“SUN
YAT-SEN DYING” “DEATH OF DR. SUN IS NOW ANNOUNCED” “RUMOR OF SUN'S DEATH DENIED IN HONGKONG” “SUN YAT-SEN ALIVE, BUT WON'T PROVE IT” “SUN YAT-SEN IS ALIVE, SAYS HIS SECRETARY” That was the past week's Sun Yat-Sen news from China, as told by
newspaper headlines. Dr. Sun, “George Washington of the Far
East,” is one of the outstanding figures of Republican China. In
1911, he took a leading part in overthrowing the ancient Monarchy,
became a Provisional President of the Chinese Republic. Since those
days, however, he has been considered one of the main obstacles to the
unification of China. Born in 1866, Sun became a doctor of medicine in
1892, and from that year began his intensive interest in politics. The
year 1896 found the young doctor in England, an exile from China,
where his republican agitation had caused a price to be put on his
head. One day he passed by the Chinese Legation in London. Strong
hands gripped him, he disappeared. Judicious bribery enabled him to
smuggle a note to Sir James Cantlie, his onetime tutor; Sir James took
the note to Premier Lord Salisbury; Lord Salisbury sent a policeman
to the Legation and Dr. Sun was freed. His campaign against the Manchu dynasty was intensified and from
foreign soils he led the Young China Party in its ultimately victorious
battle against the Emperor. In 1911 the storm of Revolution at last
began to discharge its lightning; Dr. Sun hurried to China, became
first Provisional President. On Jan. 5, 1912, the Chinese Empire became
the Republic of China: the Manchus had been deposed, but the six-year-
old boy-Emperor was allowed to keep his title for life and the
Government promised to grant him a yearly subsidy for the same period. The Young China Party was at all times a South China Party rather than
an All China Party. The Presidents and Parliaments of Peking soon began
to display a vacillating propensity in politics and eventually
frittered away all chance of exerting any real authority over the
country. The Tuchuns became more powerful than before;
Dr. Sun withdrew his support from Peking and the historic
divergencies of the North and South became once more intensified. The death of Dr. Sun would have removed a serious obstacle to China's
great task of self-reunification.
