country and China,
which certainly cannot be compared with France and America.
Therefore I say there is no hope for China ever becoming rich.

Mr. Ko: Why is it that you say there is no hope for China having a
Constitutional Government?

Mr. Hu: A true republic must be conducted by many people possessing
general education, political experience and a certain political
morality. Its president is invested with power by the people to
manage the general affairs of the state. Should the people desire to
elect Mr. A their president to-day and Mr. B to-morrow, it does not
make much difference; for the policy of the country may be changed
together with the change of the president without there being any
danger of disorder or chaos following such change. We have a very
different problem to solve in China. The majority of our people do
not know what the republic is, nor do they know anything about a
Constitution nor have they any true sense of equality and freedom.
Having overthrown the Empire and established in its place a republic
they believe that from now on they are subservient to no one, and
they think they can do as they please. Ambitious men hold that any
person may be president, and if they cannot get the presidency by
fair means of election they are prepared to fight for it with the
assistance of troops and robbers. The second revolution is an
illustration of this point. From the moment that the Emperor was
deposed, the centralization of power in the government was
destroyed; and no matter who may be at the head of the country, he
cannot restore peace except by the re-establishment of the monarchy.
So at the time when the republic was formed, those who had
previously advocated Constitutional Government turned into
monarchists. Although we have a Provisional Constitution now and we
have all kinds of legislative organs, which give to the country an
appearance of a constitutional government, China has a
constitutional government in name only and is a monarchy in spirit.
Had the government refrained from exercising monarchical power
during the last four years, the people could not have enjoyed one
day of peace. In short, China's republic must be governed by a
monarchy through a constitutional government. If the constitutional
government cannot govern the republic, the latter cannot