element of permanence in a policy of leaving the people alone so long as they paid tribute to the ruling dynasty. In so great an empire, as Mr. Bland had pointed out, a strong executive was necessary. Without such even democratic government was impossible-it became the mere plaything of the more violent party which always arose in such circumstances. But surely it was inevitable that the Manchu dynasty should have had to give way to something else. With the Manchus in power in 1900, it was the merest chance that the greatest tragedy in the world's history did not take place; that the Legations were saved at the last moment; that such elements of civilization as there were in China were not swept bodily away, to be replaced by blood

shed and retribution which would have set the hands of the clock back for years. It seemed to him that there was no justification for the continuation of the Manchu dynasty, and that being the case, surely something had to take its place.

They could depend upon it that it was better, rather than to retain the dynasty, to go through the troubles of the Revolution, with all the suffering thereby entailed. Nations must suffer like individuals in order to arrive at better conditions and more peaceful conditions for the world at large. Would any of them in that room wish that Russia should return to the condition of things as they existed a year or two back? They all deplored Bolshevism, which was the negation of

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eharacter being what i was tus wat de aer of me must have patience. The results wood was ZERT 3 AC and they must be hopeful wiever ze irn if prvomment a evolved. They knew me ins of memoir mans be theoretically s fine form of government, and I ang Tae & va a co which had come to STAT We mount in so made the best of I and educate the masses, and then ʼn mens nosed beerme de best class of government Cemani Jans some xe iru i gves ment than that of the rents of the Mazen ty

As regards the feeding of me perçue. Ca va comer ful f resources. Its wheat areas were very eneste ale i uz puz equal to those of Canada or the Toned Stars. Then tad teen show's pictures of famine ecodices such as are staged at east from time t time in Chins; but, this being the case, be ward. Tung VIKI such conditions obtained that or should be expared from ne country? Surely if the popcistom vis siderng from a fix any government, to put in midy would be written prebe ing such shipments. Sark, st jeast, would ready be the med tids would be taken by any govemment vita patie termice second a But no government, such as was that of the Marta Šponky would dream of interfering, and rather ved å pa ako te depuracie economic conditions to take their course.

Finally, he wished to say whats pleasure we to the members of the Society to see General Barrow in the thar this sermore, and he would conclude by saying that their Honorary Secretary, Colonel Yate, had asked him to express his great regret at his insolity to be present. He had also asked him to say that he was strongly of opinion that as a result of the Peace Conference the satronomical instruments of great value and antiquity which were taken by Germany from China in 1900 should be returned He the speaker) might add that, when passing through Germany in 1908 on his way to the Far East, he saw these instruments as set up at Potsdam in the vicinity of the Kaiser's Palace. Going on across Siberis to China later in the year, he saw the void spot on the walls of Peking where

the instruments had been for so many centuries. He entirely agreed with Colonel Yate that restitution should be made.

The CHAIRMAN said he was glad the last speaker had referred to the astronomical instruments taken by the Germans from Peking, for he happened to know as much about the subject as most people. He was Chief of the Staff in China during the Boxer Expedition, and most of the discussion on the subject went through his hands. He was directly engaged in negotiations with the various authorities of different nations there assembled. The Germans and the representatives of other Powers, some of whom were now our Allies, drew up between them a scheme for the distribution amongst them of these marvellous astronomical instruments which adorned the walls of Peking. They were beautiful specimens of art, and were understood to be also very good for their immediate scientific purpose. The proposed distribution did not commend itself to the British and American authorities, and the commanders of the forces of those two Powers put in a very strong protest against the proposal. There were heated discussions on the subject and much writing, most of which he did. The result was that the Allies generally decided not to share the loot. But two or three of the Powers were not at all satisfied with that solution. The next stage was that the Germans shipped their portion, and probably some of our portion as well, to Berlin. The French lodged a few instruments in their Legation, whence he believed they were eventually shipped to Marseilles; but under the orders of the French Government they were at once returned to He had lost sight of what happened after that. He entirely agreed regarding the desirability of restoring those beautiful works of art to their proper place on the walls of Peking.

They had been told that the Manchus were bound to go, and that something else had to take their place. Well, the ordinary course in China had been a change of dynasty. If a dynasty was effete or tyrannical, someone else had come along to replace it. That method had served China very well for many thousands of years. What had now happened, however, was to substitute for a dynasty a species of government which was entirely unsuited to the Chinese character. The point Mr. Bland had sought to impress upon them was that democracy was not suitable to China, even if it were suitable to nations nearer home. He thought that everyone who knew China well would agree with that view.

Note by Hon. Sec.-It appears that Germany finally repented of having taken the instruments, which, however, are still at Potsdam. The German offer to return them is said to have been made after a fashion which Chinese pride and dignity could not brook. One thing is certain, and that is that the discussion on December 11, 1918, at

22, Albemarie Street, led to action which at least wil nacie te Chinese Government to new reclaim their nstruments i ney them.

P.S.-The two photographs of the astronomes nstrumenta Peking, which are here reproduced, were taken by Leur. Juches Yste in March, 1998.

NOTE-The Times of March 19, 1919, p. 3. 201. 1 The Ferman loveens ment has decided to return to China the astronomest nstrumente non vers transported from Peking to Germany in 1900. Negritations have been series. for the shipping of the instruments China-Vries Prese wireless stations of the German Government.

THE NUSHKI RAILWAY AND SOME OF THE PROBLEMS ON WHICH IT BEARS

BY COLONEL WEBB WARE, C.I.E., F.R.G.S.

A MEETING of the Central Asian Society was held on Wednesday, February 12, 1919, at 22, Albemarle Street, London, W., when Colonel Webb Ware, C.I.E., F.R.G.S., delivered a lecture on "The Nushki Railway and Some of the Problems on which it Bears." Lord CARNOCK presided.

The proceedings were opened by Lord LAMINGTON, who said: Ladies and gentlemen, there is just a little preliminary business before the actual reading of the paper takes place. I have great pleasure, as a very old member of the Society, and I think one of its Vice-Presidents-certainly on the Council-in introducing to you our new chairman, Lord Carnock. We think ourselves extremely fortunate in his answering in the affirmative our request for his services as chairman of this Society. Lord Carnock, better known, perhaps, as Sir Arthur Nicholson, has done such wonderful service in diplomacy on behalf of the Empire, and is so well versed, too, from the fact of his having been for years Ambassador at Petrograd, in all matters appertaining to the Near and Middle East, that I think with him as chairman the Society, useful as has been, I trust, in the work it has done in the past, will be in a position to earn even greater respect, and have its lectures better known and better attended by the outside public than even has been the case in the past. With these words of introduction, I should like now to bring him to your notice, and ask him to accept the position of chairman, and occupy it for the first occasion after his election at this evening's meeting, when, I think, a particularly interesting paper is to be brought to your notice. I regret that I have another meeting to go to, so that it will not be my good luck to listen to that narration of events which is now to be put before you.

The CHAIRMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, I feel highly flattered by the very kind-I think too kind-words which Lord Lamington has spoken in introducing me on the first occasion of my addressing you in this room. I must say that I felt very considerable hesitation, and