Two days after this telegram had been dispatched the long-feared action on the part of Japan had been taken and a new situation had been created.  The Japanese “advice” of the 28th October was in fact a veritable bombshell playing havoc with the house of cards which had been so carefully erected.  But the intrigue had gone so far, and the prizes to be won by the monarchical supporters were so great that nothing could induce them to retrace their footsteps.  For a week and more a desperate struggle went on behind the scenes in the Presidential Palace, since Yuan Shih-kai was too astute a man not to understand that a most perilous situation was being rapidly created and that if things went wrong he would be the chief victim.  But family influences and the voice of the intriguers proved too strong for him, and in the end he gave his reluctant consent to a further step.  The monarchists, boldly acting on the principle that possession is nine points of the law, called upon the provinces to anticipate the vote and to substitute the title of Emperor for that of President in all government documents and petitions so that morally the question would be chose jugee.

Code telegram dated November 7, 1915, from Chu chi-chun, minister.  Of the interior, et alia, enjoining A strong attitude towards interference on the part of A certain foreign power

To the Military and Civil Governors of the Provinces:—­

(To be deciphered personally with the Council of State Code)

A certain foreign power, under the pretext that the Chinese people are not of one mind and that troubles are to be apprehended, has lately forced England and Russia to take part in tendering advice to China.  In truth, all foreign nations know perfectly well that there will be no trouble, and they are obliged to follow the example of that power.  If we accept the advice of other Powers concerning our domestic affairs and postpone the enthronement, we should be recognizing their right to interfere.  Hence action should under no circumstance be deferred.  When all the votes of the provinces unanimously recommending the enthronement shall have reached Peking, the Government will, of course, ostensibly assume a wavering and compromising attitude, so as to give due regard to international relations.  The people, on the other hand, should show their firm determination to proceed with the matter at all costs, so as to let the foreign powers know that our people are of one mind.  If we can only make them believe that the change of the republic into a monarchy will not in the least give rise to trouble of any kind, the effects of the advice tendered by Japan will ipso facto come to nought.