London, Dee. i6.
"After a year's absence I find the situation in China immensely worse' is the opening sentence of an article by the Peking correspondent of The Times." He asserts that it is imperative for the foreign Powers to concert st ing action in order to impress the troops and the bandits that foreigners are under powerful protection and that treaties cannot be lightly violated. He declares that the majority of the provinces ave overrun bandits who are totally paralysing the Administration. All money Teaching the capital is swept up by the militarists. A state of financial collapse prevails, from which there is no visible means of recovery. The correspondent expresses the opinion that the Powers may be compelled to enter into direct relations with the Tuchuns which would involve the re-establishment of foreign spheres of influence.
For the purpose of reassuring: exporters and bondholders, however, the correspondent of "The 'Times' calls attention to a paradox. In spite of civ r, famine, flood: typhoons, bankruptey and political chaos, the Customs figures are 10 per cent. ahead of previo—Renter. pws received by the Eastern nes" is to the effect that the Paoting Military Conference has decided upon_ the following appointments:—President of the Republic, Marshal Tsao Kun; Vice-President, Marshal Chang Tso-lin; Premier, Dr. W, W. Yen; High Military Inspecting Commissioner of Chihli, Shantung and Honan, Marshal Wu Pei-fu; Assistant to Marshal Wu, Gen. Chang Fu-lai; High Military Inspecting Commissioner of Honan and Hupeh, Gen. Feng Vu-hsiang; Chief of the Gendarmerie, Gen. Wang Cheng-i and Civil Governor of Mr. Kao Ling-wei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.