As may not be generally known, before the Russian oceapation of Newchwang hundreds of sea-going Shanghai junks used to trade between this port and, Newchwang, bringing down principally Deancakes and bean oil, and taking up a miscellaneous cargo of southern and central China manufactures. For the' past three years, however, the trade has gone down to about one-fifth of its former dimensions, ruining a large number of junk owners and traders and! hundreds of families whose male members were wont to "go down to the sea in} ships." The recent expulsion of She Russians from Newchwang, audits occupa-the Japanese, have caused great rejoicings amongst the junk owners and crews and considerable eagerness is being now shown amongst them in preparing 9 resume the trips of bygone days, This at avy rate shows the confidence of the junk people in the justice of the Japanese and the present popularity of the latter among all classes of Chinese.
The First Step Towards Efficiency.
A report has been lately going the round of military and naval official circles in the Peiyang that the Army Reorganisation Department, at Peking, has obtained the Imperial consent permitting officers and men_in the Chinese Army and Navy to cut off their queues, "on grounds of expediency." The Central Government has apparently begun to see, what has been hitherto constantly and earnestly j advocated by all enlightened Chinese, whether with foreign education or not, that "if China is to advance and become equal in power and enlightenment to the best of foreign nations, her sons must first do away with the queue and make a. radical change in their dress." _In a word, the present style of hair and costume of the Chinese is suited more for the lotus eater and a dolce far niente life than the energetic and pu
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.