Last week a parliamentary paper was issued in London, giving the terms of a practical alliance between Great Britain and Japan for the preservation of peace in China and Korea. The agreement, which was signed in London, January 30, went into effect immediately and is to remain in force five years. In explanation of the matter Lord Lansdowne said that both Great Britain and Japan "desired that the integrity and independence of the Chinese Empire should be preserved, and that there should be no disturbance of the territorial status quo, either in China or the adjoining regions." The new alliance has excited widespread comment in the capitals of Europe. It is stated that the treaty is viewed with sympathy in Washington, as it is precisely in line with the aims of the State Department.

Great Britain, Japan, and the United States have entered a protest against the secret arrangement of China and Russia with the Russo-Chinese Bank by which Russia was granted concessions in Manchuria. This may cause delay on the part of China in signing the agreement. The new alliance of Japan and Great Britain, whose "policies and interests in the East were found to be identical," may operate still further to delay or even prevent the signing of the compact.

It is possible that the next biennial meeting of the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union will be held in England, instead of in Ottawa, Can., as had been decided. The officers of the Union have concluded that on account of the large number of people who will be going to England for the coronation of King Edward, a larger attendance might be secured by holding the convention in England on a date near that of the coronation.

At a recent banquet of the Washington College of Law, Wu Ting Fang, the Chinese Minister, responded to the toast, "The American Woman." He entered a strong plea for the placing of women on the juries of the various law courts of the country. "When a woman is placed on trial." he said, "if the judge is not a woman the jury at least should be wholly composed of women." His idea is to let each sex try and convict the members of their own sex.

Lincoln's birthday, February 12, was fittingly observed in many of the principla cities. The day is now a legal holiday in nine States of the Union.

Among the prominent public men who delivered addresses, were Secretary Long, who spoke before the Middlesex Club of Boston: Senator Depew, who addressed the Republican Club of New York City; and Minister Wu. who was the principla guest at Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Army Post Board, which has been in session in Washington, D. C., since November, finished its labors and adjourned February 4. The board has formulated plans for the establishment of new military posts and the abandonment of some which are now worthless. It also located four great camps for the training of the soldiers of the regular army and their drill in co-operation with the militia.

Senator Hoar has presented a petition, signed by a number of well-known citizens of this country, among whom are thirty six professors in the University of Chicago and other prominent educators, praying for the suspension of hostilities in the Philippines, and asking that an opportunity be given for a discussion of the situation between the Government and the Filipino leaders.

Governor Taft of the Philippines receives a salary of $20,000 and four of his assistants receive $15,000 each. There are twenty-six others who receive from $4,000 to $7,500. The civil employes number 4,606 and the salaries paid them amount to more than $3,000,000. Not quite half the employes are Americans, but they receive about two-thirds of the money paid for salaries.

The House committe on Inter-State and Foreign Commerce has declared in favor of Government construction of a Pacific cable. The committee has endorsed the Corliss bill, which provides for the construction of the cable at a cost not to exceed $10,000,000, and stipulates that the tariff shall not exceed twenty-five cents a word to Honolulu and fifty cents to Manila.

At a mass meeting recently held at Honolulu, resolutions were adopted commending President Roosevelt's message to Congress, and indorsing his recommendations relative to wage-earners, immigration, forest reserves, national control of water storage for irrigation purposes, a Pacific cable, and an inter-oceanic canal.

The North Atlantic squadron under Command of Rear Admiral Higginson has been ordered to Cienfuegos, whence it will sail for the Columbian coast, only a short distance from La Guayra, where a German squadron lies ready to enforce the demand of the Berlin government for the payment of German claims.

It is said that England may transfer her naval station at Wee Hai Wei to Germany with the understanding that she may establish a station at the mouth of the Yangtse River. England's interests in China are chiefly centred in the basin of this river with its population of seventy-five million.

Admiral Dewey has submitted to the Secretary of the Navy a report from the general board of which he is president, regarding the needs of the Newport Naval War College and its importance to the service. He recommends an appropriation of $62,000 for improvements at the college.

When a bill providing for an increase in the salaries of the United States judges was being considered in the Senate recently, an amendment was offered increasing the salaries of the members of Congress to $7,500 per year. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 44 to 15.

The warships expected to form the naval escort to Prince Henry are the Illinois, which will be the flagship of Rear Admiral Evans, the Olympia, Dewey's old flagship; the San Francisco and the Cincinnati; and probably the Hartford, Farragut's old flagship, and the Machias.

The Union Terminal Company of New York has been incorporated with a capital stock of one million dollars. The purpose of the company is to construct a standard gauge tunnel road from Brooklyn under the East and North Rivers, and under Manhattan Island.

President Roosevelt has issued an executive order to all employes of the United States, forbidding them, under penalty of dismissal from the Government service, to attempt, either directly or indirectly to influence legislation in their own behalf.

An unconditional gift of one hundred and seventy-six acres of land at Baltimore has been donated as a new site for the Johns Hopkins University. The transfer will probably be made February 22, the date of the jubilee celebration of the University.

The average of annual earnings is gradually increasing. In 1897 it was $650; in 1898, $678; in 1899, $747; in 1900, $716; and in 1901, $755. It is estimated, however, that the cost of living has increased in about the same ratio as the annual earnings.

The prices of opera tickets for the gala night of opera in honor of Prince Henry of Prussia, at the Metropolitan Opera House, New ' York City, range five to thirty dollars. Boxes range from one hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars.

The Imperial Yacht Hohenzollern, which did not touch at the Bermudas, as she intended to do, arrived in New York, February 12, a day ahead of her anticipated arrival. Here she will await the arrival of Prince Henry.

The committee on Towns in the Massachusetts Legislature will report favorably on the resolution "that the calendar week beginning the third Sunday in July in each year shall be designated as Old Home Week."

It is rumored that the street railway interests of Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and possibly Boston, may be merged into one gigantic combination by the Whitney-Elkins-Widener-Ryan syndicate.

A bill has been introduced in the New York Legislature making an appropriation for a tri-centennial exposition to be held on the banks of the Hudson River in 1909 to commemorate its discovery by Henry Hudson.

The steamship Philadelphia of the American line has been successful in transmitting messages by the Marconi wireless telegraph system a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. This breaks all previous records.

The special train which conveyed President Roosevelt from New York to Boston on his way to the bedside of his son at Groton, made the trip in four hours and seventeen minutes, a record trip.

A despatch from Christiana, Norway, says that during the year 1901 nearly three mil lion kroner were pent by postal orders from persons in the United States to friends in Norway.

It has officially announced that the British Government has courteously declined Holland's offer of mediation in the South African war.

The Navy Department is about to experiment with Texas oil to ascertain whether or not it can be used in the place of coal as fuel for the navy.

Owing to shortness of time in which to make preparations, it is feared that but few of the eastern countries will participate in t he St. Louis Exposition.

Commander Booth-Tucker of the Salvation Army has taken the oath of allegiance and is now a citizen of the United States.

The Mikasa is the largest battleship afloat. It has a displacement of 15,200 tons and is owned by Hie Japanese Government.

Booker T. Washington has been elected as commencement day orator for the University of Nebraska next June.