The Chinese Government issued elaborate regulations for the prevention of smuggling. There were promulgated on June 19 and came into immediate effect. The develop= ment of a strong preventive service was rendered necessary by the in~ crease in the tariff rates and the Government's difficulties were ac~ centrated by the encouragement of smuggling in official quarters, such as in the Canton. On Nover-ber the Hai Ying, a Kuangtung provincial patrol boat, was sunk by smuggled articles were seized from the patrol boat. The captain of the patrol boat was rescued and sent to Canton for trial.
Sir Frederick Maze proceeded on. leave in the beginning of April and his place was taken as Inspector-General of Customs by Mr.
Lawford. Sir Frederick spent" the summer and autumn in England and eventually proceeded back to China by way of USA.
During the year the Italian Government decided to raise its representation in China to the status of an Embassy. General Liu Wen-tao, the Chinese' Minister at Rome, was accordingly promoted to be Ambassador. The new Italian Ambassador had not arrived when the year ended.
Dr. Lo Wen-kan resigned the Ministry of Justice and in October Dr. Chu Cheng was appointed in his place, General Huang Fu. was appointed in December to be Minister of the Interior, in addition to his post as Chairman of the! Peking—Political "Council. General Huang Shao-hsiung was at the same time posted to Chekiang as Chairman of the Provincial Government,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.