ABSTRACT
The record of China's relations to the foreign states down to the close of the Russo-Japanese War and noted how that war affected the Chinese situation. While the central government of China up to 1911 had always been of the autocratic type, it must be remembered that there were certain directions in which the country had been prepared for the introduction of democratic institutions. The history of the ten years which have elapsed since the formation of the Republic is one of many changes, little real progress, unsettlement within and dangers from without, a history which may well give true lovers of China cause for discouragement though not for despair. When the Republic was set up, China was but starting out upon a voyage of discovery. The Cabinet idea is an old one in China, the Emperors for generations having surrounded themselves with a group of councillors responsible for different departments of government.
