November 5, 1898.]
Scotsman
Roitelet Blitz....
Time, 2.414.
..
TO BE RUN ON THE OFF DAY.
The GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE; value, Tls. 150; second pony Tls. 50; for China ponies; weight for inches as per scale; non- winners of this race at any previous meeting allowed 7 lbs; entrance, Tls. 5. Twice round a course selected by the stewards.
CORRESP. NDENCE
1.
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
THE DISTURBANCE AT CANTON.
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
SIE, The heading of your paragraph in to- day's paper, "Riot at Canton: An attack on Shameen averted," is really too sensational, but it is only because it is likely to cause unneces- sary alarm to people who have friends here that I object to it.
C
It was only a street row, and no attack on Shameen was ever intended. The mob was never more than 200 strong, if as many, and a little common sense at the beginning would have prevented the disturbance. The French police ordered the boat out of the creek; the boatman either couldn't or wouldn't go out. The police then hove bricks at him; he and his friends hove them back. As soon as the man- darin and about 20 of his brave boys armed with bell-mouthed blunderbusses appeared on the scene this riotous blood-thirsty mob burning to loot Shameen melted like snow.
Trusting that you will allow my view of this alarming "Riot" to appear in your paper,-I am, sir, yours faithfully,
F. B. SMITH.
Canton, 27th October, 1898.
STREET ROW OR RIOT?
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
our weakness to our neighbours, especially in this present critical time. As to his view and opinion with regard to what constitutes a riot, let me for his edification refer him to Geo. I. Stat. 2 chap. 5 section 1, which provides" that if any persons to the number of twelve or more, being unlawfully riotously and tumultuously assembled together to the disturbance of public peace and good order," &c., it constitutes a riot. Mr. Smith concludes by saying" As soon as the mandarin and about twenty of his brave boys armed with bell mouthed blunderbusses appeared on the scene, this riotous bloodthirsty mob, burning to loot Shameen, melted like snow.' This clearly shows that he is contradioting himself by his own statement when he says that "no attack on Shameen was intended,'
as he admits that if the mandarin soldiers had not been despatched to the scene of disturbance the mob would have looted Shameen; 80 it was
an attack on Shameen averted.”
This is the view of a
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VOLUNTEER.
Canton, 31st October, 1898.
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.’
SIR, Will you kindly allow me a few lines to say that I quite agree with Mr. Smith's view of the case. There was no "riot" in the
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vouch
ordinary acceptation of that term by "those who know." It was a mere "street row brought about, so far as I can learn, by some of the Shameen police ordering away a boat from the creek, and themselves first throw- ing some stones at the boat to assist its de- parture, and just to show that there WAS no ill-feeling! I cannot, of course, certain it is that if you go round knocking. for the accuracy of this statement; but
people on the head with brickbats you can hardly expect anything else but a disturbance Doubtless some rowdies joined in with the boat- people in hopes of some fau; but as Mr. Smith truly remarked, the whole thing vanished as a vapour directly the officials appeared and blew their trumpets. In fact, as a man remarked to me recently, if our bold Volunteers had rushed to bed instead of to arms the whole rumpus would have exploded of itself.
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,
As to what constitutes a riot, everything is SIB, I was astonished to see Mr. Smith's relative in this world and even one solitary in- letter in your issue of 29th inst., trying to be-dividual sometimes makes a riot when he stops little what the French authorities did here so promptly to avert a riot. Would Mr. Smith like to pass it off as a light matter when a yelling, howling mob of idlers, rogues, and vagabonds threaten quiet foreigners with an- nihilation and make free use of bricks and stones, and would he persist in calling it a street row when Consuls are bit on their faces and Commandants of Volunteers on their backs? This may be Mr. Smith's view, but he, of all people, should have refrained from giving expression to it in such a carping spirit, to allay fears as he declared. Your correspondent's view, as given in your issue of 27th inst., is more correct and unbiassed, and this I have no hesitation in saying as
AN IMPARTIAL EYE-WITNESS. Canton, 31st October, 1898.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “ DAILY PRESS,"
out too late at night and indulges in what is'nt good for him; but this, or the assemblage of a handful of "small boys" and rowdies, is a very different thing from a general rising acquiesced in by all classes of the community. That no- ill-feeling of any account exists is shown by the fact that foreigners-globetrotters and others— are daily and freely entering the city without molestation. Why then so innch excitement P It is bad enough when it comes in real earnest- a riot, I mean-but let us not hasten it by our own impetuosity and eagerness for the fray Some may say "What's the use of being a Volunteer if you've no chance of distinguishing yourself?" Patience! my friends. Your day may come and you may be the first to fall like a hero. Let us hope so, if such is your desire. It was doubtless too bad of Mr. Smith to detract from the military glory of our Vo- "lunteers, who, of course, are all brave fellows and ready to sacrifice their lives for the good of the community; but really the truth must out that this affair was little more than a tempest in a teapot" which might perhaps have been avoided by a little tact and common sense at the commencement. I remain, &c.
