WEIHAIWEI.
Our Tientsin correspondent's information on the subject of Weihaiwei, which we publish in another column, is well worthy of the attention of Hongkong readers in general and of the Naval Authorities in particular. The Imperial Government in acquiring the lease of the Northern naval stronghold has made no secret of its object: there is no arrière pensee of developing a great commercial emporium such as the German Government hopes to establish at Kiauchau, nor is there any thought of mak- ing on the mainland a great railway depot such as the Russians hope to see at Talien- wan, Mr. BALFOUR in his important state- ment frankly confessed that the Government had acquired Weihai simply and solely as a coign of vantage from which to watch and if necessary to check the aggression of Russia.
As a harbour and naval depot Weihai is actually in almost every respect equal to Port Arthur; potentially it is far superior; it is better situated, being closer to the entrance to the Gulf of Pechili and to the established trade routes; it is far
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
more commodious and more accessible in all weathers; is infinitely healthier, and if submarine mining be taken into account can be rendered less pregnable than its rival across the Liautau Strait. Its more obvious demerits are bad drinking water, the complete absence of basins and dry docks, and an insufficient depth of water under certain conditions of weather and tide for ships of the deepest draught. Happily these are all remediable. For years Her Majesty's ships in North China have obtained their potable water by dis- tillation; the presence of a few large con- densers with an abundant coal supply will overcome the first difficulty. A parlia. mentary grant will soon remedy the second; suicidal parsimony alone prevented the Chinese Government from making a basin and dock during the years 1888-94. There are no topographical or geological difficul: ties as at Port Arthur, where the dock collapsed more than once during skilled construction, and where even now there is no sense of security from similar disaster. Of the deepening of the narrow western entrance we cannot speak with confidence as we do not know the nature of the bottom, but we have no hesitation in saying it will be well within the art of the hydraulic en- gineer. It is only in the long swell which follows a strong easterly gale that there is any difficulty, and then only to vessels of the very deepest draught. It will be re- membered that the Chinese battleship Chen Yuen in going in on the last occasion lost her steering way, was caught at the stern by the tide, and swung round so as to graze reef and spring a few of her plates. The fatal absence of repairing facilities rendered her all but useless in the subsequent defence against the Japanese; she is now one of the finest vessels in the Japanese navy,
Our correspondent refers to the doubt
the Vice-Admiral, we presume the Rear Admiral of the station will be in command. We can only utter one word of caution and entreaty; let the administration be entirely British. In the mainland zone-for we presume the cession includes the country in which the commanding forts are located and in the island of Liukungtao there is a considerable native population, some ten or twelve thousand souls. It will have to be clearly understood how these people are to be ruled. Regulations if not laws will have to be drafted on their behalf, and courts analogous to our own or to the Mixed Court in Shanghai established to decide the numerous cases in which East meets West. We have no doubt whatever that as we have pledged ourselves to give facilities for Chinese war ships and to favour Chinese naval education Peking will endeavour to establish a hybrid Government, that it will implore that Chinese law be allowed to run; and will generally try to minify British administration. We earnestly trust that Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD will inspire the Foreign Office to forbid, once and for all, anything of the sort. Let there be no half measures, no compromise in a matter which admits of none. If the administration is to be worth anything and if we really desire to make the place a naval base worthy of the name, the administration must be as exclusively British as that of Portsmouth or Hongkong. We hope on another occasion to refer to the possible effect the new possession will have on our local interests.
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR AND THE FUTURE OF THE
PHILIPPINES.
A resolution of Congress has been neces- sary to declare the existence of a state of war between the United States and Spain. It was expected that the declaration would have come from the Spanish side, and the policy of the States was directed to bring that about, but Spain has declined the in- vitation and left it to the States to take up formally as well as practically the position of aggressors. The aggression is a justi- fiable one and English sympathy will naturally be with our American consius, Spain has been uuable herself to restore order in Cuba, and the preservation of neutrality imposed on the United States, with their extensive seaboard, a difficult task in the prevention of filibustering ex- peditions. The whole coast had to be closely policed with cruisers, at consider able cost to the State and annoyance to legitimate trade, and as there appeared no Prospect of immediate finality to the war without outside interference the States have stepped in to restore order themselves. In doing so they have the double justification of self-interest and sympathy with the wrongs of the Cubans.
