has the name of Commander-in-Chief of the Peking Field Force and of the different Tartar Banner Corps in the capital; but in reality the chief power lies in the hands of Prince Tuan. His youth prevented his being appointed to the chief command of these Tartar regiments and so Prince Ching was named for the it by the Empress Dowager, but Prince Ching's well-known timid nature was not one under which the haughty Princes and nobles of the Manchu Banners were willing to serve, and they refused point-blank to receive such a leader. They clamoured for Prince Tuan as the "only man" they respected and would serve under; but finally the matter was compounded by making Prince Ching the figure-head and Prince Tuan the actual head. This Prince had long recognised the weakness of China and the importance of gaining a strong Power to support the Empire. Like all Manchus he, in his heart, distrusted the Russians, for although Manchus are ignorant in all conscience of outer world affairs they have had enough experience of the Russians, ever 8 latter pressed southwards from Siberia into Manchuria, to know exactly how far to go with these hereditary foes." The war with Japan also opened Prince Tuan's eyes to the rising strength of the Island Empire and one day, nearly two years ago, havin read a copy of the prospectus of the Oriental Association, an organisation to bring about closer friendship between the only three independent countries of the Far China, Japan, and Corea—at once began in his characteristic manner to bring about more i us between Chiva and Japan, poi ut the Chinese mandarinate was still smarting somewhat from the defeats of 1894-5 and 86 Prince Tuan found it' hill work to attain his object. But before the coup @éat he had persuaded the Emperor to think bettor of the Jupanese, using all the force of his character upon his timid chief, Prince Ching, also got the latter to join'him in advocating before the Empress Dowager a closer friendship with Japan. This is the real origin of the present entente between the two Empires, and judging from Prince Tuan's character he will surely obtain his wishes in spite of all opposition, There are now here a largo number of VISITING JAPANESE, who are said to be en ¢our, but unlike other Showed the run of the whole capital. " It is ordinary tourists or globe-trotters they are unnecessary to give in detail what these privileges are. I have an idea which is generally shared by people in Peking that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.