February 6, 1909.]
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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stantial revival in trade seem to be well | Empire. While outwardly posing as a statement, been turned into one den of cor. founded. The rapid recovery from the patriot, desirous of restoring to China the ruption, wherein each and every is seeking financial crisis in America is beneficially administration of all the departments of to make best use of his remaining term to affecting trade throughout the world. One State, those better acquainted with the turn into his own net what yet remains of the London newspapers has recently been internal position of affairs knew him as a to be gathered of the harvest. At the conducting an investigation into the state man utterly corrupt, even in the corrupt moment, in fact, the issues of good and of the markets in England and is able to crowd that surrounded the late Regency; evil for China are already in the assay- write confidently of a revival in trade. "The aud recognised in his schemes to get rid of ing crucible, and much depends upon the end of the period of bad trade", it says, "has every capable foreigner in the Imperial result whether China is to be restored come, and the first signs of improvement Service simply an outward sign of the to her pristime influence, or whether, are being experienced. In chemicals, cot irrepressible greed which was the really like other decayed Powers, she is ton and wool-all sensitive indices to the actuating motive of all his assumed patrio- to sink for ever into oblivion. In his state of trade-leading manufacturers and | tism, Writing in last October, ere yet present course, there is little doubt, the merchants have unhesitatingly proffered there was any symptom of the coming REGENT has found himself materially the opinion that there are indications of change in the Regency, Dr. MORRISON, the strengthened by the influence for good of better times ahend." Among the state-well-informed correspondeut of the Times, the present EMPRESS DOWAGER, who in all ments published on the subj ct by our did not hesitate to speak of him as the his troubles seems to have loyally stood by Loudon contemporary is one by Mr. H. Corrupt Minister CHEN PI." He, ia fact, her late husband. Although no relation, GORDON SELFRIDGE, of the well-known belonged to that utterly worthless class of except through the accident of her marriage American firm of dry goods merchants, who ministers, whom the late DowAGER, acting to the late EMPEROR, of his successor and are establishing a London branch of the under the inspiration of her favourite adopted son on the uneasy throne of China, business. Since their initial purchases, Mr. eunuch, LI LIENYING, loved to have around the EMPRESS DOWAGER has been called SELFRIDGE told the interviewer, the firm's her, and who acted as sponges to suck up through that accident to take the pl ce of agents had several times visited the chief the life-blood of the State, to re eventually mother to the infant who now occupies that markets, and they report that largely squeezed out and sqandered in the Throne. But though she has never per- throughout England and equally thoughout unmentionable debaucheries of the Court. mitted herself to be tempted into the stormy the principal centres of Europe prices are An aneca te, which, if not true, is ben path of politics, she seems all through to stiffening, and the result of this etiffening trovato, is told of how CHEN PI himself have acted the part of consoling angel to of prices he put in the form of a sequence of became the means of exposing to the new ber bitterly wronged husband, and to have statement, as follows: "Stiffening of prices REGENT the utterly unprincipled character hern a silent, but by no means unsympa. means increased demand. Increased de- of the man. In conversation with the thetic sharer of his views. With a like mand means an increased volume of REGENT he spoke of the necessity of having abdication of self, she has willingly accepted business. Au increased volume of business a new and suitable Palace erected for His the onerous task of guardian forced upon means better times ahead." From the Imperial Highness: "But how much will it her by her duty to her late lord; but has standpoint of a house which is able to feel co-t ?" aid the REGENT. "A million taels," declared her intention of keeping herself the pulse of the times as quickly as it can gli ly replied the mini-ter, who saw in the entirely aloof from politics as such. At the be felt Mr. SELFRIDGE was enphatic in his event a safe means of adding to his ill- same time she has not failed to urge upon statement that there are decidedly better gotten gaios. "A million taels! and the her brother-in-law his duty as younger times ahead. We hope that this will prove Empire already groaning under its burdens; bro her, towards her late husband's memory to be the case in China. The signs of we must have something more modest." nor to point out to him that his own safety, revival are not so pronounced in South" Your Imperial Highness need have no equally with the good of the Empre, China as they appear to be in the North, fear, I have already provided the money," 'demands that he should not hesitate in the but unquestionably the outlook generally was the reply. The REGENT pricked his course he has adopted. From all this it is more hopeful and there is a growing ears; whence came the million