It is the opinion of prominent Chinese and not a few foreigners that the present position of Kuang Hsii is far from satisfictory. In the fall of 1898 he was practically dethroned and imprisoned. His masterful aunt assumed the reins of power and summarily executed the opponents of her supremacy. The disastrous results of her usurpation are before the world. Nothing has yet been done to set her aside, It is true her plans have failed and her purposes been foiled. It is also true that the Allies have in all the present negotiations ignored her rule. On the other hand her notorious chief, Prince Tuan, still lives, and his son has been appointed the heir of the throne of China. Further, and what is most important of all, the Empress Dowager, and not Kuang Hsii, holds the actual ruling power. The testimony of the Plenipotentiaries, of the Edicts, proves incon-tastably that the affairs of State are still in the hands of that masterful woman. We have then the Powers quietly assuming the sovereignty of the Emperor, who is dispossessed of authority, and making terms with a monarch whose Power is nil. Out of this limb of the murdered monarchy " no satisfactory issue can be expected. The Dowager Empress will continue to work in the interests of her protege, and all the old subterfuges in putting forward, as occasion requires, the name of the Emperor, will continue unless the unequivocal sover-eighty of [Kuang Hsii be recognised and supported. At all events in the interests of national honour and common honesty the present fiasco of addressing the Emperor and being answered by his aunt ought toend. Further trouble might easily be forestalled by simply saying once for all: "We have allowed Prince Tuan to live, but we cannot acknowledge the illegal claim that his son shall succeed to the Dragon Throne, or that the Dowager Empress shall direct the affairs of State."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.