May 20.
THe marked abstention from personal comment on the Cabinet changes in Peking in Mr. Rodney Gilbert's letter to-day is significant. Reuter's correspondent has been less reticent, expressing the opinion that Mr. Yeh Kung-chow was turned out of the Ministry of Communications because he declined to hand over the surplus railway revenues to the Ministry of Finance. Mr. Gilbert merely records the extremely cold reception given to the new Ministers by all the public opinion of the capital, to which that of Shanghai and other places appears cordially to subscribe, and quotes some of the expectations commonly held of the line that the new Cabinet is likely to take. Nor ought the Cabinet to feel surprise that this is the general attitude. The mere fact that Mr. Li Shi-wei is Minister-designate of Finance would raise a storm: for popular report ascribes to him association—_ with Japanese interests of the closest order. True or untrue these reports are quite enough to damn the new Ministry in public estimat tion.
Leaving the question of pro-Japanese leanings on one side for the moment, the entire needless-nogs of the changes in at least two respects cannot but cause an unfavourable impression. Peking departments are too often tarred unfairly with the same brush and it is only right, therefore, to dwell on good work where it is found. There appears no question that Mr. Yeh Kung-chow has shown considerable ability at the Ministry of Communications and that his departure from it is to be regretted. His work in the unification of railway statistics and accounts. in which he was ably assisted by Dr. C. C. Wang. form-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.