468
THE NAVIGATION OF THE UPPER
MEKONG.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND not ordinarily be called short. But, as on an English Secretary, and he at any rate previous occasions. it may suit Russia to should have been able to advise the Minister throw dust into the eyes of the public until as to the probable results of such an act as the first great shock of surprise has passed, that of forcibly detaining a political con- for she is well aware that the CASSINI Conspirator in neutral territory. vention confers on her great privileges and powers which if judiciously utilised will preserve for her a preponderating influence at Peking, by enabling her to secure a grip upon Manchuria from which she cannot readily be dislodged. In fact, this denial. at St. Petersburg cannot be regarded as The serious, if indeed it was meant to be so. Russian Minister has cleverly obtained such a concession from China as none of his pre- decessors, even in their wildest dreams, ventured to hope for, and it best suits Muscovite policy at the moment to see that diplomatic triumph minimised. Had the veteran LI HUNG-CHANG not been absent on his grand tour, it is improbable that such an agreement would have been negotiated, for, whatever his shortcomings, the great Viceroy is much too astute not to recognise
Our French neighbours in Indo-China are making energetic efforts to establish steam navigation on the upper waters of the Mekong, and apparently with some success. From the Courrier de Saigon of the 29th November we learn that a despatch had been received from Savannakeh, in the Laos, stating that the second steamer of the Messageries Fluviales intended for service on the upper waters of the Mekong had successfully passed the rapids of Khem- marat and was to leave on the following Saturday for Vien-Tiane, thus inaugurating the new and interesting service which the ages regularly twice a week. "this new success," says our contemporary, "the Lower Laos and part of the Upper "Laos are thus commercially attached "to Cochin-China.
The valley
"valley. Korat is the
country an
December 17, 1898,
its importance as a t the necessity for railwa with Bangkok.".
The French howeve make strenuous efforts to trade there may
the to push forward the river to the nearest
2
the Chinese frontier. The dif at Khone, lower down the been surmounted by engineeri
the
bids
by which vessels are hauled past may be found possible to rapids in the upper reaches
the Chinese frontier by the river means. If it be found impossible improbable that in course of tin to the Yunnan frontier town of Beur may be made from the limit which lies near the Mekong, and been opened as a trading station under the
recent convention between
has
the far-reaching consequences that must two vessels are to conduct, making two voy" | China. Mr. COLQUHOUN, it may be remem-
result from such a Treaty. By this instru- ment China has virtually placed Manchuria at the disposal of the Power she has always most dreaded. Peking itself will be at the mercy of Russia so soon as the railways are completed, and the Chinese Government will; in all probability, ultimately become as much amenable to Russian pressure as
"
"Thanks to
of the Mekong is conquered through- "out a length of nearly 2,000 kilometres "(1,240 miles)." The writer goes on to say
bered, suggested Ssumao as the termin a railway from Rangoon and Moul passing through the Siamese of Zimmé. The Ssumao approach western China has now, howe under French influence. What be worth remains to be seen, but the French seem determined to at least open up
the SHAн of PERSIA. Who will venture to that he does not know whether his readers the route. In so far as their object is t
say that this Treaty, if carried into effect, will not prove the first step towards the disruption of the Chinese Empire as it has hitherto existed ?
have any real idea of the importance of this news, and requests them to glance at a map of the country in order to satisfy themselves as to the progress made in riverine navigation during the last few years and to take in at one view the immense zone thus brought under French influence. "I doubt," he con- tinues, "it there exists in the annals of Ger-colonisation a record of so much progress
"
GERMANY'S REFUSAL OF THE
not
accomplished in so short a space of time "and in the face of difficulties that at first "appeared insuperable."
promote trade we can only wish them suc cess, but unfortunately French ideas of moting trade seem to be limited to imposing prohibitive tariffs on foreign goods.
