In looking back upon the events of the past year, the majority of Chinese newspapers fail to discover any matter for congratulation. On the contrary, they find much that would justify regret or dissatisfaction. Abroad, China has achieved no improvement at all in her international position. Even the moderate elements among the Chinese people appear to be keenly disappoir'ed with the very meagre result far ascertainable, of the Washington Conference, from which they had expected so much. They still hope that before the Conference is closed, their country may gain something solid instead of the fair-sounding but worthless promises which have been dealt out in such liberal doses to her delegates. Excepting in the government organs, China's or rather Peking's consent to negotiating direct with Japan on the Shantung question and the Twenty one Demands outside the Conference in whatever form and through whosoever's mediation, instead of submitting them to the plenary session of the Conference for a fair and just ver-diet, is generally disapproved as a false move, and condemned by the radical papers as a treacherous step, undoing all China's former efforts and inconsistent with her former attitude, and implying, as the radical papers allege, her tacit recognition of Japan's succession to Germany's rights in the sacred province of Shantung. As even "Heaven will not help those who cannot help themselves," the Chinese people should' look to themselves for their own salvation as well as for their national regeneration.
With regard to her internal affairs, China remains seemingly as disunited as before. The people are taking little interest in politics and political changes. They have evinced even less interest than usual in the Jatest change in the personnel of the Cabinet at Peking, from which quarter no good has ever been expected, although more harmful devices to fleece the people may be evolved now that the notorious God of Wealth" with his gang of unscrupulous master extortioners is again at the helm.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.