The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-22
THE MAYOR OF PICKING.
Queer FOrmalities Observed When
Making IA Cali Upon Him.
m the New York Tribune.


Picking, Aug. For ten years the Rev
Gilbert Reid was a missionary under the
Presbyterian board of foreign missions.
Last year he returned to China as an in
dependent missionary. his work being
confined chiefly to the higher classes. In
relating some of mis- experiences recently,
he said:
TO an American accustomed to the de-
finite distinctions of political offices, the
Chinese system seems like a muddle.
Every office seems mixed up in some other
office. and every officer is accountable for
such lot of duties that he almost be-
comes accountable for nothing. The sys-
tenn of mutual checks has gone crazy.
The city of Picking, as capital of the
empire, is governed differently from other
cites in fact, many foreigners Visiting
the city might imagine that the city was
not governed at all, or at the best badly
miSgOVerned. And yet there are plenty
of officers with pay, and the system of
rule is elaborate, but simple. The are
two mayors or governors of the city, the
one largely civil and the other largely mill
itary. The latter is a military governor
and is technically the commandant of the
gendarmerie. This position is especially
the police commission and street commits
sion united under one head While many
of the boards and officers of the Metro
politan government appear to US as too
many-headed, the direction of the officers
OF the city is conspicuously autocratic.
The rank of the man holding the office is
of the highest. 1t is always held by a
Manchu, one of the ruling family. In the
outside provinces ne would be spoken of
as a Tartar General.
The mandarin holding the Office at
present is of the name of Rung-Luh, six
ty years of age. He is also one of six
high military officers in control of the
Peking field force is one OF the members
of the foreign Office, was during the war
member of the council of defense and is
also one of eight appointed on the COM
mission to raise loans for paying the
indemnity to Japan. Here. surely is a
strange mixture of duties, enough to puz-
zle the most efficient. While connected
with military affairs he knows but little
about warfare, and would be unable to
lead an army to conquer a foe of modern
times 1t was a good thing for him that
the Japanese gave up the idea of pressing
on to Picking. Though thus deficient in
military knowledge, he is none the less
bright, intelligent man. Though less
profound than many, he is acute and
quick In our American phraseology he
would be-called smart"
Since my arrival in Picking last winter
nave had two long conversations with
ann, the one during the war and the 9TH
er after peace was declared. Both occur
red at his own private residence, one of
me most attractive places in the city.
though ne is inclined to be friendly to
foreigners, 1 was aided in securing the
hrst interview because one Of the impe-
RAJ prince, former imperial tutor and
me present imperial tutor, all members of
me council of defence. had spoken to him
OF the interviews which they had had
with me and of their pleasure in it. Such
testimony was Invaluable.
In the first conversation we referred
especially to the reasons of China's weak
.i1ss IN the war, such as the lack of proper
raining, the poor quality of the guns and