46 



The Review of Reviews. 



further details of his career from the Oriental Review 

 sketch : — 



Realising China's need of an army trained on European lines 

 he [Vuan] reorganised the Chinese military establishment, and 

 soon had 5,000 well-disciplined men under his command. His 

 discipline was severe ; the use of opium was prohibited ; but he 

 treated his men well, and paid them regularly. In ibgg he was 

 made Governor of Shantung. He set himself vigorously to 

 suppress the Boxers; he had the courage to disregard the 

 imperial edicts ordering the plunder and massacre of foreijners ; 

 he worked with the Yangtse viceroys to maintain order ; and 

 not a foreigner in his province perished while Chihli was in 

 Chines. On the death of Li Hung Chang he was appointed 

 Viceroy of Chihli (1901). Upon his advice was issued the 

 famous edict of 1904 abolishing the traditional examinations in 

 Chinese classics, and making entrance to official life dependent 

 upon a degree in one of the modern colleges. In the closing 

 vear of the reign of the Empress-Dowager Tzu Hsi he was 

 Appointed a member of the Grand Council and administrative 

 huad of the Waiwu-pu (the office of foreign affairs). 



At Tientsin, after the foreign occupation, Yuan 

 made cleaner, wider streets, created an adequate 

 police, established schools, and even a hospital for 

 women and a training school for nurses under an 

 .American-trained woman student. 



It is unquestioned that he has done more for his country than 

 .uiy other man living. And what is more, he has been at the 

 head of official life in China and he has never got rich, as 

 official life goes. 



And yet it seems equally unquestioned that, in spite of all 

 Yuan Shih-Kai does not possess the confidence of his 

 i:ountry. The Chinese deny him the title of patriot. It 

 remains to be seen whether they will be satisfied with anything 

 else in the crisis which they have now reached. Vuan is an 

 opportunist, by general verdict ; what he has done for his 

 country has been done for Yuan); the army he organised has 

 been taught loyalty— to Vuan. 



After his well-known treachery to the late Emperor, 

 resulting in an accession of favour from the late 

 Empress-Dowager, the Chinese people spoke of him 

 as the real ruler of China. They believed that he 

 could have named the next emperor, as Napoleon 

 did. That he did not do so seems to be the thing 

 that they cannot forgive him. To-day the Chinese 

 shake their heads and say that perhaps he cannot be 



this. 



trusted. 



THE CHANGES AT THE ADMIRALTY. 



Admiral Fre.mantle, writing in the United Ser- 

 vice Magazine, says that he thinks the reason Mr. 

 Winston Churchill made a clean sweep of the old 

 Board was because the old Sea Lords objected to the 

 creation of 



a Naval War Staff under an admiral of high standing ; such a 

 thinking department, acting independently thougli without 

 executive functions, would naturally be in close communication 

 with the Military War Staff, and no similar misunderstanding 

 to the one in question could possibly arise. 



Only a few words are necessary with regard to the new Naval 

 Lords, and the officers appointed to the higher commands — nor 

 can any fault be found with the selections, which are universally 

 admitted to be excellent. 



Of the crisis which preceded the change Admiral 

 Fremantle says : — 



In 1904, when the Dogger Bank episode suddenly brought 

 us to the verge of war with Russia, our principal fleet was 

 without coal and the cruiser squadron in dockyard hands. In 

 191 1 the military had their expeditionary force in readiness, 

 but they were suddenly confronted with a naval 71011 possumus, 

 as the Admiralty were not prepared to guarantee "safe 

 passage" till they had dealt with the enemy's naval forces, or 

 that they had so located and blockaded them that there would 

 be no danger of interference with the transports even by 

 destroyers or submarines. A very casual view of the transport 

 and convoy difficulty I have referred to shows that something 

 like two powerful fleets each equal to Germany's are necessary. 

 We need not be afraid of the cost of two keels to one, which 

 is necessary if we are to maintain that command of the sea 

 which is necessary for the existence of our maritime Empire, 

 feeling sure that the overseas dominions will do their share if 

 the -Mother Country sets the example. 



The Re^mo for January contains a communication 

 from the Editor to the following effect : " M. Andre 

 Michelin, believing that the revolution now in process 

 through aviation and the aeroplane compels us to 

 use all our powers in the promulgation of Esperanto," 

 attended a meeting of the Paris Esperanto Croup, 

 and announced that he and his brother had responded 

 to the call of MM. Archdeacon and Farmer, and 

 would place at M. Archdeacon's disposal the sum of 

 20,000 francs to be given in the form of prizes to the 

 young folk who would learn " this language, which 

 will soon become a necessity." The Editor of 

 Rnuo expresses a hope that Britain, Germany, 

 and the United States will supply other men 

 who will follow the example of this French 

 Mfficenas. 



WHY JAPAN WANTS A BIG NAVY, | 



In the Orievtal Review (New York) for Decembenj 

 Saburo Shimada, M.P., a leader of the Nationalist 

 Party and a member of the Peace Society of Japan, 

 once Vice-President of the House of Representatives, 

 gives Japan's message to America. He asks. Why 

 this cry for a strong navy in Japan ? and answers ; — 



Taking the liberty of speaking openly and frankly, it is solely 

 due to the fear of the Japanese people that America may take 

 the offensive against Japan. The Japanese know that they 

 cannot, and would not if they could, attack America. But theyl 

 have heard the arguments to the contrary of such alarmists as 

 Hobson, Homer Lea, and Underwood. They have seen, 

 Hawaii and the Philippines fortified. They have heard that the; 

 Panama Canal is also to be fortified ; and they ask themselves 

 what is the purpose of this canal fortification. The Suez 

 Canal was built forty years ago, at a time when the nations 

 were less inclined to observe peace than at present ; but that 

 canal w,is not fortified. Then why should the United States, 

 the leader of the world's peace movement, seem to desire 

 the fortification of the Panama Canal? Why should she launch 

 new and powerful battleships apparently in such haste? The, 

 I apanese are afraid. The truth is that the Japanese fear that 

 all this means .Xmerican aggression with Japin .as the 

 objective, that .\mcrica has an intention to take the offensive 

 towards Japan, and the result is this clamour for a big Japanese 

 navy. 



Shadows Cast Before, by Claud Field. This is ar 

 anthology of prophecies and presentiments. Tht^ 

 collection would have been more valuable if tlu 

 author had included precise reference to the authori 

 ties and sources from which his information is derived 



