Introit

IMTROIT The Society for Ch'lng Studies now boasts the flourishing membership listed herewith. Their encouragement is gratefully acknowledged. This and the next number of Ch'ing-shih wen-t'i will be sent to all those known to be interested in and conducting research on some aspect of the Ch'lng dynasty; thereafter, for reasons of cost, the bulletin will be sent only to members or to subscribing libraries and institutions. The subscription is five dollars; the subscriptions already received, and those of new members, will run until October 1966, and after that date will be payable annually. Please remember that the subscription is not just for this bulletin, but to the Society for Ch'lng Studies; the bulletin is simply the means of communication for the members of the Society. True to the non-existent traditions of the Society, members have been free with their praise and wary of making practical suggestions. However K.C. Liu has managed to arrange two joint sessions at the AAS meeting in New York next spring, and requests members who would be interested in reading the short papers submitted in advance to let him know. It is hoped that this will mean that the Society for Ch* ing Studies will raise the level of debate at these meetings. In New York at that time there will be a gathering for members of the Society, to meet and converse over provided refreshments. Members have also responded helpfully to requests for information on various research questions; this is potentially one of the most useful services the bulletin can provide, and questions on any Ch'lng topic are welcomed. So are statements or hypotheses on any Ch' ing topic; If possible these should not run more than about five pages. Because of the mechanization and rationalization of the Ch'ing-shih wne-t'i production process (cited hereafter as MRCSWTPP) submitted copy need no longer be unstapled and unfolded and unpaginated and on bond typed with no errors as was previously corrected. MRCSWTPP means that all manuscripts submitted to the editor can be sloppy, stapled, folded and paginated (though still typed, and with Chinese characters clearly written) . Some of these exceptionally interested in giving the Society for Ch' ing Studies a firm financial base for future operations have performed the exemplary gesture of sending extra donations, for which they are warmly thanked. Such donations, which will be received without public acknowledgement , may well make it possible for the Society to tackle substantive tasks much sooner than it hoped. Members are urged to think what the priority of such tasks should be. The Society for Ch* ing Studies is open to all scholars in all countries who are actively engaged in the research and study of some aeppet of Ch' ing society, but it is not a professional organization; students who have passed their doctoral examinations or are working on their dissertations are also welcomed as members. Also libraries and institutes are invited to subscribe to Ch'ing-shih wen-t'i so that the bulletin may be available to those who are not members of the Society. Subscriptions (checks for five dollars payable to the Society for Ch' ing Studies), communications, donations, queries, suggestions, threats and blandishments should be sent to the editor: Jonathan Spence, 2185 Yale Station, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, U.S.A. ...