Since China went off silver and America withdrew from the London market, we, that Is. people with China connections, watch the move> ments of the meta! with comfortable 'Since the Mquidation of the huge {Indian speculative position and the resumption of forward dealings, the 'London market. though on a smaller Iscale, so that prices move easily under ttle pressure, is much healthier and prices hover' comparatively stable about 20d. this connection the "Dally Telegraph" calls special attention to the Incorrect rumour that China Is keen to sell silver. "The facts are otherwise," says the Telegraph, "since it fs knovm in London that instead of inviting, offers China is discouraging bids for her stocks of sliver. A {specific denial by the Chinese Gov-Jernments should Kill the erroneous report that it is offering silver here.
Hallan Writes on China, "The Last of the Empresses" is the title of a very attractive book, Joublishes by. John Murray, and written by Signor Daniele Vare, not long eye Ttalian Minister in Peiping. Incidentally, it 1s a wonderful thing that any man can learn to write another language so beautifully as Signor Vare. His story is told In simple, musical sentences; and continually lighted up by exquisite tittle descriptions which bring Peking vividly' before. Tu particular, the Jaccount of that famous night meeting, Jot the Grand Council in Janusry 1875, when Tzu Hsi foreed the selection of the baby Kuang Hsu as Emperor:
graphic a scene as one can re-
Was the Old Buddha worthy to be called great? Sir Reginald Johnston, who knows more of the Manchu Coun than any man, wil! not hear of it. 'A "great" woman, he argues, would have read the signs of the times and ave met the Western inrush with reforms that would have preserved ithe Empire, Sir Rogineld' can seo nothing but her lust of power and many crimes, On the other hand to Mr. J. 0, P. Biond's sense of humour Tou Hsi laresistible. Her adroitness in getting of inconvenient persons, her high course. her undoubted wit and Inexpugnable knack of flooring her counelitors with the exact precedent from istory that would suit her Jourpose—these qualities are insensibly used by Mr. Bland to build vup_a truly great figure.
Signor Vare seems hypnotized by Tew Lis spirit, I her youth, Emperor Hsien Feng. Down to his death the picture Is radiant. But afterwards the change Is very mark-Jed. Sicnor Vare clearly has no doubt that Tru Hsi connived at the destruc-lon of her son Tung Chih, and probably caused the death of his consort 'A-tt-t6: also that she hod her sister Empress Tzu An poisoned. He sets out these and other dark passages In the Old Buddha's life starkly. and without comment. Readers must Jdraw their own conclusions.
There can be no question that Tzu Hsi_was n woman of extraordinary power end brain. Her sins may be measured by the general standards of the festid Court in which all her fe was passed. And seeing nothing of the outer world except through the eye# of eunuchs, she might be lexeused for failing to read the signs for the times. In the end her crimes ]were perhaps expiated by the hideous [desecration of her bones in 1928.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.