The Echo de Chine'of the 21st of March contained an article headed "A French Mission Threatened," published with the object of soliciting the help of the French Government in favour of the French staff of the Foochow Arsenal, whose dismissal, it was alleged, Great Britain is silly endeavouring to obtain. We have been aware of the awkward position of the Mission; whether its existence is rosily threatened, ax supposed, remains to be seen; but under the circumstances it seems natural that it should endeavour to defend itself.
The manner in which its defence is conducted, however, is, to say the least, somewhat peculiar. ' The vehement attack directed by the author of the article in question against certain Chinese engineers, might, we think, have been dispensed with, especially in view of the fact that those engineers were trained by his fellow-countrymen, What more could he have said against them had they been trained by Englishmen? In endeavouring to ascertain what amount of truth there is in his allegations, we have made certain enquiries, and deem it advisable to point out what reliance can be placed on these noisy protestations.
1.—'he article in the Echo de Chine states that, "atthe time of the arrival of the French mission in 1897, the Chinese engineers were quietly occupied in cunstructing a marine engine from old plans made by M. Giquel, the former director of the Arsenal." This is absolutely false. During the seven years he was at Foo. chow, M. Giquel had built, after a French model, some low-pressure vertical engines of 600 indicated horse-power for wooden transports; and for gun-boats and the sloop Yangwu he bought engines of 400 ind. lip and one of 100 bp. in England. Upon his return to France in, 1875, he ordered from Maudsley, in England, a compound vertical engine of 730 h.p., and a horizontal one of the same power, working at a pressure of 60 Ibs. Plans of these engines, which were intended for composite dispatch-boats, were drawn by ap able mechanician, M. Courtois, and from his drawings the Arsenal authorities had two vertical and two horizontal engines constructed. One of these engines was utilised only two years ago for a rice-trans-ort, the Kuan, now in the harbour at oochow. This is the engine which, at the time of the Mission's arrival, was still in the workshops, and which ''s cargo-boat, would not have had at any price," says the writer of the article in question.
'The engine, it.is true, is somewhat antiquated; but, since it' did exist it was natural that some use should be made of it, and it fulfils its requirements. It was not, at any rate, designed by Chinese engineers.
the French Mission in 1897, the Arsenal rom the im 1879 until the arrival of was under the direction of Chinese engineers who had completed their training France, Knglond, and Germany. Among the work accomplished by them were some compound engines of 2,400 h.p., with working pressure of 60 Ibs., for the com-site cruisers Kaicki, Kienching and Kuanglai of the Southern Squadron; compound engines of 2,600 h.p., with a working pressure of 105 Ibs., for the torpedo-cruisers Kuanyyi, Kuangping, and Foochin for Canton; one triple expansion engine of 3,000 h.p., working at a pressure' of 135 Ibs, for the iron-clad gunboat Pingyuen; and a 1,600 horse-power engine, with pressure of 105 Ibs., for the training ship Tungchi of the Northern Squadron. This last ship underwent her trials on the 26th of September, 1896; the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.