THE condition of Shantung and the appointment ofa new Governor are not matters to be ignored.
The events-of the past few. years have. developed the importance. of the province greatly. A few: -years ago it had its one treaty port and showed little sign: of change... But the Japanese war gave. Weihaiwei to the Japanese, and the whole province 5 was disturbed by the essence of the barbarian on <its soil. Two years later that sensation was. eclipsed when after the murder of two. German missionaries, the Germans landed in Kiaochou Bay, established themselves there for good, obtained rights to, build railways: and open mines, and insisted on the degradation of Li Ping-hong, the Governor of the province. Since then Chang Ju-mei has been Governor:..We have not heard that he was particularly proforeign; if he were it would perhaps be doing him a bad turn to mention it; but he was a far more enlightened Governor than his predecessor. The Central. Government. has, however, removed him on grounds which are no grounds at all.
It is evident that Shantung is in a tical condition: The government sis there is'face to face With tivo-féréign Powers, both holding territory and.95 both having well-defined and important rights. The people are naturally ina very disturbed state of mind ander the new conditions; there is discontent, there is famine, there is rebellion on a small scale; there is the conviction that by anti-reform the government also means anti-foreign already, as will be seen by referring to various letters from our Ichoufu pondent, there has' been killing and robbing of native Christians, an attacks on foreigners as well.
Now it seems evident that under such conditions the most intelligent of Governors would find his work cub out if he would avoid further embroilment with Foreign Powers. He must have a strong hand on the people, and he must havea thoroughly clear perception of China's position vis-d-vis these Foreign Powers, To expect that he should be an Anglo-philo or a lover of any foreigners would of course be absurd; but it is of vital importance to himself: and his-country that he should nob be ignorantly anti-foreign.
Besides those foreigners who are in comparative peace and safety at the ports, there must be some two or three hundred' foreigners, men, women, and children, scattered in small groups throughout the province, defenceless and beyond: the reach of help. Yet every foreigner killed and
gives work for Consuls and Ministers every foreigners house destroyed and Admirals, and is followed by fines and concessions and occupations.
The appointment of Ya Haien, Manchu, to the Governorship is, of course, only part of a larger scheme, but the immediate effects will' seen in Shantung. He will be Commander-in-Chief of all the' forces in the province and responsible only to Peking. That he is a Mancha means that he will not be on the side of progress, but that cannot be helped. It is, however, all-important to know' that he has an intelligent grasp of the difficulties of his position. A Governor may. have the reputation of being: arrogant or tyrannous, and it is not for us to mind; but if he should' be known to be anti-foreign then it becomes our business to take time by the forelock.:
Itis of course a serious matter to interfere'in the internal politics of a
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.