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Bombay. Absolutely nothing is known as regards the causation of the disease, except that the bacillus flourishes only in filthy surroundings.
**
I
Britishers.
THE MAXIM GUN COMPANY, H.K.A.C.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
cannot be allowed to dictate the policy of the Admiralty, but it can draw attention to the weak points and agitate means for a remedy. The Hongkong Branch during the first year of its existence has supported THE OUTRAGE BY THE CHINESE the Hon. C. P. CHATER's advocacy
LEGATION.
of the extension of our frontier on The outrage 'perpetrated by the Chinese naval lines, has brought to the notice of Legation in London in the illegal arrest for the re-enactment of the Contagious the League at home the growing necessity and detention of Dr. SAN YAT YEN is not Diseases Act, and has also drawn attention a circumstance to occasion regret, so far as
to the present unsatisfactory working of the this colony is concerned; on the contrary it is one of the best things that could have Royal Naval Reserve under the Board of happened. The Chinese Government is Trade in so far as the colonies are con- very anxious to have a Consul at Hong-cerned, it being impossible for men to join kong, and although the question is not open tions have also been made of the average the reserve except in England. Calcula- at the present time there is little doubt that daily value of the shipping afloat in these the request which has been refused on two previous occasions will be renewed from time waters and exposed to capture by an enemy. to time. When next the subject comes for- All these are subjects the agitation of which ward for discussion we will be able to recall the is calculated to produce valuable practical incident of SAN YAT YEN to the recollection results, and the record of the first year's work of the Hongkong Branch of the Navy of the home Government and point to it as an illustration of the difficulties that would League shows that it is a body which should be of daily occurrence were a Chinese official command the sympathy and support of all permanently located in Hongkong. Suchan official would not have facilities for main- taining a Chinese gaol or house of deten- tion in the colony, but he would have no scruple in trying to effect illegal arrests when men were wanted by his Government either as offenders against the law or simply to be squeezed, and to smuggle the prisoners out of the colony. That has been done on more than one occasion without the assist ance of a Consul, and with a Consul a whole corps of detectives would be required to watch his doings and those of his staff in order to prevent the repetition of such outrages. And even if it were found possible to prevent everything in the nature of illegal arrests in the colony nothing could prevent the enormous squeezing that would take place, because most of the Chinese in Hong- kong have family connections on the main- land and they could be dealt with through them. The home Government has been inclined to treat China as a fully civilised nation and to allow her all the rights and privileges usually accorded to such, and had Hongkong not made strong representations on the subject there is little doubt we would have had a Chinese Consul here years ago. The case of Dr. SAN YAT YEN will open the eyes of the Foreign Office as to the character of Chinese officials and strengthen the case of Hongkong against the appoint- ment of a Chinese Consul in this colony.
THE NAVY League and its WORK.
At the annual meeting of the Hongkong Branch of the Navy League an interesting record was given of useful work performed. Many people have entertained the idea that the League has no scope in Hongkong, that there are no practical ends to be pursued. The chief object of the League is to educate the electors of Great Britain as to the importance of the Navy, but here in Hongkong, where we have no parliamentary elections and where, moreover, almost every Englishman is more or less directly con- nected with shipping and fully recognises how essential it is to Great Britain that she should maintain her
command of the sea, it has been urged that a society to educate the public on that particular point is not exactly neces- sary. A perusal of the report of Friday's meeting ought to convince the objectors that there is useful work for the League to do even in Hongkong and ought to induce them to enrol themselves as members. As was pointed out at the meeting, the League
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The remarks made by Major PEMBERTON, the Commandant of the Hongkong Volun teer Corps, at the official dinner given dur ing the annual encampment at Stonecutters' Island with reference to the Maxim Gun Company are deserving of very serious con- sideration, and we sincerely trust that the Commandant's timely and friendly criticism will be productive of substantial good to the Volunteer movement in Hongkong. It was in the course of an interesting review of the working of the Corps since he took over his present position that Major PEMBERTON gave frank expression to his views concerning the Maxim Gun Company, and what he said was to the effect that unfortunately sufficient support had not been given to this section of the Corps and as a consequence it was