Hers of a century in Peiping, H.M. Embassy's major be transacted in Nanking. with loopholes, with gates, moat and glacis, This was garrisoned by foreign troops who became one of the regular sights of Peiping. This quar: ter steadily developed and improved, until It was converted into a small model settlement with well-paved, i, and well-policed roads and fine houses. It was, however, completely separate from the rest of the city: to slop forth from the Legation Quarter into the Chinese elly. was ike passing back from the 20th to the 16th century. At the same time, all the Legations were greatly enlarged, as apart from other' considerations accomodation had provided for the guards. The British Legation, for Instance, was nearly trebled in area: the Minister's garden was now on the site of what had once been the Hanlin Academy, while the barracks and officers quariers of the guard occupied the ground where formerly some of the government boards hod stood.
Merchants Enter Peking The celeet tone of Peking society now disappeared for good and all, After 1900 the reconstruction of Peking. the Western reforms in which the Chinese government pretended, to be interested, and above all the moneys. required to meet the huge indemnities,- all this attracted large numbers of merchants and financiers to Peking. Indeed, for the next dozen years or so financial questions loom-very large in the pre-occupations. of the" Legations. "As all matters: affecting the Quarter and the Protocol of 1901 were international questions, they were not taken up by each minister separately, but by the doyen (the minister who had been longest resident in Peking) after they had been discussed meetings of the whole Diplomatic Body. These meetings became a regular feature of diplomatic work from now on until the outbreak of the World War, and did something towards re-establishing a limited kind, Of ce-operation between the Legations.
The Revolution of 1911 made tittle difference to the work of the Lega-
Position. The frst president of the Lone oF even to their geographical hew Republic had decided to retain Peking as the capital, in spite of the attempts of the radical party among, the Fevolulionaries to get him 10 move the government to Nanking. The only outward change in the status of the Leyations was that the ministers were reduced from the high-sounding Chinese title of "Ta Chin Chai" (Great Imperial Envoy) to the less Imposing "Shih Chen" (Accredited Minister).
Effect of Great War What little unity the Legations had managed to attain was once more completely destroyed by the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.