enance
$6
858
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
(May 15, 1895- “with fair-dealing among the Japanese.' THE EXCHANGE OF THE TREATY |tion established, which shall afford no coun-
Own domestic to the squecze system, 110 real Japan's
trado on
the RATIFICATIONS.
bealthy progress can be looked for in other hand, we are told, is still the country. Great things were ex-
" content to pursue methods unknown "in the West, methods that would seem pected from the awakening China was
to have received from the "arbitrary and irksome to foreigners. Eu- supposed Tonkin war, but the expectations were "rope and America are commercially on a doomed to disappointment. It is possible "far higher level-one to which the Japan that as a consequence of the war with Japan there may for a time be some little show of a desire to adopt railways and inaugurate other measures for the development of the national resources, but if left alone the Go- vernment will soon relapse into its normal state of slothful indifference to everything and the lessons of the war with Japan will except the opportunities of official squeezing, in the long run prove not much more salutary than those of the war with France.
j
THE EUROPEAN MIDDLEMAN IN
JAPAN.
ese have not yet attained, though we do "not for an instant doubt that they will "ultimately do so." Finally the writer points to the debt of gratitude the Japan. ese owe to the foreign community, for it is through the efforts of these able mer- chants that Japan's commerce is what it is to-day.
We agree with our contemporary that it will be very many years before the Japanese learn to do without the foreign middleman, and, furthermore, the manufacturers of Europe and America, who have also some. thing to say in the matter, will naturally prefer to be represented in Japan by their own countrymen. The Japanese are at liberty to send their representatives to Europe and America either as buyers or salesmen or in the dual capacity, and foreign manufacturers and dealers are equally at liberty to do their business through foreign agents in Japan, as they will always continue to do to a greater or lesser extent. As there are French merchants established in England and English mer. chants established in France, so will it be in the case of Japan. In the development, of the commerce of the country the Japanese will no doubt themselves do a good deal of the business that has hitherto been
conducted for them by foreigners, but with the general growth of trade the latter be able to maintain their
or
With the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty between China and Japan the history of the Far East enters on a new chapter, which is not likely to be wanting in startling incidents. The war has been disappointing in its immediate results and leaves behind it abundant material for trouble in the future The Japanese nation has been baulked by Russian interference of the full results of victory and will be ready to wreak its bitter resentment whenever opportunity offers, perhaps even to try to make an opportunity and rush to destruction by entering on an unequal conflict. Korea will be a bone of contention between the two Powers and may be made the occasion of an active quarrel whenever either of them A communicated article in the Japan Mail so desires. Though nominally independent deals with the important subject of the Korea must for years to come remain under prospects of the European middleman in foreign tutelage and it is indeed doubtful Japan. It has for years past, we are told, whether the country will ever develop the
been the great wish of Japanese traders to qualities necessary for complete self-govern-
obviate the necessity of foreign middlemen ment. Meantime Japan is in possession and has established a virtual protectorate and deal directly with the great manufac- from which she will find it as difficult to turing or trading industrials of Europe and withdraw as England finds it difficult to America. Quite recently, the visit of a withdraw from Egypt, while Russia will Special Commissioner from Australia em- resent Japanese domination in that quarter as bitterly as France objects to British phasized this feeling; and now it is perti domination in the land of the Khedive. nently asked by several commercial journals There can indeed be little doubt that Russia and magazines whether Japan cannot, | should has made up her mind to incorporate Korea in future, manage her own mercantile position. There is, we think, little oc-
without having recourse tocasion to fear with her own dominions sooner or later and interests
any rapid
general foreign that when the time arrives she will fight for any
the agencies in
coast decadence of the foreign communities it if necessary, and needless to say she is not ports. If, it is argued, the Japanese have in Japan; rather should we be disposed to likely to get the prize without fighting. Japan been fully competent to carry the war anticipate their growth and increased pros. under present conditions has had to sur- with China to a successful issue without perity under the more liberal conditions render her claim to the Laotung Peninsula, even feeling the necessity of a foreign loan; provided for in the new treaty. But should but that will make her only the more deter-if Japan has been able to buy warships, the fortunes of the middleman decline it. mined to hold on to Korea and to establish war material, etc., amounting to millions of would not necessarily indicate a decline in on a firm basis her predominance in the yen without seeing her currency depreciated foreign trade. Here in the Far East, where direction of the affairs of that kingdom. or her credit in any way impaired, why every one is now more or less dependenton.com. The indemnity of Tls. 200,000,000 which should she not go a step farther and deal mission business, we are somewhat inclined Japan is to receive will no doubt all be spent henceforth with foreign lands on her own to magnify the importance of the middle. in increasing the strength of her Navy and responsibility, unhampered by commission man and to think that his interests are those it will be sufficient to provide her with a firms and Occidental go-betweens? Our which the Government should specially safe- blaming the other guard. It is this spirit which is responsible very formidable fleet, say between twenty and contemporary, after thirly first class battle ships or a proportion- foreign journals published in Japan for hav. for the disgust and indignation with which ately larger number of cruisers and gun- ing contributed to bring about the feeling the foreign communities in Japan regard boats.
