It is indeed a pity that China*ot Republican. times has not. yet produced an admiral capable rendering any public service. The Cantonese "naval authorities have never done anything in connection with Hix Bay piracies, and now we have the spectacle of the Northern Squadron safely lying at anchor in either Tsingtao or Chefoo, leaving the brigands-cum-pirates of Haichow a free hand to carry on their nefarious activities, Junks are frequently boarded by these desperadoes who seem to own. vessels of their own, for not so long ago 1 piratical junk opened fire on passing gunboat and the latter, according to a native informant, Jescaped! If one of these days we Jcome to hear of steamers being pirated in northern waters and taken to the vicinity of Haichow we must not evince any surprise, So long ax the northern naval authorities hesitate to come to grips. with these brigands-cvm-pirates, #0 long would they become bolder and bolder until, taking the cue from their southern confreres, they would farther afield and include high-sea piracies of steamers—and not. only of junks and fishing boats—as. part of their programme.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.