In commenting on Tuesday on the recent progress of H.ILH. the Czarevitch in China we did an injustice, through ignorance, to our Municipal Council, The Prince's failure to visit Shanghai was not due to the absence of an invit tation, but to the fear on the part of his advisers that he would not, if he came here, receive as warm attentions as were paid to the Duke of Connaught last year. We make no excise for the ignorance that led us into our mistake, as it was due to the chronic meagreness of the published minutes of the Council's sittings. In these minutes, so far as they are published, there is no mention of any programme of entertainment proposed by the Council on- behalf of the community for the Czarevitch's visit. Mr. Macgregor, the Chairman, writes to Mr. Carl Bock, the Acting Consul for Russia, on the 25th February, promising that when the Grand Duke and his brother come, "the Council will see that the usual good order is maintained, and do everything in their power to conduce to the convenience and comfort of the Imperial party." On the 4th of March Mr. Mi yr writes to Mr. Hughes as Senior Consul, informing him that " instructions will be given to the Police to see that the request made by the Tactai—as to the temporary cessation of horse and carriage traffic is strictly carried out, and that every care is taken to ensure that the comfort and convenience of the Imperial ty during their progress to the jen How Kung is facilitated." These letters appeared with the minutes of the Council's meeting of the 24th of Feruary, and with the minutes of the meeting of the following week appears the following brief letter from the Act-ving Consul for Russia, Mr. Bock, to the Chairman of the Council::—7
Stz,—I regret to have the honour to inform you that I have received a telegram from Admiral de Nazimoff from Batavia in which he states that owing to pressure of time the Czarevitch will not visit Shanghai but proceed direct to Hankow without touching this port."
It was known at once that the pressure of time" was only an excuse, and it was naturally assumed that Admiral de Nazimoff and the other superintendents of the Czarevitch's pro-
hanghai had sent no sufficient invita-had come to the conclusion that tion, and that it was not desirable for his Imperial highness to come to this foreign settlement simply as the guest of the Chinese authorities. But a very important incident was omitted from the Council's minutes, and has therefore escaped the knowledge of the public. On or about the 5th of March the Chairman addressed a. letter to the acting Consul for Russia, promising the Imperial party if they honoured Shanghai with a visit a public tiffin at the Club, a torchlight procession of the Fire Brigade, and, with the consent and assistance of the stewards of the Race Club, a one-day race meeting. Unfortunately there was no statue ready to unveil and as far as we know, the Grand Duke is not a high personage in the ranks of Freemasons, but with these unimportant exceptions, Mr. Macgregor, posal of the Imperial party, promised the who also placed his hong at the dis-
ussiau heir-apparent quite as brilliant a demonstration as the Duke of Connaught received, and the acting Consul for Russia replied in the most gratified terms, mentioning that he had tele-reg' letter to the imperial party, and graphed the substance of Mr. Mac-
luily expecting that it would be perfectly satisfactory to them. If we had known these facts before, we should all have felt relieved, as conscious that no imputation of inhospitality covid be laid on us. Now it will be wondered what it was that made the Imperial party, having this invitation, decline after all to visit Shanghai. The explanation is this. The Russians, besides having their accredited agent here in the person of their acting Consul, had also an unofficial agent, not, we believe, a Russian subject, and this gentleman telegraphed, it is reported, to the Czarevitch's advisers, that if the Imperial party came here, they would not receive a cordial welcome from the community who are unfortunately preponderatingly British. This use of unofficial agents to-check and supplement the work of the official representatives is not confined to Russia, but while it may add to knowledge, it darkens counsel. During their recent unpleasantness with China the French government resorted to it unrestrainedly, and while they kept their official representative, the Minister, vainly amused at Peking or Shanghai, carried on their negotiations by means of naval officers and Chinese Customs The result to the Russians of listening an unofficial and: irresponsible agent here is, that the Czarevitch has gone away from China without: seeing the' most important and progressive community in the Far East, leaving it to incur, without explanation, an entirely undeserved suspicion of inhospitality. Itis a pity that the letters we have mentioned were tot published at once in the Council's minutes, when Mr. Bock's letter was published announcing that it was pressure of time that deprived us of the expected visit, and we hope uow that, in order that the community may be permanently cleared, the Chairman of the Council will see that they duly appear in the Annual Report of the Council. Brought. up in, and with our minds imbued for generations with the value of, free institutions, we naturally dislike the Russian official system, and we distrust Russia's designs in Asia: but we do not lack personal respect for' the Russian Imperial family, We can understand how little freedom of action an autocrat can have in the centre of a vast Ewpire like Russia, surrounded as he is by. servants whose aim it is to keep him persuaded that everything is for the best as long as he permits them to rule him while they serve him.. We recognise the wisdom of the step taken by the Czar in sending his heir round the world to see what communities under free institutions accomplish, and Admiral de Nazimoff need not have lent so ready an ear to the libel on the community that was unofficially telegraphed to him.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.