ALL the daily papers of the 15th of May review Lord Charles Beresford's report to the Chambers "-f Commerce of his investigations in China, which he significantly entitles "The Break-up of Chins vhoy all notice the vast amount of well-ordered information it contains, its sobriety, and the dexterous way in which Lord Charles has summarised the views laid before him by foreigners and natives of all kinds in the Far East. The home papers are naturally struck by Lord Charles' repeated mention of the decay of British prestige in China, The Standard says His patience must have been sorely tried when one eminent Chinese after another blandly suggested, with more or less circum: locution, that the English were afraid of Russia,' At Nanking, t e Viceroy told him that, whereas, a short time ago, the name of Britain was more respected than that of any other foreign nation, it was Russia who no was mot feared General Li, a very tinguished soldier wearing the Yellow Jai after remarking that Russia would assent to the Chinese Army being by British officers, England was like an old man ith plenty of money, who risks nothing to provoke ad ig that he has neither the energy nor the power to protect his riches." Ube Viceroy of Hunan and Hupeh told Lord Charles that, even if England consented to help thi to reorganise their Army, Russia would ecru tainly object. whereupon Great Britain would retire from the Agreement, ax she was afraid of Russia." His Excellency Sheng, Director of the Imperial Railways, held that England did rot take the initiative in China for the same ignoble reason.
The Morning Lewler begins its notice by saying the much-expected report of Lord Charles Beresford as to the results of the mission to China, with which he was entrusted by the bers of Commerce, la out ut a ponderous volume of some 510 pages (with the above significant title), inuocent of all literary style,-devoid of rhetoric or humour, stating it control and. lucidity, away in its pages the bluff and hearty person ality of its author. It is, in a word, a busi ness report to business men, and necessarily as such savours of the counting-house rather than the quarter-deck, There have not been wanting many Indies and gentlemen of authority who have made mighty merry over the peregrinations of this naval commercial traveller on the ground that there is nothing that he could tell us that_we do not know already, thanks to that "finest of all consular services in the world" that we possess in China, 'That finest of all consular services" does not come out of Lord Charles' searching analysis in the best. possible light.
Remarks have been made, with a little more show of reason, about the difficulties which Lord Charles' wanderings, and particularly his speechifying, lave raised for British diplomacy. And certainly if foreign Powers have got it into their heads that the hero of the Condor was a secret political agent of the Government.ather than an irresponsible gentleman on s commercial tour, Lord Charles lias only himself to blame. What could be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.