THE BRITISH MINISTER AT
PEKING
f
THE HONGKONG, WEEKLY PRESS AND
mentioned by Mr. NORMAN
SHANGHAI AS A LEADER OF PUBLIO OPINION,
ordinars
the other day by the Shanghai Chamber orce on the subject of the Hongkon dues was enough itself t disor body of business men, and with stance before us the severe remar Tientsin paper, not seem so unwar as they might have done had the matter not been brought so closely home to us.
DR. WILM'S REPORT ON THE PLAGUE
tive of the extr
ted
uced 18 8 long
pages the most
cannot, of
the
age, is rather Indennite, but article on Russia and England” in MACDONALD is not a very young men, on it may be pointed out that Sir CHAUDE Renew Mr. HENRY NOR the contrary he is in the prime of life, on British diplomacy in and it is an advantage that we should have what remarkable that two as Minister at Peking a man whose mental light and leading at Shang ticles as that on "The Russo-Chinese ty" and that on "Russia and England vigour is at its flood and who will not be subjected to the temptation of being uld appear side by side in the same
me and, treating the matter from en beguiled by simulated respect for his grey hairs into weakly, making good natured tirely different standpoints, arrive at sub-concessions and exercising unjustified for stantially the same conclusions. There can bearance. What is wanted at Peking is unfortunately be no doubt that during the emphatically a strong man, and in Sir itical times of the war between China and CLAUDE MACDONALD we think we have apan when deep schemes were being elabo-
our commercial and political rivals, got him.
was very indifferently served in plomacy at Peking. In the long run China may come to respect her all hore for the fact that she did not take
The Peking and Tientsin Times makes The colony is indebted to Dr. WILL of tage of the situation to grind axes of rather a severe attack on Shanghai as a the German Navy, for shia interesti her own at China's expense, especially when leader of public opinion amongst the foreign valuable report on the plague in the laboriousness of grinding the axes of communities in China. The occasion of portions of which will be Russia and France begins to tell at Peking, the attack is the alleged abstention of the in another column. The but it would have been better in every Steamship Companies from the agitation one, occupying over tw respect if England had opened her eyes to in favour of the improvement of the closely printed foolscap, and what was going on and acted as the course Tientsin River, a subject which engaged part highly technical of events dictated, instead of making a con- the attention of the Tientsin General Cham-course, discuss it in its medical aspects, but spicuous diplay of her diplomatic weakness. ber of Commerce at its annual meeting, the portions referring to public an ¿AB÷Mr. ~ NORMAN says, we could hardly A report has recently been prepared hygiene we would cordially, reçoi
have suffered more if we had had no by Mr. DE LINDE on the river and the attention of our readers diplomatic service at all, ∙∙ and the its conservancy and it was resolved by is of opinion that the conta *British" Minister "accomplished no more the Chamber that, having regard to the duced into the body chiefly
than if he had twiddled his thumbs." grave issues involved, the incoming Com-alimentary canal; and as- Having thus sped the parting guest Mr. mittee be instructed to prepare an accurate may be mentioned that Dr NORMAN a little further on welcomes the Chinese translation of Mr. DE LINDE's Medical Officer of Health, repor coming one in the following terms :-"Thus report, and to send copies of same to the last meeting of the Sanitary Board, that our Legation at Peking became vacant, foreign and native authorities; and, further, several of the cases of enteric fever at and the post being one which absolutely that the Foreign Ministers be asked to bring present existing in the colony demands in its occupier a thorough all possible pressure to bear in the proper bably caused by eating, salads. knowledge of the Chinese character, a quarter with a view to the immediate carry poison of enteric fever has profound diplomatic experience, and a ing out of the remedial measures indicated cases been conveyed in the certain age in order to secure Chinese by Mr. DE LINDE, particularly as regards the fact is
sugge respect, a comparatively youthful soldier the closing by draw-door weirs of the incurred by sons who consume. was appointed to it direct from the Niger entrances to the seven large canals below grown vegetables uncooked at time: ***Coast Protectorate! Words fail to describe Shin-shui-ku. The question was asked as the plague is about. Grea
a preposterous appointment as it to the extent to which the local steamer com- have of late years been made "deserves. "So far as can be judged at panies had contributed to the preliminary market gardeners in the growin present the "preposterous appointment" expenses, and the Chairman replied that so ables, there being many men now appears to have been justified by results, far they had not been officially approached in the industry who have been, and the “ comparatively youthful soldier on the subject; but he thought if it became gardeners in European employ and who bids fair to distinguish himself in his difficult necessary to incur further expenditure to manage their gardens on European lines, post. It is too early yet, perhaps, to form strengthen the position they would be discarding the disgusting and dangerous very definite opinions on his capacity, but found willing to assist. In commenting native method of manuring. The improv the promise of his first year's tenure of the editorially on the subject our Tienfsinment, however, is far from universal Hand Legation must be pronounced favourable. contemporary says that it is not sur- market vegetables must therefore But whatever the verdict may be on Sir prising that the apparent apathy of the regarded with suspicion and as CLAUDE MACDONALD's regime when it comes steamer companies, accentuated by the consumption in an uncooked state. Al to to a close we must express our surprise at absence from the meeting of the represent the necessity of carefulness in matters of the qualifications Mr. NORMAN enumerates tative of one of the most important of diet Dr. WILM's report will no doubt be as necessary in a Minister at Péking. "Athem, has given rise to much unfavourable accepted without controvers " thorough knowledge of the Chinese charac- comment. The article proceeds :--" We other points, however, raising questions of
ter: "What is wanted is a thorough "need not say this policy of abstention is on which we should like to ee the annota Knowledge of human nature, and the holder "dictated from Shanghai, where the head-tions of the Director of Public Works and the of the post will then have no difficulty in quarters are, and where the knowledge of adapting himself to the treatment of the "China and Chinese officials and interests Chinese variety. Moreover, if the choice is connected with, or even dependent upon to be limited to those already possessing a them, is supposed to be concentrated; thorough knowledge of the Chinese “and, as a smaller place, we ought aracter" the field of selection becomes perhaps to take the lead from them, narrow one, so narrow indeed that as has been the custom for many of finding a really suitable" years past. We have, however, gradually possessed of all the other qualifications" come to think that Shanghai, having vell + ng knowledge of the Chinese “grown into a very large foreign com- omes remote. **“A profound "munity, has lost touch with China and its experience. We have had too "Government, and whether we look upon at Peking: what is wanted is "the incompetent way the question of forwards business man who when “improving the Woosung Bar has been hing will let it be known that he managed or the many useless and im- with sufficient force of "practical protests and memorials which his will upon others. have late years been launched from diplomacy the Chinese
Shanghai to the Foreign Ministe Peking and at home, we feel that Shanghai is somewhat deficient in understanding what can and what cannot be done in China which the plague
suc
""
and it is not there likely to prove his. he third of the qualifications
"
be
There are
rather
Medical Officer of Health. Will Mr. COOPER, for instance, accept as correct Dr. WILM's description of our drainage system and the statement that the pipes are frequently stopped up? Of the general sanitary condition of the colony, twe should have hoped that more favourable account might given in 1896 than t but while a local have had his attention the improvements that in the WIL
the subject with lends special