; but Chang is at heart a Monarchist. What would happen, therefore, when the latter heard of the happenings at Peking, not one Chinaman could tell another.

Meanwhile, it troubled the Emperor not a bit to sign away his vast revenues which have, for the past ten years, been sadly in arrears. He stipulated that certain sums should be used for the erection of factories for his Manchu retainers to work in, but apparently made no other objections. He was then escorted under armed guard to the house of his father, Prince Chun, brother of Emperor Kuang-Hsii; he became Mr. P'u-yi.

* P'u-yi was horn on Feb. 11, 1906 and ascended the throne at the age of two on Nov. 14, 1908, when he took the name of Hsuan Tung. On Feb. 12, 1912, the Republican authorities, kind and simple-hearted enough to wait until after the sixth Imperial birthday had been celebrated, forced the Boy Emperor to abdicate. Last year, on Dec. 1, 1923, he married and chose the name of Henry for himself and Elizabeth for his wife.