On July 11, 1908, the American Minister informed the Chinese Government of the action of the United States and in acknowledging on July 14, 1908, the note of the American Minister, the Chinese Government stated:

The Imperial Government, wishing to give expression to the high value it places on the friendship of the United States, finds in its present action a favorable opportunity for doing so. Mindful of the desire recently expressed by the President of the United States to promote the coming of Chinese students to the United States to take courses in the schools and higher educational institutions of the country, and convinced by the happy results of past experience of the great value to China of education in American schools, the Imperial Government has the honor to state that it is its intention to send henceforth yearly to the United States a considerable number of students there to receive their education. The board of foreign affairs will confer with the American minister in Peking concerning the elaboration of plans for the carrying out of the intention of the Imperial Government.

In a supplemental letter dated the same day the Chinese Foreign Office outlined more fully the purpose to which the remitted balance of the indemnity is to be devoted:

Referring to the dispatch just sent to your excellency, regarding sending students to America, it has now been determined that from the year when the return of the indemnity begins 100 students shall be sent to America ever year for four years, so that 400 students may be in America by the fourth year. From the fifth year and throughout the period of the indemnity payments a minimum of 50 students will be sent each year.

As the number of students will be very great there will be difficulty in making suitable arrangements for them. Therefore, in the matter of choosing them, as well as in the matter of providing suitable homes for them in America and selecting the schools which they are to enter, we hope to have your advice and assistThe details of our scheme will have to be elaborated later, but we take this occasion to state the general features of our plan, and ask you to inform the American Government of it. We sincerely hope that the American Government will render us assistance in the matter.

ance.

On August 3, 1908, Mr. Root wrote to the American Minister at Peking and enclosed the proposed regulations for the students to be sent to America:

PROPOSED REGULATIONS FOR THE STUDENTS TO BE SENT TO AMERICA.

I. GENERAL STATEMENT.

The students to be sent to America are to be supported out of the indemnity fund remitted by the United States. It is proposed to memorialize the Throne fixing the number of students to be sent abroad, with a statement of the general

arrangements made for them, and at the same time to notify the American min

ister.

The board of foreign affairs will be responsible for the establishment of the training schools and the appointment of the superintendent of students.

The board of education will be responsible for the examination of the students after their graduation, as the board of foreign affairs may invite the board of education.

The officials appointed by the board of foreign affairs and the American legation shall be jointly responsible for the selection of the students who are to be sent to America, and for their distribution in American educational institutions.

II. THE GENERAL PURPOSE.

The aim in sending students abroad at this time is to obtain results in solid learning. Eighty per cent. of those sent will specialize in industrial arts, agriculture, mechanical engineering, mining, physics, and chemistry, railway engineering, architecture, banking, railway administration, and similar branches, and 20 per cent. will specialize in law and science of government.

III. QUALIFICATION OF STUDENTS.

The requirements will be

(a) General intelligence. (b) Good character.

(c) Good health.

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(d) Respectable social position.

(e) Suitable age.

(f) Knowledge of Chinese sufficient to write an essay of several hundred characters.

(g) General knowledge of Chinese classical literature and history.

(h) Knowledge of English sufficient to enable the student to enter an American university or technical school.

(i) The completion of a preparatory course in general studies.

IV. THE METHOD OF NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES.

The board of education will choose the most promising students from all the schools and present them for examination. The board of foreign affairs will also call for applications. Students of both these classes must be fully up to the required standard or they will not be accepted as candidates. (Detailed regulations will be drawn up later.)

V. THE EXAMINATION AND CHOICE OF STUDENTS.

Officials appointed by the board of foreign affairs and one official appointed by the American legation will consult together and report to the board the detailed method of procedure. There shall be three tests:

(a) Candidates must be inspected as to their physical condition by western trained physicians.

(b) They must pass in Chinese.

(c) They must pass in English and general branches. will be issued later.)

VI. THE TRAINING SCHOOL.

(Detailed regulations

The board of foreign affairs will establish a training school for students going to America (or branch schools will be established at Tientsin, Hankow, and Canton for the convenience of students from the different provinces). All the accepted candidates will enter this school or schools. Those sent out the first year will be trained for six months and those sent thereafter will be trained for one year. During this time the character and ability of the students will be closely inspected and only those found satisfactory will be sent abroad. Those found unsuitable will be rejected. (Detailed regulations will be issued later.)

VII. THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF THE STUDENTS ABROAD.

At Washington, Chicago, or some other suitable place centrally located the office of the general superintendent will be established. Some one who has graduated from an American university and who has a reputation for ability will be appointed superintendent of students, and four or five assistants will be appointed to attend to the placing of the students, to their finances, and to inspect their studies. These will make regular reports. (Detailed regulations will be issued later.)

VIII.

After the students have completed their courses of study and obtained their diplomas they will be presented by the board of foreign affairs to the board of education to be examined according to the regulations, and they will receive rank as may be determined by the board of education.

The documents regarding this remarkable incident tell their own story and have been set forth without comment. They show that the Americans, whom Europe condemns as the most materialistic and practical people, are nevertheless more idealistic than the European nationalities from whom they are supposed to have derived their inherited traits. At the time of going to press we are not informed that any power entitled to indemnity under the protocol of September 7, 1901, has either proposed or contemplates the remission of the whole or any part of the indemnity exacted from China in a crisis in her internal and foreign relations.

NEW POSTAL REGULATION WITH GERMANY

In the editorial comment for October (3:849) attention was called to the fact that penny postage had been introduced between Great Britain and the United States, and the effect of such reduction upon

the intercourse between foreign nations was pointed out. An agreement between the Postmaster General representing the United States and German postal officials was recently entered into by virtue of which a uniform rate was introduced of two cents an ounce for letters mailed in the United States and ten pfennigs for each twenty grams for letters mailed in Germany, provided, however, that such letters be sent directly to the contracting countries. Letters between the two countries transshipped and forwarded via England and France pay according to the Postal Union rules. The fact that two postage rates thus exist for letters interchanged with Germany is likely to cause some difficulty and confusion unless the rules and regulations issued by the Postoffice Department are carefully observed. The material portions of the order of December 31, 1908, are therefore quoted:

1. Letters specially addressed by the senders are to be dispatched and rated for postage in accordance with said special addresses, except that letters prepaid or short-paid at the rate of postage for direct ocean transportation, or at a less rate, shall not be dispatched by other than direct ocean transportation.

2. Letters not specially addressed by the senders are to be dispatched as follows: (a) In the event of prepayment, either in full or in part, when the amount of the postage prepaid is in excess of the rate of postage for direct ocean transpor tation, they are to be dispatched by the most rapid route, that is, via England or France; otherwise, by means of direct ocean transportation.

(b) In the event of being wholly unprepaid they are to be always dispatched by means of direct ocean transportation.

(c) In the cases under "a," where the amount of postage prepaid is not sufficient for the route which it indicates shall be employed, double the amount of the deficiency of the postage for such route shall be collected.

3. Letters which should be dispatched by means of direct ocean transportation, according to directions 1 and 2, and are erroneously dispatched by another route by a post office of the country of origin, are not subject, when the postage prepaid is sufficient for the direct ocean route, to the payment of any additional postage, and in any other case they are to be rated up only at the postage rate for direct ocean transportation.

The new agreement does not provide for a corresponding reduction in the rate for post cards, which remains two cents per card as heretofore.

It is to be hoped that the agreements already reached with Great Britain and Germany are but the precursors of a more general reduction of international postal rates.

1 Signed in America January 9, and in Germany January 26, but taking effect by mutual agreement on January 1, 1909.