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BICYCLES.
are
to
nd satis
CHINÈSE AMBASSADOR. · Inspired by the example of Russia,
An interesting correspondence has been many has given a snub to China that she would in former years hardly have thought
opened in our columus on the relative merits of English and American bicycles. of HWANG, the newly appointed Chinese
The French are to be congratulated on The discussion of the details we must leave Minister to Berlin, will not be received there owing to his rank being deemed their enterprise, which, however, is chiefly to those who are familiar with the different inadequate for the position. It is no doubt official and political, unsupported by any machines, and we refer to the subject here felt at Berlin that, in view of the high corresponding degree of commercial enter-only as an interesting and striking illustra- handed position taken up by Russia towards prise. The Mekong up to the Chinese tion of the competition of foreign goods in While claiming no prac China, it is necessary that Germany should frontier is now a French river, and the British colonies. assert herself also, and finding that the point to which steam navigation has tical acquaintance with bicycles ourselves it Minister just accredited to her is of insigni- reached is roughly speaking about half-way seems to us that the views expressed by ficant rank,, she has refused to receive his to Luang Prabang and one-third of the way "C.T.C." are correct and that the American credentials. This is undoubtedly the to the Chinese frontier. The river is un- machines cannot deserve the w correct course to adopt in the circum- fortunately greatly obstructed by rapids and abuse that has been showered upon the
that It is notorious stances.
China it may possibly be found that the limit of some of the English papers. Cycling several has, on
occasions, appointed its continuous navigability has already been even more popular in America than obscure officials, if of doubtful reached, though small steamers will no England, and the Americans antecedents, to represent her at foreign doubt in due time be placed on the reaches well-to-do people able and Courts, considering any mandarin good further up between the different obstacles pay for the best of everything enough to represent her among the "outer to serve the local traffic. These, however, fied with nothing less than the barbarians." The step taken by Germany would in themselves be of little assistance to therefore appears absurd to supp ought to prove a salutary check upon the through goods traffic, as the repeated tran- their demand for excel covert insolence of the Tsungli Yamen, shipments would render the cost of carriage should not have been catered ever ready to put a slight on the Western too great. Mr. W. J. ARCHER, of the a vast army of intelligent cyclis Powers. It is to be hoped the example may Consular Service, who made a journey willingly ride to destruction on be borne in mind by other Powers. Chinese in the Mekong Valley in 1891, spoke very machines. Furthermore, we find conceit and superciliousness are ever on the discouragingly of the prospects of trade by a similar line of goods, namely, agricultural watch for a chance of asserting themselves, that route, both on account of the difficulties implements, in which, as in bicycles, ligh and should be carefully checked at the first of navigation and the country through ness combined with strength is sign: Such breaches as that which the which the river passes being poor, moun- tum, America supplies to Queens! Chinese Minister to England has lately been tainous, and sparsely populated; and also than seventy-five per cent of the guilty of, in kidnapping a Chinese subject on account of the competition of the route ported into that colony, the reas
in: an official return being cheap and holding him a prisoner in the Legation, from Bangkok via Korat. "Trade," Mr. would certainly not have been tolerated in ARCHER said, "naturally finds the route" and adaptability to the requirements o
colony-
from i The return w "best suited to it, and that to Bangkok is any other country. The rebuke justly ad- ministered by Lord SALISBURY would, in "the only one of any importance for the prepared by the Collector of Customs
Mekong Valley from Cambodia to Luang-ply to the questions the case of some Governments, have been followed up by the return of his credentials. "Prabang; but when, moreover, the Sia CHAMBERLAIN No doubt the allowance made in this case for mese Government completes the construc of British by ignorance saved the Chinese Minister from "tion of the railway to Korat, which it is find bicycles this well merited fate, but it may be doubted ["about to undertake, neither Cambodia nor | under whether so much consideration for ignorance" Annam can have any chance of competing the following need be extended. The Embassy includes" with Korat for the trade of the Mekong
C&
the
hamme
ellence in
the
wheels