Foreign opinion is di wit regard tothe Japanese action in granting Anfuite refugees asylum in the Legation. Mr. Obata's delay in making the announcement' is generally deprecated. It is contended that the meeting of diplomats recently to consider the question of refugees afforded an excellent opportunity of which Mr, Obata did not avail himself, and after that the Legation denied the presence of refugees until the announcement was made. No parallel can be drawn with the actions of the British, French and American Ministers, which were based on the Protocol and distinctly did not apply to the actual Legations. Moreover, it is pointed out that the diplomats at their recent meeting inverted the original intention of that clause of the Protocol. which was to safeguard the Legation quarter from an influx of Chinese which might iniperil its defence. Thus the Protocol may be eliminated from the matter and the broad principles of international law applied. Special importance there-. fore attaches to the "North China Daily News" legal view. which is detached to an extent almost impossible in Pekine. where the Protocol is continually Peking, Aug. 18.
A mandate will shortly be issued, ordering changes in the personnel of the offices of Procurator-General, High Procurator and local Procurator in Peking and instructing the new holders of these posts to draw up indictments against the Anfuites, at present sheltering in the Japanese Legation, with a view to a demand for their sur-vender.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.