SIE-In your issue of the 29th inst. you published a letter signed by Mr. F. B. Smith, saying that "the heading of your, paragraph 'Riot at Canton: An attack on Shameen averted, is really too sensational, but it is only because it is likely to cause unnecessary alarm to people who have friends here that I object to it." Having read the paragraph your corres- pondent referred to, and being a resident and an eye-witness to the disturbance on the night in question, I believe Mr. Smith's statement must have been gathered from unreliable sources or from hearsay. If it was only a street row and no attack on Shameen was ever intended certainly the Volunteers of the British Con- cession would not have been called out, nor a guard of Volunteers with fixed bayonets placed on the West bridge, besides the presence of a British gunboat just opposite the British Con- sulate on the following morning. If Mr. Smith's sole object in publishing his view is to ridicule the action taken by the popular and energetic British Consul in calling out the Volunteers and requesting the presence of a gunboat, &c., it is certainly bad taste on his part to publicly expose
ANOTHER EYE-WITNESS. Canton, 2nd November, 1898.
THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,'
377
naval powers, such as France and Russia, and force of some thousands be sent by them to seize this colony, there would probably be many ves sols lying idle in the harbour. Dozens of men could be obtained from these vessels capable of handling machine guns, and, if there were a large stock of them in the colony, three or four Europeans to work these guns and a staff of Chinese coolies to carry the guns and the ammunition might be posted on
hill, on every making the approach of the enemy along any route subject to a deadly cross fire. They would then have to capture each gun at an enormous loss of men to themselves end a small charge of gun-cotton would have rendered the gun useless to them.
SIR,-At a time when war has recently been, if it is not now, imminent I think the attention of the community may be called to the senseless neglect of the defence of this colony on the part of the authorities at home.
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Not only do they fail to send the very neces- sary reinforcements required for controlling the Kowloon Heights, but they fail, also, to supply the needful machine guns to the local volun- teers. Machine guns defeated the Khalifa in Egypt and machine guns would repulse an at- tack in force on Hongkong.
Should a war break out with one or more great
Hongkong, 1st November, 1898.
--
SEAMAN.
USEFUL HINTS TO INVESTORS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
揭幕
DAILY FRESS." SIR,-Below is given a bird's-eye view of
our three local Marine Insurance and two Fire Insurance Companies :-
Union.
Capital per share... $ 50 Reserve per share... 130 Exchange and in- vestment fluctus- tion account per share
Present value
market
(an- China H'kong China ton. Traders. Fire. Fire.
$ 50 $25 $ 50 $20- 115 37.50 127.71 50
88/18 nil 6.28 nil nil
22.5 130 581 3221 90 PRO BONO PUBLICO. Hongkong, 3rd November, 1898.
A CHINESE CLUB.
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
DEAR SIR,-I hear that à representative Chinese Club to be run on European principles is about to be established in this colony, the promoters being Mr. Cheong Choy, the ener getic Mr. Tse Tsan Tai, and Mr. Luk King For, of Queen's College. I hope this Club will be open to all respectable Chinese of this colony, and that there will be, no. distinction made as regards membership. I hope, too, that the Club will be the means of bringing the educated Chinese in closer and friendlier intercourse with their numerous European friends in this colony. Wishing the Club the success that it deserves.---- I remain, yours truly,
A WELL WISHER. Hongkong, 2nd November 1898.
A GRIEVANCE AGAINST THE HONGKONG HOTEL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS." SIR,-May I venture to ask you to give publication to the experiences of an outport resident in regard to the Hongkong Hotel P
I arrived in the colony on Saturday afternoon and on reaching the Hotel informed the clerk in charge that I required a room for a day or two. I was given room No. 82 and accordingly signed my name in the visitors' book. Just as I was leaving the office the counter clerk enquired how many packages of luggage I had. I replied two, when he re- marked that an advance was required. I ques- tioned his anthority for such an unusual pro- ceeding and was told that it was by order of the Directors. As a matter of fact I had no money with me and told the clerk so, inform- ing him that as I was well known (giving the names of several leading residents) it would be all right. This did not however satisfy the clerk, who replied that I could not occupy a room in the hotel without special per- mission of the Secretary. Needless to say I did not go in search of the Secretary but made my way to the Windsor Hotel. I enclose my card. Yours faithfully,
Hongkong, 30th October, 1898,
CANTON.
A Tokyo press despatch of the 24th October, translated by the Kobe Chronicle, states that the British Government takes a very attitude regarding the political change in China, which it regards as more of an accident than deeply laid plot against the principle of reform,