of hostility to foreigners by their anti-Japa-treaty revision. But Imperial interests are If the war has proved disappointing to nese writings, goes on to point out the not always necessarily identical with those of Japanese ambition, the result, as regards its difficulties which those who support the a class, and Imperial interests must take the The first place. It is of more importance that effect on the commercial development of theory of direct trade must encounter. China, is scarcely less so to foreigners in- failure of the attempts hitherto made at the volume of trade should be increased terested in trade with that country. A few direct trade with Europe and America is than that the middleman's interests should be more ports will be opened to trade and the mentioned, and the writer of the article goes conserved. It is for the middleman to adapt This is not, we fancy, due to himself to the new conditions as they arise establishment of manufactories will be au- thorised. We do not under-rate the value of any want of skill or adroitness on the part and make what he can out of them, but he these concessions, which we have no doubt "of Japanese dealers, or even wholly to lack cannot expect that things will be arranged will lead to a large development of trade in "of precedent and experience. It is at- specially for his benefit. We agree with the tributable rather to the fact that commer- Japan Mail that the Japanese owe a debt general and of that of this colony in particu- lar. But the trade will still have to contend "cial credit, as such, has until recently been of gratitude to the foreign commercial an unknown factor in Japan. The foreign community; that it is through their efforts with official corruption and obstruction, and herein lies the disappointment attending.
"firms of Yokohama and other ports are that Japan's commerce is what it is to-day; the settlement. Had the Japanese completed in intimate sympathy with, and have a that her navy has earned the command of their march to Peking and dictated their "clearly demarked line of credit among, the the sea of Japan; that her railroads have "manufacturers and traders of the Occident. been constructed; that new industries have terms there some reform of the administra-
"On either side each knows that the other started up on every side; and that, last but tion might perhaps have been enforced and
"is to be trusted; that he is good for so not least, she has been able to fight her a progressive policy set on foot. As things
"much; that his margin of profit is not to, greatest war with China unaided by a are, however, the system of administration
"and will not, exceed a certain figure; that foreign loan. The services of the middle- has been left untouched, and the officials, who have all been rather hard hit financially "his telegraphic advices are final and im- man will only be retained as long as by the war, will naturally endeavour to recoup "plicitly trustworthy. Each works as much they continue necessary or useful, but we "in the interest of the other as in his own. are much mistaken if the foreign mer- themselves by levying increased squeezes.
"It is a system of mutual profit, mutual chants to whom Japan is so largely indebted As a rule the salaries paid to Chinese officials
faith, based on commercial credit of a high for the development of her foreign and are insufficient for them to live upon and
"order. There are, of course, exceptious domestic trade do not continue to make they are for the most part dependent upon the
"to the rule; but Until this is
speak here themselves as indispensible in the future squeezes they can make. altered and an honest system of administra. "of firms whose names are synonymous they have in the past.
on to say:-
16
姿荡
we