China Loan Signed, Rebellion Feared.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 28, 1913:
Agreement Concluded at Daybreak in Spite of Parliament's Protests.
$125,000,000 IS INVOLVED
Dominant Political Party Opposes Yun Shih Kai's Compact with Five-Power Group.
    PEKING, April 27.— China's day of prayer did not prove entirely peaceful, because of dissension over the five-power loan. The loan, which is for $125,000,000, was signed just before daybreak, the Chinese and foreign signatories having assembled late last evening to conclude the details.
    A delegation from the Senate and House of Representatives gathered outside the British Bank, where the representatives of the Government and the five-power group met. The Vice President of the Senate acted as spokesman for the delegation, and, when an opportunity was given to him to confer with the signatories, he explained that the majority in the Parliament considered the loan illegal.
    Since the days of the monarchy the question of a loan has been discussed in various forms, and it threatens now to bring about another revolution similar to that caused by the Hu-Kuang loan.
    The situation is about as follows: The five-power bankers and the Chinese Government have arranged the loan practically for Yuan Shin Kai's Cabinet, which Yuan Shin Kai completely dominates. The Cabinet contends that the Government has a right to conclude such a contract because the permanent Assembly has not yet been constituted, and therefore approval of the six-power loan by the Provisional Assembly holds good. In addition to the withdrawal of the United States from the combination, however, other alterations have been made in the contract since the Assembly approved it.
    The Kwo Ming Tang Party, which is the dominating political party, would remove Yuan Shi Kai by parliamentary means or by force, but neither is possible while the President controls the army at Peking. The adherents of the Kwo Ming Tang Party do not desire to withdraw to Nanking for the purpose of establishing a Parliament there, because such action would result in disruption of the North from the South.
    The deadlock is at present complete. Members of the Kwo Ming Tang express the fear that some of the powers represented in the loan — Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan — now that the loan is concluded with Yuan Shih Kai may strengthen his hands by recognizing the republic at an early date. In this connection an interesting question arises as to whether the United States will anticipate these powers, in spite of the fact that the Chinese House of Representatives has again failed to elect a Speaker.
    It is probable that the Southern party will seek to cancel the loan as a test of their strength against Yuan Shih Kai.