The people of Shanghai can hardly feel much confidence in
the protection provided for them by Sun Chuan-fang, as, though he has nominally an army of 60,000 men, a proportion of it is thought to be quite. willing to go over to the Cantonese. The Peking correspondent of the Times says that if the Cantonese prevail in Kiangsu their methods of strike and boycott will be applied to Shanghai, with the particular object of destroying British trade and the general object of coercing the Powers in the matter of the treaties. The treaties are, of course, the only safeguard of the immense foreign interests in China. As the Chinese are united in nothing except in their desire to challenge the Powers, the challenge must surely be met by a common policy. This does not mean that a warlike policy is necessary, but the Powers are not at all likely to make any impression on. China unless they agree to say and do the same things at the same time.
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