The Hon. J. Stewart Lockhart, our new Administrator, strived here Brd ulto., and was received with a sal from H. M. 8. Cressy and, on his Is at Maton, by a guard of honour furnished by the Chinese Regiment. When this port was taken over from the Chinese Government, Mr. Balfour, with quite unnecessary precipitation, "hastened to assure the world in general, and the German Government in particular, that "ur object in acquiring the harbour asa naval base, that We'hai future before it as a commercial port. and that it would not be connected with the interior of th> province by a rai Quite recently the Colonial Uner-Secretary of the same Government boldly announced in the House of Lords that, under Mr. Stewart Lockhart's able administration, it was confidently expected that the plae* would thrive commercially It mu-t be a source of some satisfaction to the new Commissioner to know what is expected of him.
The First Chinese Regiment.
After weeks of wearying suspense oficial orders have been received here, which, unk s the War Office can b+ persuaded 10 its decision, seal the fate of the ment. Instructions have come to hand to reduce the battalion to a military police force of about 300 men. It is reported that the soldiers are to be sent away at the rate of about 100 per month, each man receiving three months' pay as_ gratuity, This decision on the part of the Government is the sequel to their d: cision to retain Weihaiwei as an unfortified "peace ba-e" for the nary.
Criticisms.
Certain adverse criticisms and almost slanderous reports against the Regiment have been diligently p: t into circulation by people whose identity is more than suspected here, and wh" have obviously allowed professional jealousy and personal que to cloud their better judgment. S eaking generally officers of the Indian Staf' Corps, who saw service in North China duri- g the Boxer outbreak, but who arrived after all the hard fighting was over, have passed unjust "criticism on th" new Chines+ soldiers. With their successful experience in drilling Asiatics into good oldiers, it has come as " painful surprise to find that officers, not connected with he Indian army, have done so well witt these Shantung coolies. Appwently, too, it hurts their feelings. and outrages they sense of the fitness of things ta find tit Chinamn does not grovel in Ue +'ust The local troops ructions to salute es. But it has Hy happened that an officer i+ civi ian garb be n allowed ty pass without the recognition due to his position, Of his circumstance a great deal has been made by those on the look-out for a grievance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.