MANCHURIA’S EMPEROR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18336, 2 March 1934, Page 7

MANCHURIA’S EMPEROR

CORONATION CEREMONY THE FINAL TOUCHES SHANGHAI, Alarch 1. Pu-Yi, discarding his gorgeous robes as Emperor Kangten, dressed resplendcntly in the uniform of a field marshal and took his ‘ seat on the throne where, amid a hushed assembly, he took the Imperial seal and signed the Imperial rescript which gave a final touch to the ceremony ,of installing him as emperor. At 12 o’clock the populace received the official announcement of the ascension of the new ruler amid, scenes ot wildest enthusiasm.

The Foreign Minister advised all other countries of the advent of the new regime, hoping earnestly foi their goodwill.

Pu-Yi (Hsuan-Tung), the ex-Emperor of China, son of the Alanchu Prince Chun, a brother of the Emperor Kwangsu, was bom in February, 1906. When, immediately after the death of Kwangsu, the Empress Mother, Tsu-Hsu, the actual Regent of China, passed away, the Prince Chun acted as Regent for his two-year-old son, who took as Emperor the name of Hsuan-Tung. In February, 1912, he had to abdicate, and thereafter _ lived almost as a prisoner in his palace in the Imperial City of Pekin. One of his tutors, and Englishman, R. F. Johnson, has stated that Pu-Yi writes verses, and is an excellent artist. In June, 1917, General Chnng-llsung sel the boy on the throne again, but only for a week, at the end of which he had to abdicate once more. The Young China party even compelled him in May, 1922, to cut off his pigtail. In the same, year lie married. When in November, 1924, General Feng invested the palace, l’u-Yi managed to escape with the entire Alanchu family to the seat of his father, Prince Chun, to Hie west of Pekin. Feng forced him to forgo the privileges which still remained to him, but his rights were restored by Marshal Tuan Clti-jui. Thereupon he utilised his freedom of action to place himself and his family under the protection of the Japanese Embassy in Pekin, as he still feared some now hostile move by General Feng. On November 30 ho went out to do sorne_ shopping, under cover of which he slipped unobtrusively into the Legation Quarter, where he was received by arrangement at the Japanese Embassy. His next move was to Tientsin.

On February 23. 1925, he travelled in European clothes in nil ordinary carriage fall of Feng’s soldiers. They asked him what he was and were quite satisfied when he told them he was a student. After his departure the Republican Government confiscated his jewels and other valuables. At Tientsin he lived in the Japanese Concession under the protection of the Powers, and received 250 dollars a month from Japan. During the fighting in the city in 1928 he managed to secure a permit to live at Kyoto in Japan, but only on condition that he did not leave the place. In May, 1931. it was stated that he had decided to take up Chinese opera singing as a diversion, and might later make it his career, so as to be able to travel.