These admirable principles having been officially laid down by Peking, it is not hard to understand that the Military and Civil Governors in the provinces, being anxious to retain their posts and conciliate the great personage who would be king, gave the problem their most earnest attention, and left no stone unturned to secure that there should be no awkward contretemps.  On the 28th September, the Peking Government, being now entirely surrendered into the hands of the plotters, thought it advisable to give the common people a direct hint of what was coming, by sending circular instructions regarding the non-observance of the Republican anniversary (10th October).  The message in question is so frankly ingenuous that it merits inclusion in this singular dossier: 

Code telegram dated September 26, 1915, from the council of state to the military and civil governors of the provinces respecting the non-observance of the anniversary of the republic

To the Military and Civil Governors and the Military Commissioners of the Provinces and the Intendant of Shanghai:—­

(Code Telegram)

Now that a monarchical form of government has been advocated, the National Anniversary in commemoration of the Republic should, of course, be observed with least possible display, under the pretext either of the necessity for economy owing to the impoverished condition of the people, or of the advisability of celebrating the occasion quietly so as to prevent disturbances arising in consequence of the many rumours now afloat.  In this way public peace and order may be maintained on the one hand, money and trouble saved on the other.  How to put this suggestion into practice will be left to your discretion.

(Signed) council of state.

By October such progress had been made in Peking in the general work of organizing this coup d’etat that as we have seen, the Senate had passed on the 6th of that month the so-called “King-making Bill.”  The very next day, so that nothing should be left in doubt, the following circular telegram was dispatched to all the provinces: 

Code telegram dated October 7, 1915, from Chu chi-chun, minister of the interior, et alia, devising plans for nominating yuan shih-kai as emperor

To the Military and Civil Governors of the Provinces:—­

(To be deciphered with the Hua Code)

Our telegram of the 12th ult. must have reached you by this time.

The Administrative Council, at a meeting held on the 4th inst., passed the Bill for a General Convention of the Citizens’ Representatives.  Article 12 of the Bill was amended so as to contain the following clause:—­“The Superintendent of Election may, in case of necessity, delegate his functions to the several district magistrates.”  This will soon be communicated officially to the provinces.  You are therefore requested to make the necessary preparations beforehand in accordance with the instructions contained in our telegram of the 29th September.