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January 31, 1895.]
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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THE WAR.
79
THE JAPANESE THIRD ARMY,
SHANGHAI, 22nd January,
A special telegram to the N. C. Daily News, dated Chefoo, 20th January, reads as follows :-
Three Japanese men-of-war bombarded Têog- chowfu on Friday, the 18th, and troops assaulted the forts on Saturday, the 19th. To-day (Sanday) 25,000 troops landed in Yungching Bay, and fitty transports were seen off the coast. The earthworks were silenced by three Japanese men-.f-war.
In reference to the above the N. C. Daily News writes:-
Our special telegram from Chefoo shows that
mous note contributed to the Société de "shortly must seriously affect people in- Géographie Commerciale, and discussed at a terested in all sorts of house property and meeting of the Society in February last, the land in the colony, and also it must have writer of which says that the dues do not a tendency, I think, to drive capital out of exercise the depressing effect on the tran- the colony. I further would challenge any sit trade that has been attributed to "of those anonymous scribblers in the daily
that them, and
not only would their "papers to produce five men in the colony abolition not secure the end in view, but who have become rich on investments in would entail an unnecessary sacrifice of property since 1888, or in fact who secure revenue; that the best argument advanced "a fair and ordinary interest on their money." in support of the proposal is that if there And at the second meeting the same speaker, were no dues goods would then be free from | waxing warmer, referred to the " exactions examination by the Customs; that it would as to the provision of impermeable floors as then be possible to pack the goods at the nonsensical" and "ridiculous," and said place of origin in packages suitable for he was afraid those who initiated the exac- carriage by mules between Manghao and tions did not go into the matter as thoroughly the Japanese with their Third Army are making Mengtzu, and no further trouble would have and calmly as business men and sensible a very determined attack on the Shantung coast, to be taken with them in Tonkin, which, the men might have done. Now, the interests of and having secured Têngchowfu-popularly writer says, would be a great advantage to property are fairly well represented on the Le-known as Tungchowfu-on the north-west; they trade; but he argues that to secure this gislative Council by the Hon. C. P. CHATER, have now effected a landing in force, a few miles advantage it is not necessary to abolish the Hon. J. J. KESWICK, Hon. Ho KAI, Hon, E. below the North-east Promontory, in Yung- transit dues, as an arrangement could be R. BELILIOS, and Hon. A. MCCONACHIE,ching Bay. Although this bay is somewhat made with the Chinese Customs to collect and these gentlemen, though they objected for an invading army. Owing to its exposure exposed, it yet affords an excellent landing place those dues at the same time as the import to some of the provisions of the Insanitary the bay has never been considered of much im- duty, with the assistance of French officials, Dwellings Ordinance, did not object to the portance by the Chinese, and the approaches to and refund them to the Tonkiq Government, | provisions as to impermeable floors. Are we it are only defended by some unimportant earth- Our Hanoi contemporary italicises the re- to understand that in Mr. DOUGLAS JONES's works armed with antiquated guns. which ference to the Chinese Customs, which opinion the gentlemen named are not busi- were considered good enough to defend the naturally says cannot be taken seriously, but ness men and sensible men? If they are not fishing villages dotted about the bay from pirati it is of opinion that the arguments advanced responsible for the initiation of the require miles in a direct line from Weihaiwei; and cal attacks. Yungching Bay is about thirty will strengthen the Paris authorities in their ment in question they assisted in giving it when the latter place was discovered to be un- opposition to the surrender of dues which legislative sanction, which is more to the suitable as a harbour of shelter for the fleet, at have an appearance of protecting French point. Mr. DOUGLAS JONES has the reputa- the time when Li Haug-chang was on his tour goods. The Independance goes on to argue tion of being a man of considerable business of inspection in 1890, be, assisted by his colleague that the dues are of no material advantage ability and common sense, and how, as a Chang, Yao, the Governor of Shantung, fixed from that point of view. The full duty levied mere matter of business, he can object to a upon Kiaochow, lying nearly midway betweed on foreign goods intended for consumption requirement so obviously necessary for the Weihaihei and Yaugebing Bay, as a more suitable in Tonkin itself is barely sufficient to enable health, and therefore for the prosperity, of spot to fortify and form into an adjunct for Port Arthur. as the landlocked bay of Kiauchow and French goods to compete with them, and the colony it is difficult to understand, its spendid harbour, capable of accommodating in certain lines, notably coton yarn, There is no question of philanthropy in the upwards of fifty ironclas, afforded natural competition is absolutely impossible. Now case.