The
decisive. With rebellions in progress both war will probably be short and in Cuba and the Philippines Spain cannot hope to made good her defence in either of those colonies after her navy has felt as to the administration of the new
been destroyed, and she could not pos- "lease." We are of opinion possession or
sibly act on the offensive against Am- that it should be under the joint control of the Foreign Office and Ad-erica with any prospect of success. Even miralty or of the Admiralty alone. The assuming that she were able to sweep Colonial Office has far too much on its hands already; the rapid succession of crises and the somewhat strenuous duty which has fallen to it during the last two years have lessened its zeal to undertake more work.
We imagine that as Weihai has been taken over primarily to meet naval exigencies, its administration will be chiefly in the hands of
the Navy. In such case, in the absence of
.
the American mercantile marine off the seas, the States would be well able to stand the loss for the time being and in the long run would make Spain pay a heavy bill for damages. There can be no idea of States on American soil, and when she has Spain striking any effective blow at the lost Cuba and the Philippines she will have nothing left to fight for and the war will
presumably come to an end. Possibly the
[April 30, 1898.
Spanish navy may be able to keep the sea longer than is anticipated, but at most it is only a question of time, for America can increase her navy, should it be necessary, at anuch more rapid rate than Spain and ac quire such a preponderance of strength as cannot fail to ensure victory. America has unbounded wealth at her back; the financial resources of Spain are almost exhausted,
lamentable failure and no regret can be Spainsh colonial rule has proved a felt at its downfall. The question of inter- est is, what will take its place? In Cuba no doubt a republic will be set up, for the States have disclaimed any wish to annex the island. Possibly annexation may be tive republic prove a failure, but there forced upon them ultimately should the na-
should not prove themselves as capable appears no reason why the Cubans
South
the
of self
૧૩ government American republics that were formerly Philippines the question is not so simple. under Spanish rule. With regard to the The native race appears to be considerably
more advanced in civilisation and intel-
It
lectual attainments than was until recently supposed, and might, if it were given a chance, prove itself capable of self- government; but with the large foreign interests existing in the islands it can hardly be expected that the Powers con- drawal of Western influence and control from cerned should consent to the complete with-
the administration. The States, however are not prepared to assume the government themselves, though that would be the most satisfactory solution of the question. Men- tion has been made of an alleged lien held by England upon Manila arising out of the non-payment of the indemnity for the ransom of the city after its capture by the English in 1762, but it is also said that pay- ment of the amount due under the agreement made at that time was formally waived by the British Government some twenty-seven years ago. However that may be, the question possesses no practical importance now. must be assumed that as between nations there is a constructive though not actual statute of limitations which would bar the setting up of antiquated claims that have not been kept alive in the mean- time. Whether formally waived or not, the British claim of 1762 has been practically waived, and if Great Britain now appears in the question of the future government of the Philippines it will be by virtue of her present commercial in- terests in the islands and, possibly, by the invitation of the United States. improbable settlement is the setting up of a under the joint native administration control of the United States and Great Britain modelled on the control exercised- in Samoa by Great Britain, the United States, and Germany. At the Samoan con- Great Britain, Germany, and the United ference held at Berlin in 1889, at which States were represented, an Act was signed guaranteeing the neutrality of the islands. in which the citizens of the three signatory Powers have equal rights of residence, trade, and personal protection. The three Powers recognise the independence of the Samoan Government and the free rights of the natives to choose the form of govern ment according to their own laws and customs. A Supreme Court is established to which are referred all civil suits in which foreigners are concerned either as plaintiffs against foreigners come under consular or defendants, while criminal prosecutions jurisdiction. A similar arrangement would perhaps not be ill-adapted to the Philip-
pines.
A not
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