These merits may not seem to qualify the new Mayor for the administration of a great city, Dut he is a man who is always re:
ling new talents and new funds of general knowledge. He has what, most returned students so consi: cuously lack, "intellectual curiosity' Jas scientific folk abroad describe it, He does not study qualify for degrees and jobs, but, for the sake of learning, Th Chinese history and records of travel he has shown himself frequently a real authority, Last year he brought to light for the first time an intimate knowledge of the Chines army, its history, organization and personnel, which was astonishingly' complete.' It will be no surprise to his friends therefore that he knows all about municipal administration and municipal finance. will be understood, therefore, that Dr. Ting's appointment raises' Gen. eral Sun Chuan-fang, in the sight of most foreigners in Peking, well out of the military adventurer class. As a man may be known by his 80 may an official be known appointments. We are learning a lot about both Chang Tso-lin. and Wu Pei-fa here through their chosen representatives, The Suspicious of Peking Bitter experience with hopeful Chinese officials has taught most foreign observers to be cautious and suspicious in their judgment upon Prospective "saviours of China," s0 it is only to be expected that while General Sun's present policy in Shanghai is unreservedly praised, his motives are still considered sub-Suet to scrutiny and suspicion in Peking.
Apart from these suspicions, it is pointed out that, even if General) Sun's motives are of the very best, neither he nor Dr. Ting can offer any guarantee of the permanence of their control. Chinese potentates have a way of rising to great heights with rapidity and then going down, under the weight of a league of rivals, with even more' spectacular suddenness, Rights extended to a Chinese official are not easily withdrawn from his suecessor. Chinese officials cling tenaci ously to precedents that favour them. Rights and favours extend: ed to Dr. V.K. Ting on his merit: may next year be rights and favours in the rapacious and unclean hands of verne bandit-adventurer's understudy or may be turned to acount by a "nationalist" under Red instructions. The only _guarantee of the permanence of a reform stituted in the neighbourhood of a foreign community is the acceptance by officials throughout the country of similar reforms in their various bailiwicks. Shanghai, under Chinese administration, partial or whole, would never be secure against the worst forms of misgovernment and exploitation while, let us say Taiyuanfu or Kueiyang or Tsitsihar was nal Chinese i In short, nothing could insure a Chinese-controlled Shanghai against official mismanagement except overwhelming evidence from all quarters that the people of China were so determined upon good municipal government that no class of officials; Jdared to run counter to their will. Every province in this country is
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.