Should the plague return the trade of advantages of which Weihaiwei was deficient cotton yarn is one of the principal articles of the colony would be seriously damaged and Indeed, in many respects the formation of Kiao- the Yunnan trade, and the full protection duty the value of property greatly depreciated, so chow Bay resembles Port Arthur. Plans for being insufficient to permit of the com- that as a common sense business precaution, the defence of the place were therefore prepared petition of French goods, how can it be and in the interests of landlords as well as of by Major von Hanneken, and Brigadier General supposed that when it is reduced 80 per cent.. all other classes in the colony, it is impera- Chang of Tengchow, at present in Manchuria. was entrusted to carry out the fortifications. as in the case of the transit trade, it will tive that every reasonable measure should Five forts have already been completed, three encourage the importation of Frouch goods? be taken to prevent the disease again getting of which are well armed with modern artillery, Experience has shown that not a kilogramme a footing in the colony. And surely no one! of French cotton yarn, or even of cotton
will say that the provision of impermeable cloth, goes by the Haiphong-Laokai route. floors is au unreasonable measure. As to On the other hand it is incontestabile that the Mr. DOUGLAS JONES's challenge to the abolition of the dues would largely encourage anonymous scribblers in the daily papers to the development of trade, for the objection to produce five men in the colony who have be the dues is not so much their amount as the come rich on investments in property since inconvenience which their collection entails, 1888, or, in fact, who secure a fair and or- since the tariff rules are so complicated that diuary interest on their money, the aforesaid all packages have to be opened for Customs scribblers probably are not sufficiently ac- examination, and the unpacking and repack-quainted with the financial affairs of pro- ing cause grave delay. Our contemporary perty owners to name five or any other number believes that M. DE LANESSAN recently again of men who get any particular rate of interest urged the adoption of the proposal he sub-that they may consider fair and ordinary, mitted a year ago, and it expresses the hope but the Land Investment Company has that the measure will be accepted. In this paid a steady eight per cent dividend, hope we cordially unite, for the remission and at the meeting on Tuesday the Chair- of the dues and freedom from the trouble man was able to refer to the steady im- their collection entails would be to the bene-provement in the finances of the Company,' fit of Hongkong, the transit trade by the from which it would seem that dealings in Red River route having its headquarters property cannot be so very unfavourable in this colony.
but these forts are built with the view of repelling
The
au attack from the sea. and there are no landward defences of any kind. The Japane will probably take Kinochow from the land side without difficulty, and then at their leisure dispose of Weibaiwei and capture or destroy the Chinese flet. possession of Kiaochow will open to the Japanese, the trade routes of Shantung, of which no doubt they will take advantage. and when the winter has passed the Third Army will have everything comparatively clear before them for an advance on Peking, simul- from the Newchwang district, while the First taneously with the advance of the Second Army Army completes its conquest of Manchuria.
It has been a matter o: wonder why the Third Army was kept idle in Hiroshima for so long time, and we have it on unimpeachable authority that it was kept back because the Japanese government thought the Chinese were really sincere in their desire to sue for peace, which favourable terms, bat the double dealing policy Japan was willing to grant on comparatively. of the Chinese government is understood. Japan is aware of the hollowness and insincerity of the professions made by the Chinese officials, and declining to be misled by the humbug of their false professions has at length despatched the most likely decline to entertain proposals of peace which the alarmed Chinese government will now no doubt hasten to make.
The following further telegrams appear in the N. C. Daily News:→→
CHEFOO, 22nd January. It is expected that the Chinese fleet will await the anticipated attack on Weihaiwei by the Japanese. The Japanese are occupying the city of Yung-ching, and their troops are reported to have occupied the island of Kiming. All is quiet at Chefoo, and men from the Americau, French, German, and British men-of- war have been landed. The British squadron is expected to arrive shortly,
Moreover, the current rate of interest ou loans on mortgage is from seven to eight LANDLORDS AND THE NEW
per cent. and if property owners find it pays SANITARY REQUIREMENTS.
them to borrow at these rates they cannot At the meetings of the Laud Invest- be faring so badly. But even admitring, for ment Company and West Point Build-Ithe sake of argument, that investments made Thi d Army on its career of conquest, and will' ing Company rather diverse opinions were in property since 1888 do not yield a fair expressed on the requirements of recent and ordinary interest, we fail to see that that legislation as to placing houses in a sanitary has any bearing on the question. If men condition. The Hon. J. J. KESWICK said have been indiscreet enough to buy property "Let us hope that the long deferred at "boom" prices, on the basis say of $5 per sanitary measures at last being adopted square foot when it is only worth $3, we may may be effectual in preventing any recur- sympathise with them in their misfortune, rence of the pestilence." This may be but they cannot be held absolved by their taken as an expression of approval of the indiscretion from the obligation resting on sanitary measures referred to. Mr. every house-owner to maintain his property DOUGLAS JONES, on the other band, said:
in such a sanitary condition that it may be "I cannot help thinking that the exactions occupied without danger to the health of the
onproperty which are likely to be enforced tenants or the public at large.