The Times of Thursday published from a correspondent a gloomy
account of the prospects in China. He says that there is a steady growth of reaction, most marked in the North, against Republicanism ; that the military element is steadily increasing its power ; and that the separatist tendencies of the South become more pronounced daily. Young China, he says, by its financial and administrative blanderings has quite alienated " the gentry and merchants " without whose support no stable Political edifice can be reared. The ascendancy of various 'military commanders has created a sort of loose party which is. comparable with the Military League in Turkey, but is without the patriotism and internal discipline of the Turkish officers: The correspondent thinks that Yuan Shih-kai will have to secure the co-operation of these powerful military leaders on terms, and it is possible that he will not be able to produce the necessary respect for the central authority—with- out which respect every effort towards good government in China must be abortive—unless be establishes a dictatorship. We may add the interesting announcement made on Friday that Dr. Morrison, the well-known and most able correspondent of the Times at Peking, has been appointed Political Adviser to the Chinese Government. They are to be congratulated.
