[Enclosure]
Manifesto to the Foreign Powers Issued by Dr.
Sim Yat-sen, May 5, 1921
During the last four years the patriots of China have been waging war
against the militarists and traitors of the country for the cause of
constitutional government and for the national existence itself. It
has been no war between the north and south of China but a struggle
between militarism and democracy, between treason and patriotism.
That the people in the north are sympathetic to the purposes and
aims of the south has been demonstrated by the fact that they have
spontaneously organized demonstrations and boycotts for the same
purposes and aims.
The government at Peking has lost the last vestige of its control
over the provinces. Even those nominally within its jurisdiction,
where the military satraps are plundering the people and ruining the
country, it has even to take orders from them. These militarists
wage war among themselves in the struggle for power. One of them has
lately gone to the extent of treacherously leaguing himself with the
Russian monarchists and aiding and abetting them to attack and
capture Urga.
While the Peking government is fast crumbling from sheer hollowness,
foreign domination tends to spread from north to south. The
existence of China as a nation is in jeopardy. Since the
unconstitutional dissolution of the National Assembly in June 1917,
no de jure government has existed in Peking.
New election laws may have been made and new national assemblies may
have been elected, but they all lack legal basis. Confirmation of
this view has come from an unexpected quarter—from Hsu Shih-chang
himself, when he issued the order in October last for the holding of
a general election based not on the new election law which is the
basis of his own title, but on the old election law which is
incompatible with his claim to the Presidency. The extraordinary
spectacle is thus presented of the self styled President of the
Republic confessing that he has no legal right to that title. Thus
in this hour of crisis when the national existence itself is
imperilled there is in Peking no government which is legally
constituted or able to discharge the functions of government.
Under these circumstances the National Assembly, the only body of
legally elected representatives of all the provinces and territories
of the country has established a formal government and has elected
me to be President of the Republic. Being the founder of the
Republic I cannot afford to see her in danger without making an
effort to save her. Having been summoned once before in 1911 to the
Presidency, from which I resigned after a short tenure, in order, as
I thought, to bring about unity to the country, I intend now to do
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all in my power to
discharge those duties and functions honestly, faithfully and to the
satisfaction of my fellow citizens.
As the National Assembly which has elected me represents the whole
country irrespective of north or south, so it shall be my first
endeavor to unite all provinces and territories of the Republic
under one government, which shall be progressive and enlightened.
The legitimate rights of foreign powers and their nationals duly
acquired by treaty, contract or established usage shall be
scrupulously respected. The vast resources of the country, natural
and industrial, shall be developed so that the whole world suffering
from the disastrous effects of long years of war will be benefited.
For this purpose foreign capital and expert knowledge will in
pursuance of open door policy be welcomed. There is little doubt
that with the southern provinces enjoying good government and
prosperity under honest administration and a constructive program,
other provinces will be only too ready to throw off the yoke of
militarism and misrule and, acknowledging the authority of this
government, will bring about the much desired unification of the
country. I believe my task is lightened by the fact of the
illegality and incompetency of the Peking government. That
government is not recognized by the Chinese people themselves, it is
being propped up solely by the fact of its possession of the
historic capital of the country and its consequent recognition by
the foreign powers.
I appeal to the governments of the friendly powers to withdraw
recognition from the soi-disant government
which is avowedly no de jure government and
which is proving itself not even a de facto
government. And in the same manner in which they recognized the
republican government formed by the National Assembly in 1913 I
request that they accord recognition to this government formed now
by the same Assembly. This is the only government of the Republic
actuated by no desire of selfish gain, but by the sole motive of
serving the Republic to the best of their ability. Members of this
government represent those ideals and those principles which, if the
Republic is to survive and take its rightful place in the family of
nations as they firmly believe she will, must necessarily triumph,
viz, liberalism, constitutionalism and devotion to commonweal.
