In ordinary circumstances it would have been thought that sufficiently implicit instructions had already been given to permit leaving the matter in the hands of the provincial authorities.  Great anxiety, however, was beginning to reign in Peking owing to continual rumours that dangerous opposition, both internal and external, was developing.  It was therefore held necessary to clinch the matter in such a way that no possible questions should be raised later.  Accordingly, before the end of October—­and only two days before the “advice” was tendered by Japan and her Allies,—­the following additional instructions were telegraphed wholesale to the provinces, being purposely designed to make it absolutely impossible for any slip to occur between cup and lip.  The careful student will not fail to notice in these remarkable messages that as the game develops, all disguise is thrown to the four winds, and the central and only important point, namely the prompt election and enthronement of Yuan Shih-kai as Emperor, insisted on with almost indecent directness, every possible precaution being taken to secure that end: 

    CODE TELEGRAM DATED OCTOBER 26, 1915, FROM CHU CHI-CHUN, MINISTER OF
    THE INTERIOR, ET ALIA, RESPECTING THE NOMINATION OF YUAN SHIH-KAI AS
    EMPEROR

    To the Military and Civil Governors of the Provinces:—­

    (To be deciphered with the Hua Code)

    Your telegram of the 24th inst. came duly to hand.

After the form of the state has been put to the vote, the nomination of Yuan Shih-kai as emperor should be made forthwith without further voting.  You should address the representatives and tell them that a monarchy having been decided on, not even a single day should pass without an emperor; that the citizens’ representatives present should nominate Yuan Shih-kai as the Great Emperor of the Chinese Empire; and that if they are in favour of the proposal, they should signify their assent by standing up.  This done, the text of the proposed letter of nomination from the citizens should be handed to the representatives for their signatures; after which you should again address them to the effect that in all matters concerning the nomination and the petition for immediate enthronement, they may, in the name of the citizens’ representatives, invest the acting Legislative Council with general powers to act on their behalf and to do the necessary things until their petition is granted.  The text (already prepared) of the proposed telegram from the citizens’ representatives to the acting Legislative Council should then be shown to the representatives for approval.  Whereupon three separate telegrams are to be drawn up:  one giving the number of votes in favour of a change in the form of the state, one containing the original text of the letter of nomination, and the third concerning the vesting of the acting Legislative Council with general powers to act on behalf of the citizens’ representatives.