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Show NORTH CHINA MISSION STRENGTH ENED GOVERNMENT old prejudice and opposition seem to have been broken down. Everywhere doors are open; people are ready to listen to the Gospel story; thoughtful men are beginning to inquire seriously as to this way. President Yuan is proving his worth and merit as he endeavors to steer the ship of state about the thousand and more shoals of Japanese so-called diplomacy. In fact, the outstanding event of the political history of China in the past year has been the strengthening of the position of the present government. Never has Yuan Shih K'ai been stronger tliau today. While far from being a republic in fact, it is nevertheless true that the policy of President Yuan of centralizing the power in Peking is making for slow but steady progress. The financial position of the government is greatly strengthened, as is shown clearly by the fact that internal loans based on government bonds are now possible, and that the government is meeting its financial obligations, extern il and internal, promptly as they become due. Religiously, we find that the highest government servant, the President of the republic, has gone through with all the rites connected with Confucian worship. But CONFUCIAN religious liberty is a tenet in the policy of the REVIVAL government, and even among the educated classes there seems to be a decline iu enthusiasm for the spread of Confucianism. The Confucian societies formed in the different centres a year ago have apparently died out. The entire movement seems to have been merely an attempt on the part of the government tostem the rising tide of lawlessness and immorality which it lightly regards as connected with the waning influence of religion. Lotus Park Paoting-Fu ,,>, „ . , , t h e Presidents proclamation of September 25, 1914 said "The moral standard of the |