July 30.
Few foreigners and still fewer Chinese. we suspect, that is proportion ately to their numbers, can muster up much interest now in China's political turmoils and tribulations. All sorts of people flit confusedly to and fro upon the stage, Republicanism having had at least this effect that a great many more people take part, or are seen to be taking part, in the interminable scramble for office than in Imperial days. Few of them, however, rise to sufficient prominence to impress their names on any one's memory for more than a week or two at a time. Only when we take the trouble to hunt up the files do we realize that it was the same crowd yesterday as it is to-day and as in all probability it will be tomorrow. There is no difference except in the perpetual groupings and regroupings of the various atoms. The same wearisome parrot cries resound in all quarters, the same hollow-sounding and meaningless mani-festees burden the telegraph wires and fill columns of unread newspapers. And the result is still the same: some temporary profit for this or that gang, your turn to-day as ours last week to get your fingers in the pie; but for China nothing, except more taxes, more oppressions, and more unavailing pity from ber friends.
So in this newest struggle for office in North China. A momentary flash of interest was lent by the personality of General Wu Pei-fu. He at least had done something, and that of direct and visible benefit to one section of the Chinese people. He had got out of Hunan, had declined any longer to hold the fort for the execrated Chang Chin-yao and thereby had enabled the Hunanese to expel one who is generally allowed to have been as mean, as grasping and as contemptible a creature as ever disgraced governor's yamen. And Wu Pei-fu's advance on Peking was not only spectacular: it seemed to offer some real hope that China had at last found a saviour. His troops believed in him, so did and still do believe large numbers of Chinese of all classes. But politicians do not want a saviour; their natural instinct is to mistrust any in whom the people believe; for that way lies the end of their own emoluments. The more generous Wu Pei-fu's sentiments may be, the less chance there is of his being allowed to convert them into deeds, Three weeks have passed since he was cashiered by Presidential mandate and a price metaphorically put on his head. Now it is his enemies who are cashiered, their troops to be disbanded and some of them, it is even said, to be tried and punished: not that one supposes they will or need feel much alarm on that score, while by a mere stroke of the pen cancelling the previous mandate, Wu himself is reinstated. But that is the utmost that his friends can hope for him, He is not and will not be permitted to enter Peking, except in semi-private capacity or unless he tries to force an entrance. Chang Tso-lin is now the man of the hour, he it is for whom the President sends on Tuan Chi-jui's resignation. And Chang comes forward with a mouthful of fine sentiments_—He is neither pro this nor anti that, he tells a foreign interviewer; he has no personal likings or dislikings. His sole purpose is the unification of China and any militarist who seeks to dominate the coun-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.