The Chinese Government re plied formally on the evening of November 1. The main points (for full text see "Herald" November 6, page 438-9) were (a) that there had been for some time a strong section of the people in favour of monarchy and that recently their ranks had been greatly increased until they included the most powerful and influential men in the country (b) that the Government had always opposed the movement but had been oblived, in deference to the popular wish, to organize a convention of citizens' representatives (c) that it felt perfectly confident of being able to carry the change through without trouble. On November 4, Mr. Obata called again—this time alone—on Lu Cheng-hsiang and asked for an explanation of this reply and on the previous day M. Conty, the French Minister, informed the Waichiaopu that he had been instructed to associate the French Government with the advice, By ime more than half the provinces had voted ili favour of Monarchy; there had been no evidence whatever of dangerous pPesitin to the movement, and, riginal from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.