Bad for Britain

The British Minister to China, Miles Wedderburn Lampson, a six-foot statesman fluent in Chinese, cabled last week that he was unable to come to any understanding with the new South China Government at Wuchang (TIME, Dec. 13); and set out, disgruntled, for Peking, the capital of North China. The anti-British strikes threatening in South China (but held off by the new Government while the possibility of British recognition was discussed) were expected to begin from day to day last week.

Meanwhile the third British light cruiser squadron and the fourth destroyer flotilla steamed for China from Malta. At Gibraltar a battalion of the Suffolk regiment prepared to embark for China on Jan. 2. Finally the womenfolk and children of British soldiers stationed in the interior of China were ordered last week to return to England. These measures, the War Office suavely explained, were designed to prevent a situation from arising in which His Majesty's Government might have to take military action in China to protect British lives and property.