YUAN-SHIH-KAI

a Chinese statesman, born in Honan Province. He entered the army at an early age and went to Korea, where he rose rapidly {n the service, becoming the protege of Ii Hung Chang, who in 1883 appointed him director general of trade and internatioual relations. Under his leadership China secured control of Korea and its emperor. After the Chino Japanese war of 1894-5, which separated Korea from China, he was appointed conditional commi ioner of the Pechili Province. In 1898 he exposed a plot against the Empre Dowager Tsi-Hsi, which resulted in the deposition of the Emperor Kwang-Sii and the return of the Empre to power. He pacified the Boxer rebellion in 1899 as governor of the Shantung Province, and was appointed acting viceroy of the Pechili Province. He became president of the Chinese Foreign Office in 1907. He was retired on the acce ion of Hsuan-Tung to the throne. On the fall of the Manchu dynasty in 1911 he became commander-in-chief and premier, and was elected president of the republic in 1913. He ruled arbitrarily and was preparing for plans to seize the throne when he died on June 6, 1916.