now considerably below its proper strength. The reason he gave was that the Maxim Gun Company was composed of young men in banks and offices who were from time to time transferred to other places, and their successors in Hongkong did not fill the gap in the ranks of the Volunteers caused by their transference. On the other hand the Field Battery is immensely popular and at the present time it is above its standard strength and is likely to still further increase in numbers and efficiency. It is to be feared that there is some other reason for the ill-success of the Maxim Company than that mentioned by the worthy Com- mandant. To commence with, as was pointed out by the Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD, there is a deplorable lack of sympathy on the part of merchants in the colony. The men themselves can do little without the cordial co-operation of their employers, who, we think, are in duty bound to afford all reasonable assistance in promoting the success of the Corps, and it is to be hoped that the speech made by Mr. WHITEHEAD will be the means of rousing the leading men in the colony from their present apa thetic state. We have heard of another cause for the present position of affairs and that is that the members of the Company have overstrained themselves in endeavour ing to maintain a too severe exclusiveness, and there may be something in that. There must be for many reasons a certain amount of exclusiveness in the Maxim Gun Company, as was frankly recognised when the corps was reorganised, the rules in force being adopted with the view of allowing the men to sort themselves according to their social
[October 28, 1898
affinities; but perhaps if less blackballed
num
didates the Maxims would ber, providing, of course, the employers put their shoulders to the wheel.
thon:
THE PRESENT CONDITION OR AFFAIRS IN THE PHILIPPIN SA
[SPECIAL CORRESPOL Three lots of troops from Spain have already arrived, numbering altogether about thre
It is expected that this sand men. will soon be augmented to eight thousand, and the Spanish say that that number can be doubled
the day of their landing becomes a popular höli or tripled if necessary without delay Thess arrivals are most enthusiastically welcomed and day. Profuse decorations, triumphal floral displays, and the national colours, yellow, are to be seen on every side. women look down from numerous balcon throw arms full of flowers and occasional to fall on the shoulders of their newly countrymen as they go marching by. gaily coloured ribbons were also thrown white doves with their wings bound about too often but to be kicked to death by the pRES ing troops, who are more engrossed in the coming feast prepared for them than in in these pretty messengers of welcome. Judging from ap- pearance these men have been picked up from the very lowest classes of the Peninsula I hare never seen a more unsoldierly looking lot of soldiers unless it be the Chinese They were continually out of stepweak- kneed, and marched with anything rather a military bearing. Rifles carried at all angles, their accoutrements irregularly arranged, and their light blue, uniforms faded and dirty: In fact there was not the least suspicion of the orderly, sprightly soldier we expect and find in the modern armies of to-day. I under stand these men were raw recruits and that they were drilled on board ship. Of course one must take into consideration that the men have just completed a long and tedious sea journey. Wo can imagine that their quarters were not any too comfortable aboard ship and no doubt many were weakened by sickness. They were glad to get ashore and threw their caps about in the air with the utmost lack of concern as to whether in their descent they came near enough to be recovered or not. No provision in the shape of quarters had been made, so they were placed about the city, the religious orders furnishing tem porary housing for them.
than
The Philippine command appears specially weak in artillery. Machine guns would play most important part in intimidating the enemy, and field guns would also of course be
But with the exception of great use. obsolete muzzle loaders, they are... provided. To see the bright looking fellow attached to the artillery drilling with old metal cannon of the days of King Char most interesting but appears to be behind the times. The city fortifications consist of numerous battlements defended by these same old picturesque relics of early days. Some few modern guns of small calibre do exist, it is true, but it is no exaggeration to say that a single modern battleship could wi and safety enter the bay and destroy city of Manila. No doubt this state of will be somewhat altered, for it has been that one of the transports soon to arrive will bring some modern armament.
The equipment and strength of the rebels i They have variety unknown. Mausers among them. That in numbers they are more numerous than was first reported there is not a doubt,
The bulk of the Spanish troops are the disturbed Cavite province news is that they are not having thei expected. undamaður or
During the long period when the ful of Spanish troops were w forcements arrests were made to until at present it is estimated the
thousand care for
authorities to the unfit for any hur last resort.
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