The following message from a Chinese news agency, describing the actual paying over" of the Japanese loan concluded on the 18th instant, is rather curiously coloured. It anti-Peking—militarist 1es0,"" "The statement, the that Yokohama Specie Bank is the leader it the Japanese loan seems to need Confirmation, as this bank is properly one of the Consortium group banks, By whatever side the message may be inspired, it is interesting as a reflexion of what one section of Chinese in Peking are saying.
Peking, Feb. 20.
For meeting the actual requirements of the Chinese Government tide over the financial difficulties the Chinese new year on account of the failure of the couclusion of the. proposed five million founds sterling loan from the old banking group, the Japanese banks under the leadership of the Yokohama Specie Bank have signed an agreement with Mr, Li Shih-hao, Minister of Finance, for a Joan of four and half million dollars on the security of the surplus salt revenue to be repaid in six monthly equal instalments.
To-day is the Chinese lunar new year holiday and there is nothing but high praise for Japan for her timely friendship to China from the mouths of the leaders of the Peiyang Military Party, who are of the opinion thet Japan is more reliable than the three Western democratic Powers, Great Britain, the United States and France, whose banks in this country could not produce the meagre sum of seven million dollars jointly while Japanese banks could pay four and half million dollars single-handed within %4 hours of the signing of the loan agreement As a matter of fact, the loan should be properly styled asa Japanese "emergency loan" for the Chinese militarists, who will continue to control China with foreign financial assistance, Anykow, the smart action of the Japanese has placed the Westerners in a rather unfavourable light Lefore the eyes of the common Chinese and this ig certainly one of the ways that should be employed by Japan and the Japanese for regaining the goodwill of the Chinese people.
With 'd to conditions, the Japanese lenders did not consider them necessary because the money is Required for meeting the actual administrative and military expenses of the Peking government. The whole amount was paid out chiefly to the military commanders of North China immediately after its receipt from Japan so that rot.a single dollar could be spared for the disbandment of the so-called superfluous soldiery which was the most important condition of the old consortium.—Asiatic News Agency.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.