taels? The will readily be seen that the task of the new ⚫ confidence that the end of the prolonged result was that CHEN PI's audience was REGENT is one beset with difficulties and period of trade depression is well in sight. closed, and a commiss on of enquiry nstitu- dangers, and will require all the energies of ted to examine into the methods of the his life to be devoted to the task of clearing, Office. Any way, it is officially announced out the stall of corruption bequeathed to that CHEN PI, having been denounced for him by the late Regency. That there are peculation in his office, as well as for receiv- amongst the rising generation of officials ing bribes, the Grand Secretary SUN many with whom the interests of the KIANAI, and the Grand Councillor NA Empire weih heavy, and who are prepared TUNG have been appointed a Commission t sacrifice themselves in the effort to restore to ascertain the facts of the case, and en- the lost prestige of Cuina, is an undeniable quire into the working of the Department. fact; but it is also a fact that the best have Of cour-e, Commissions of Enquiry have been deliberately crushed out during the before this been accessible to such methods recent reign of terror; aud that not the least as have been familiar to CHEN PI, and trying task in umb nt on the REGENT Will CHEN has been endeavouring, till the affair be that of di-covering them and bringing has become a public sca dal even in them tot e front. But it is also a fact that | Peking, to make friends of the mammon of of those brought near him at present, many, unrighteousness; but (BEN's own indiscret if not the majority, are such as CHEN PI, attempt to bring the REGENT himself wit in and will require weeling out with a firm his sphere of influence" has rendered yet impartial hand. This will probably practically impossible his whitewashing. prove the hardest task of all A century of Not unnaturally there is much fluttering currupt and feeble government, such as about the dovecots of the Capital, and the Chin has had to pass through, caunot but curtains of the Palace of Iniquity are have sunk deep into the foundation of already trembling. But it is not to be ex-suciety; and it will require the strongest of pected that the powers of darkness will willingly submit to the new regime:
Is this the region, this the seat That we must change for heaven? This
mournful gleam
CORRUPTION AT PEKING.
(Daily Press, February 4th.) The list of ministerial changes at Peking is by no means likely to end with the dismissal of. YUAN SHI-KAI. None of the ministers appointed thigh office by the late Empress Dowager have earned themselves a shadier reputation than CH'EN PI, head of the Board of Posts and Communications;
and there are not a few who will feel easier at learning that he is already the subj ct of a Board of Enquiry. CHEN PI is the officer whose particular object of dislike has been the Maritime Customs; and who, under the pretence of patriotism, has been seeking to undermine its utility and integrity. Another institution which has incurred his particular displeasure is the Imperial Post Office, and here, the institution being of comparatively recent growth, he conceived that the task of upsetting an undertaking only just begin- ning to be a source of profit to the Govern- ment would be a fairly easy task. He, too it was who by the introduction of a man known to be ut.erly worthless, and who was known also to have paid heavily for the appointment, to the chief directorship of the Northern Railways, brought about the resignation of Mr. KINDER, who as Engi neer-in-Chief had not only constructed, but had brought to be a valuable asset the Railways of North China. Unfortunately under the utterly corrupt administration that came into power during the later peroid of the lite Empress CHU HI, CHEN PI, managed to get into big hands the Telegraph Administration, so that practically be held in bis hands almost the most important of the administrative departments of the
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For that celestial light? Be it so, since he Who now is sovreign can dispose and bid What shall be right furthest from him is best. But, as the poet says: "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven." All the powers of the reactionaries, and they are still not fer, are being summoned to make one last stand before the old edifice goes down. By an observant witness the present state of Peking is described as that of the earth when for a time the devil had been cast out, and had come down, 'having great wrath,' because he knoweth that he hath but a little time. The whole city has, according to this
wills and the ables of councils to place China ou a basis, whence unencumbered she may be able to work out her own salvation.
Writing to the Shanghai papers Mr. B. Farone, Acting Consul-General for Italy at that port, says:-H. E. Tuan Fang notified me, some days ago, how deeply he sympathized with the Italian people in the immense disaster which occurred in sicily and Calabria and wishing to contribute towards the relief of the sufferers he had started a subscription amongst his col- provinces of Chins. The result of this is that leagues, Viceroys and Governors of the various T. 42,000 and $30,000 were subscribed; of this $10,000 have already been handed over to Italian Consul-General in Hongkong and the balance will duly be paid here to me.
the
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