reply. Since then,
whenever the request has been repeated, the Chinese Government has
played for time, has deferred the answer, delayed the decision,
shilly-shallied, avoided the issue by every means. This is the classic
custom of the Chinese when confronted with an unpleasant decision,--to
play for time, to postpone the inevitable, in the vain hope that
something will turn up meanwhile, some new condition arise to divert the
attention of the "powers that prey." Occasionally this method works but
not always. Not in this case, anyway. When a European power asks for a
thing, it is merely asserting its divine right.

We have talked to many people about this Lao Hsi Kai business, people of
all ranks and all nationalities--diplomats, old residents, journalists,
business men--and not one of them has made any attempt to justify or
defend the action. Without exception, they say it is an outrage, and
totally unwarranted,--at the very least, a most shocking political
blunder. None of them, however, has come forward to the aid of the
Chinese. A curious conspiracy of silence seems to reign,--not silence
in one sense, for every one is talking freely with most undiplomatic
candor, and in private every one condemns what France has done, yet not
a voice is raised in public protest. The Chinese alone are doing their
own protesting; and much good it seems to do them!

XI

THE LAO-HSI-KAI OUTRAGE

A week has passed since the French "acquired" Lao Hsi Kai, and the
situation remains unchanged. The French still sit tight, waiting for
the storm to blow over; the Chinese continue to hold their protest
meetings, to send in their delegations and requests to the central
government to act; the government sits supine, afraid to budge; and
the newspapers continue to rave. It is all most interesting. The
"Gazette" devotes almost its entire eight pages to what it calls the
"OUTRAGE" and hasn't decreased the size of its type one bit. If it
had larger letters, it would probably use them. I should think that by
this time, after such long and painful experience with foreign powers,
it would have laid in a stock suitable to such occasions.

The "Gazette" is an annoying sort of newspaper,--annoying, that is,
to the powers that prey. Under the caption "Madness or War," in the
biggest head-lines it has, it insists upon describing this Lao Hsi Kai
affair as the most Belgium-like thing that has happened since the
invasion of Belgium. Alike in pri