of the ruler can be increased without showing the slightest contempt for the legislative organ.  I consider that this is the proper method of procedure for the formation of a constitutional monarchy for China.

    Mr. Ko:  Can I know something about the contents of our future
    constitution in advance?

Mr. Hu:  If you want to know them in detail I recommend you to read the Constitutions of Prussia and Japan.  But I can tell you this much.  Needless to say that such stipulations as articles guaranteeing the rights of the people and the power of the parliament will surely be worked into the future constitution.  These are found in almost every constitution in the world.  But as the former Provisional Constitution has so provided that the power of the parliament is unlimited, while that of the president is very small, the Chief Executive, besides conferring decorations and giving Orders of Merit, having almost nothing to do without the approval of the Senate, it is certain that nothing will be taken from that instrument for the future constitution.  Nor will the makers of the future constitution take anything from the nineteen capitulations offered by the Manchu Government, which gave too much power to the legislative organ.  According to the Nineteen Articles the Advisory Council was to draw up the constitution, which was to be ratified by the parliament; the Premier being elected by the parliament; whilst the use of the army and navy required the parliament’s sanction; the making of treaties with foreign countries have likewise to be approved by the parliament, etc., etc.  Such strict stipulations which are not even known in such an advanced country in matters constitutional as England were extorted from the imperial family by the advisory council.  Therefore it is most unlikely that the makers of the future constitution will take any article from the nineteen capitulations of “confidence.”  They will use the Constitutions of Japan and Prussia as joint model and will always have in their mind the actual conditions of this country and the standard of the people.  In short, they will copy some of the articles in the Japanese constitution, and adopt the Prussian method of procedure for the making of the constitution.

    Mr. Ko:  What do you mean by honesty?

Mr. Hu:  It is a bad policy to deceive the people.  Individually the people are simple, but they cannot be deceived collectively.  The Manchu Government committed an irretrievable mistake by promising the people a constitutional government but never carrying out their promise.  This attitude on the part of the then reigning house brought about the first revolution.  As the standard of our people at the present time is not very high, they will be satisfied with less power if it is properly given to them.  Should any one attempt to deceive them his cause will finally be lost.  I do not know how much power the people and the