The Chinese, always an emotional people responding with quasi-
feminine volubility to oppressive acts, cried aloud at the
ignominy of the diplomacy which had so cruelly crucified them. One
and all declared that the day of shame which had been so harshly
imposed upon them would never be forgotten and that Japan would
indeed pay bitterly for her policy of extortion.
Two movements were started at once: one to raise a National
Salvation Fund to be applied towards strengthening the nation in
any way the government might decide; the other, to boycott all
Japanese articles of commerce. Both soon attained formidable
proportions. The nation became deeply and fervently interested in
the double-idea; and had Yuan Shih-kai possessed true political
vision there is little doubt that by responding to this national
call he might have ultimately been borne to the highest pinnacles
of his ambitions without effort on his part. His oldest enemies
now openly declared that henceforth he had only to work honourably
and whole-heartedly in the nation's interest to find them
supporting him, and to have every black mark set against his name
wiped out.
In these circumstances what did he do? His actions form one of the
most incredible and, let it be said, contemptible chapters of
contemporary history.
In dealing with the origins of the Twenty-one Demands we have
already discussed the hints the Japan Representative had
officially made when presenting his now famous Memorandum.
Pages:
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198