We have received Nos.'2 and 3 of Vol. XIV of The Orient, the excellent monthly magazine in English, each number with a charming frontispiece, published in Toki The leading article in the February issue deals with "The Situati Prospects," the writer holding situation, the outlook, is of a very sombre hue."
There is also the first of a valuable series of articles on the finances of Japan, In the March namber Me. Ariga Nazao_sugzessts a Collective Guarantee of the Integrity. of the Chinese Empire," a movement in which the British Government should taken the lead directly after the war with Japan. In the February issue there is a very interesting memoir of the late Count Katsu Awa, a hero of the Restoration, who died on the 16th of January at' the age of 77. The writer says The Count's residence at Hikawa was a favourite rendezvous of h shippers and tale-mongers. His hospitality extended equally to great and small. It made no difference to him whether the visitor were a Cabinet Minister or a school-hoy, a bearded general or a helpless woman. 'The Count invariably showed them into a small drawing-room of six mats, and talked yolubly on polities, rel economies, and the general features of society. His' satirical criticisms founded upon his experiences, were cutting and to the point; every one listened with deep interest, striving not to miss one syllable. To him now great statesmen were mere children, while milliomaires were nothing better than beggars. Greatness and riches were not worth a straw to this venerable satirist, who had ne. through. many, trying vicisfe... True,, there have been seniors," whose petfurmances at.the, Restoration could. be: compared to those of Count:. Katsu; but nearly all of them were ambitious' to the- last, and shamelessly: clang to. power. None was ever so honest and so free from worldly ideas as the Sage of Hikawa. The reason why people regret his demise so mich is not only on account. of his past eventful labours, but mostly becatise no such moral character. can be found elsewhere: In the Count Japan has lost both a hero: and a sage.
Mr. Ariga Nagao suggests the following as the basis of. the proposed collective guarantee of the integrity of China:—(1) Status quo as regards rights and privileges already obtained by the Powers from China. That is the lease of Kiavchou obtained by Germany, Talienwan and Port Arthur by Russia, Weihaiwei, and Kiulung by England, the promise not to alienate any pact of the regions. along Yangtzekiang, in the province of Fukien, ete., etc, are to remain valid as before, (2) The six Powers guarantee individually and in combination the integrity of the Chinese Empire and regard as casus Dellé any attempt at its infritigement: on the part of one of the signatory Powers or of some third Power.
(3) In case one of the contracting parties wish to obtain in the future a lease or concession of. a portion of the Chinese territory, notice thereof is to be given to the rest of the signatory Powers and thole consent obtained before: proposing the demand to the Chinese governnient.
(4) If in the future a-conflict. occurs between China and one of the signatory Powers, of such a nature as to endanger the continuance of the present engagement, that Power has t" ask for the mediation of the other Power or Powers before resorting to the use of arms, and it will be the right as well as the duty of the Power or Powers so asked to offer their mediation, An editorial note in the March number says: "The last accursed session of the Imperial Diet was formally. prorogued on the Lith inst. The people feel quite relieved, though far from hilarious; The atmosphere of the Hall of the Lower House has been found so impure and full of carbonic acid gas, as to be unfit for human breath This is. very..true, say more than metropolitan journals, both in a physical and moral sense."
China. By Professor Robert Douglas, In cloth, 456 pp. With illustrations and map., Londuu: T. Fishee Unwin, 1899. (3; Professor Douglis spent. sven years in China, very exciting years they were too, from "1858 to 1865. He has since been engaged in the British Museum, where he has been able to keep up his acquaintance with Chinese literature, and he is naturally. regarded at home as an eminent authority on the celestint empire. It would take a brave man, even a braver man than Mr, Boulger, to compress China's four thousand years into 456 pages of small. octavo, and this is all that the proprietors of The Story of the Nations" series lave allowed. In the first 10 pages Professor Douglas gets through the first 3,800 yours of Chinese history, the next century is given 49 pages, and the remainder of the book is devoted to the last hundred years, which after all is to English readers the most important period. 'I! tory of the last hundred years of Chi istence very fairly summarised and is interestingly told, and there area number. of photographs of Chinese scenes dotted about the book with no special reference to the text. The map contains as: much can be expected, considering. that -it only measures six by eight'iuches, On
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.