the acting Legislative Council with general powers to act on behalf
of the citizens' representatives are matters which transgress the
bounds of the law, you are earnestly requested not to send to the
National Convention Bureau any telegraphic enquiry concerning them,
so that the latter may not find itself in the awkward position of
having to reply.

Two days after this telegram had been dispatched the longfeared 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