CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 284

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for your instructions, in again bringing the doings of the

Self Goverment Sockety to the serious notice of the Chi-

nese Government. This I did at an interview which I had

yesterday with Prince Ch'ing and all the Ministers of the

ai Tu Pu.

I told His Highness quite frankly that the state into

which China wasp drifting was causing the deepest concern

to all who had interests in the country. Since the inau-

Furation of the Regency there had been a perceptible wea-

kening of the Central Authority and a corresponding increase

in the powers olaimed and exercised by the Provincial Co-

vernmente.

Every case at present pending between the

British and Chinese Governments arose from the reluctance

of the latter to impose its authority upon the provinces.

The Shanghai Ningpo Railway affair and the Peking Syndicate

troubles in Honan, both of which I had just discussed with

His Highness, were illustrations of this grave defect in

the present system of administration.

Another still more flagrant instance of the usurpation

of authority was found in the action of the Self Government

Society