New-York tribune., 1902-01-29
CHLNA'S EMPRESS IN WEIR.
THE EMPEROR a FIGUREHEAD AT RE
CEPTON OF FOREIGN MINISTER'S

Peking. Jan. 2S.-The Empress Dowager made
her formal appearance before the foreign minis
ters here to-day at the diplomatic reception.
she occupied the throne in TIE main audience
champer while the Emperor sat behind table
on low dais before the throne.
The fiction of recognizing the Emperor as the
sovereign was maintained. but the Empress
Dowager was the parsonage OF chief interest
and Importance
The foreign minister's the charges daffares
and the secretaries of legation. numbering near
ly one hundred persons. were received at to-
days reception Upon entering the audience
chamber the ministers bowed thrice to the En-
peror. They alghted before the Emperor's dais
While their suites remained in the background.
The doyen OF the diplomatic corps NJ. Czikann,
the Austrian representative, delivered the ad-
dress TO the Emperor. who replied in a youth
full voice, and Prince Ching. kneeling received
the manuscript of his speech and handed il TO
NJ. Czikann. The ministers and charges DAFT
faireS were then presented to the Emperor, who
made some commonplace remark to each one.
The ministers then ascended the throne. and
the Empress Dowager spoke briefly and recog-
nized each with bow.
DOYEN'S ADDRESS TO THRONE
NJ. Czikann. addressing the Emperor. referred
to the troubles which had compelled the court
" lcdNc tIS CdplldI anu 10 lHt SlSHIHS OF the
protocol. which had happily restored the long
. existing friendly relations between China and
the Western powers. NJ Czlkann said he hoped
that by the faithful observance of it's
terms the intercourse between China and the
powers would grow more intimate. and he con-
graduated the Emperor upon his return.
The Austrian representative also said he saw
desire on the part of the Emperor to improve
International relations and to perpetuate good
feeling.
The remarks of the Emperor and the Empress
Dowager were almost indistinguishable in the
original. and as they were interrupted,
count of the noise in the audience chamber.
The Empress Dowager was understood
press here regret at the recent troubles. and 70
give her assurance that they would not recur.
STRIKING CEREMONY
The ceremony vas a gorgeously colored pict-
ure. Many Chinese mobiles crowded about the
throne The foreign ministers carried in
yellow chairs nearly to the entrance Of the For
bdden City. while the secretaries walked. At
ter entering the Forbidden City, refreshments
were served in an outer hall, the Chinese Off
cials mingling with the foreigners in friendlier
fashion than in the old days.
The seating of the Empress Dowager above
the Emperor is not necessarily an assumption
of higher rank The Emperor could not be placed
above a relative of an older generation. The
enthroning of the Empress Dowager was an
afterthought. Prince Ching when arranging
the programme of the reception informed the
ministers that the Empress Dowager would sit
beside the Emperor.
The policy of recognizing the Empress Dow
ager the actual sovereign has gained ground
among the foreign ministers since the return of
the court TO-days ceremony would have met
with objections month ago.
EMPEROR's WEAKNESS MARKED.
The Emperors incapacity is clearly de-
monstrated by all the reports from the palace
that those ministers who formerly advocated
that the Emperor should exert pressure to retire
the Empress Dowager are now abandoning
their former views.
The Board OF Astronomy has petitioned the
court for money 10 replace part Of the astrO-
nomical instruments which were looted from the
Peking Observatory. The board naIvely eX-
plains that the old instruments were lost