Mucu very natural surprise has been expressed at the treatment HE. Chang Chih-yung -has experienced at the hands of the Peking Government. One of the first scholars j in the Empire, 2 statesman renowned as being one of the few sbsolutcly clean-handed of cials, who by saving} the Baropsaw: i wid-China in 1900, saved the boss part of his own cov try from terrible reprisals; a mar whose age ae) innate conservatism. have not prevenie? him from urging the adoption of eve: y elutary; reform that has been brough:: to his not aman who liv been eighteen Viceroy and has been on? of the most hard-working as well as tue most able servants of the Throne and has never deservedly had 2 black mark put against his name; is now Jef. virtually without an office, cast aside contemptuously, his same not even being mentioned in the decree appointing his successor. This treat-mont 1s the more ungrateful, as when he was asked to take the Viceroyalty of the Liang Kiang, he refused it without the promise that his appointment should be made substantive. His case is the more strange as, while a friend to reform, he has never wavered in his devotion to the Empress Dowager. Without his aid she wou'd not have fared so well as she did at Hsian, and this very devo-tio. has made him many enemies among the thorough-going reformers.
The explanation is to be found in the present ruler of China, Yung In. When Yuan Shih-kai came to Nanking the other day he said to Chang Chih-tung: "Yang Lu wants to know why you are such an enemy to Russia; why you consistently oppose every Russian scheme that Yung Lu favour" It is Chang Chih-tung's habit when the conversation takes an inconvenient turn to fall asleep, and this, it appears, seriously offended the greatness of Yuan Shih-kai, whose rapid rise—itis less than ten years since he was given a substantive appointment as a Taotai—has not made him conspicuons for humility. On his arrival at Shanghai he telegraphed to his patron Yung Lu that he found Chang Chih-tung too old and decrepit to be entrusted wish such an important post as that of Viceroy of the Liang Kiang; he knew that Yung In does not want to see so independent and pow erful a Chinaman as Chang Eh tung in such an important position. The latter's memorials to the Throne against concessions to Russia have ull influence with the Empress Dowager; and this is very obnoxious to Yung Lu. As long as Chang Chih-tung was at Nanking he could, as he has done before, thwart the sinister designs of the great Manchu at Peking, and this appears to explain the gross ingratitnte with which he has been treated by the Throne. Phe death of Baron Liu was rightly lamented by all foreigners in China; one of its worst results is that it has encouraged Yung Lu and his protege Yuan Shih-kai to endeavour to make Chang Chih-tung harmless to themselves. [¢ is reported that Chang Chih-tung is ana ions to go to Peking and have a special audience with the Empress Dowager; the result will be watched with deep anxiety.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.