Lord Lansdowne's reputation has been greatly enhanced by the publication of the papers relating to the evacuation of Shanghai. The firm stand taken by the Secretary for Fo fairs against both Germany and China is taken too as a sign that the spirit of Lord Salisbury has departed from tide Cabinet, with his retirement, and that the spirit of Chamberlain is dominant. Before the publication of these papers a little disappointment was felt and a little suspicion of a want of firmness on Lord Lansdowne's part, when it became known that the German troops wore to remain at Shanghai for a little while after the British troops had withdrawn; but it is now acknowledged: that. so far from having iced any British interest the Foreign Secretary has made a firm and uncompromising stand against' a German attempt to steal a march on us. Germany's great endeavour has been to ain-a privileged position in Shantung, and to prevent Great. Britain from having any such privileges in her sphere of influence. Lord Salisbury declined in 1898 to assent to this view of the situation; but whether he would have acted as promptly and as firmly as Lord Lans" downe has done now when these attempts have been renewed may well be doubted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.