'Tux occasion of Washington's Birthday must certainly -not pass without expression -of those convey, on the British com: hearty' felicitations which it is our pleasant duty annually. "to munity's behalf, to our Amiéeican fellow residents. "Phe weather yesterday was almost as bleak as February knows how to be; but we do not think. that this made any difference to' the day's festivities; and at lent as regards the ball, whatever argument there may have been over the choice of locality, there were no two opinions a6 to the evening's being a splendid sues cess, It is natural that the Americans should exceed almost every other people in the gnthusiasm with which they celebrate the national fete. When 'Washington is spoken of as "the Father of his country" the'an" vestry is near enough to make them feel a personal share bétht in his distinction and in all the national development that' "has followed since his declaration*of independence. One of our edrrespondents to-day—may "Wwe without breach of confidence say that he is not British—recalls. a certain episode from Washington's diary which up. pears slightly at variance with the cherry-tree story. But the incident related merely gives us 'a new appreciation of the hum-unity of Washington's chtracter. There can assuredly "be no reflexion on its essential integrity.
That characteristic, as reflected in the democracy of the'btate at he fathered, is finely ilin, the Sasa is that a man in "Hight position has been using his office to feather his nest, and evetyday's telegrams serve to tat suspicion in some new direction. But the wide publicity given ito the Teapot Dome story sindthe burning interest taken in it "by the American people are "the {finest possible testimony to-thie national consciousness and "ithe vigour of American democracy. In China there is also, a democracy so-called. But is. unhappily notorious that officials look upon public _property and national resources 'a5 their own perquisite, treating the masses of the people as their servants and enriching themselves with impunity: and there no one with courage and determination enough to challenge their actions. Until the people of China take a greater interest in their own government and its activities and insist that' the component members of that government shall remember that they exercise a national stewatdship, there can be ino democracy worthy of the name. In America, the mere suspicion that' a public servant has betrayed hia trust rouses every citizen, whase whole instinct " is, with "the French king, that' U'état o'tst moi, and he insists that there shall be the fullest possible sifting of the whole scandal, no matter what public washing tot dirty linen it may involve—the more public indeed, the better—~ no matter whose head may fall.
Signs are not wanting that this keen' sense of propriety"'in domestic affairs is beginning'to extend also to international. 'TE is mot in the least surprising'ié the. American people are dis-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.