THE EMPRESS'S AFTERNOON TEA.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10263, 4 February 1899, Page 7

THE EMPRESS'S AFTERNOON TEA.

The Dowager Empress of China caused' Borne excitement in the diplomatic world about the middle of December by quite a new and unexpected departure from the usual course of Chinese Court etiquette. Her Majesty received the ladies of the Diplomatic rlody, and gave them aftqrnoon tea. To Western ears this sounds a very ordinary proceeding, bnt u» Peldn it was a tremendous innovation. So new is it that the most experienced pundits, learned in diplomacy and the customs of the East, are completely at variance as to its probable effect on international relations. By one party, who give Lady Mac Donald, wife of the British Ambassador, great credit for bringing it about, it is claimed that " it is calculated to destroy many of the barriers which '* have heretofore excluded Europeans 'from intercourse with the Imperial ' Court." The other side regard Lady Mac Donald as meddling with things she does not understand, and gloomily predict that the whole proceeding will tend to humiliate all Europe in the eyes of the Chinese. In short, they declare that it was carefully arranged by the astute Dowager to make it appear that the Ambassadors' wives appeared before her » lowly homage—-that it/ was the deHberately planned abasement of the foreign devils." j

The details of this much talked-of ceremony will no doubt be of interest to our J®»ders. When the wives of the seven foreign Ministers arrived at the Palace they were met by a group of gorgeouslyspparelled Mandarins. Leaving their own chairs, "The Times" correspondent •niorms us, they were conducted in Palace chairs to the electric tramway, *»d conveyed to the great hall, where "tood a number of ladies of the Court to escort them to the audience chamber. Here the Dowager-Empress Jas seated on a dais behind a small table decorated with chrysanthemums and •pples, the Emperor being seated on her Majesty's left, playing second fiddle throughout the performance, and looking, *8 we may imagine, decidedly uncomfortable. On the other hand, his venerable »«nt, if wo may use such a disrespectful •xpression, was "in great form." Lady Mac Donald read an address, the Dowager Empress "graciously returned thanks," tod afterwards presented to each of the «dies a gold ring sot with pearls, which J«r Majesty herself placed on their A Chinese luncheon was served m an adjoining hall, the Princess Ching Raiding, and when this was over the ** )w *ger-Empre_B again made her appear-

mice, accompanied by the Emperor's wife. The latter is described as being " very " pretty, with, however, a sad and sub- * dued expression." The DowagerEmpress, on the other hand, is said to have a "determined face, somewhat sal- ** low, but relieved by a charming smile." Of the poor Emperor we get no further glimpse. He, too, may have worn a charming smile, but if so the chronicler is silent on the subject. To the amiability of the Dowager-Empress, however, there was no limit. AY hen tea was served she drank from the same cup with each Minister's wife—we hope they liked it— and shortly afterwards, "giving way to '* an outburst of womanly emotion, she "embraced all her visitors in turn." Next the guests repaired to the Theatre, where a play was performed by the Palace eunuchs, followed by acrobatic performances. Once again in tho dining-hall, Chinese .sweetmeats, tea and wine were served. More presents were given to the ladies, and the Dowager-Empress throughout "expressed tho utmost cor- - diality." Her Majesty, it is added, was especially gracious to Lady Mac Donald, and "once when, conversing with her, "patted her playfully on the cheek." We hope this had no diplomatic significance, but it certainly is open to the construction that her Majesty thinks the British Government not wanting in assurance. "The Times," we regret to see, takes a hard, cynical tone in writing of these affecting proceedings. It hopes that "neither the burst of womanly

*• emotion, nor the playful putting of Lady "•MacDonald's cheek, will be permitted to " interfere with the vigorous prosecution "of British policy.' How ungailant! Above all, how brutally British!