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:
October 14, 1899.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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815
"SaNK” shows in an interesting sec- tion of his article how easily an effective control could be exercised without atîr- ring up the masses of people against us. He would have a practically omnipotent British Resident to "advise" the Viceroys and Governors. Briefly," he says,
" we "must rule the Chinese by Chinese men "and Chinese methods, from the top, with
no appreciable change at any given mo "ment anywhere, except in directions which "will be most welcome to the people them- "selves. By a wise and well directed
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policy of this kind the masses of the people will never be stirred against our "rule. It will be a purely nominal matter "between their Chinese Governors and us, with which they will have no concern, "and about which they will never trouble "themselves, so long as they are let alone "to pursue their own paths and their ac-
not attach too much importance to the "half of Kwangtung, by the above policy | barrassing complications that may arise various reports and statements as to the "we shall, for the present at least, preserve from such occurrences it is important that decline of British prestige in China and the "to the Chinese about half the area of the should take such action as will effectu- decay of the Minister's influence at Peking "China proper, including considerably more ally prevent them. which find currency at Shanghai, but we "than half of its total population. More- certainly do think that that influence is over, by our influence, direct or indirect, likely to suffer very materially unless the on other Powers, as by a coming treaty British Representative is determined and "with Germany, we shall tend to preserve receives vigorous support from the Foreign "from any actual occupation or annexation Office. It is satisfactory, therefore, to "the greater part at least of the large learn through Reuter's agency that when "balance which is outside our sphere speaking at a dinner given to him by the Briefly, while Manchuria may be regarded China Association in London, Sir CLAUDE "as lost to Russia, we shall give the Chinese MacDonald said he viewed British pro a fair chance of preserving practically the spects in China hopefully, and that Great "whole of Chiua proper, less sundry little Britain now more than held her own in" nibbles on the extreme coastline occupied that country. His Excellency may be a "by the various Powers as pieds-d-terre in little optimistic, but he knows what he is "their respective spheres of influence. The speaking about, and is therefore presum-"future, therefore, of China depends upon ably satisfied that British interests are "herself; she has now got another lease of safe in the Yaugtsze sphere of influence,
"life. If she is willing to learn she may yet that the boundaries of the extension of "
preserve her empire from being broken territory to this Colony are capable up." The writer vigorously opposes the parti- of easy settlement, and that in other tioning of China, holding that it would be a quarters our interests are effectively safe crime and a mistake, but he appears to ac- guarded. When Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD cept the principle of spheres of influence, gets back to Peking we trust he will lose no and, generally speaking, to approve of Lord time in taking up the questions now await- SALISBURY'S policy. In that respect many ing consideration and settlement, such as in the Far East will dissent from "SENEX's" the abolition of the preferential duties ac- conclusions, though the tendency of public corded by the Haikwan at Canton to junk- opinion seems now to set somewhat in the borne cargo, whereby the Steamboat Com- direction he represents. panies running on the river are placed at so serious a disadvantage; the piracy and disorders that have, ever since the opening of the West River, obstructed trade and reduced the country to a state approaching anarchy; and the new interpretation given to the Inland Waters Steam Navigation Rules and Regulations, which, with the ad- vantages accorded to Chinese craft, have rendered the privilege of navigating and trading on the inland waterways a complete farce. There is much work out out for the British Minister if he desires, as we are sure he does desire, to see that the privileges gained by such arduous negotiation in the past are not reduced to a mere name. We want also to have the question of the northern boundary of this Colony settled, und trust it may be practicable to get the lense converted into a cession, in settlement of the matters at issue arising from the bad faith of the Viceroy TAN of the Two Kwang. If Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD has time, when passing through the colony, the repre- sentative bodies here could perhaps obtain an interview and place certain matters clearly before him.
BRITAIN'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MAINtenance oF ORDER IN HER SPHERE OF IN. FLUENCE.
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on
There is one point, however, on which "SENEX "will meet with no dissent, unless it be on the ground that his recommendations do not go far enough. We refer to that portion of his article in which he demon strates that the possession of a sphere of influence carries with it responsibility for the maintenance of order in that sphere, and that for the maintenance of order in the British sphere a sufficient military force must be inaintained at Hongkong or Weibaiwei and held in readiness to oper- ate wherever and whenever its services may be required. There is a remarkable similarity between what "SEREX" has to say on this point and the recent pronouncement of the Hongkong Branch of the China Association on the same subject. Suppose, he says, a rebel leader with a strong force to be threatening any of the numerous ports along the 1,500 miles course of the navig- able Yangtaze from Shanghai to Ichang. Are we to leave our small British colony to be destroyed, their property burnt out, and their numerous Chinese employes and myrmidons massacred? Answering this question SENEX BAYO:
"No British "Government would hesitate to take action
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"in such a case. If they did, the Russians, "who have very considerable interests and many Russian subjects to protect there, "would promptly send up a strong force "from Port Arthur, where they have a "small army in readiness; and then what "becomes of our aphere of influence in the "Yangtaze Valley?" "SENEX" weakena
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customed avocations in peace." The only defference the people would find in their lives, say "SENEX," would be that by degrees their heavy burdens would be lightened, extortionate taxation and per- petual squeezes would be minimised and eventually abolished, the courts and ad- ministration of justice would be gradually purified, there would be a steadily increas ing hope of justice and mercy
for the poor man, cruel and inhuman punishments would disappear and be no longer heard of. Perhaps the realisation of this idyllic con- dition might involve greater difficulties than "BENEX" anticipates. However, that may be, it is essential, if our influence is to be effective in the sphere we have marked out, that we should have a sufficient. force ready and close at hand to maintain order whenever a disturbance of the peace is threatened, and more especially to pre vent anti-foreign outbreaks. AN INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT
WANTED.
(Daily Press, 10th October.) Rerence was made in this column yea terday to an article by "SENEX" in the Contemporary Review, and more especially to the views therein expressed as to Great Britain's responsibility for the maintenance of order in her sphere of influence. There is another point made in the article which merits attention, namely, the present weak- nees of our intelligence department and the importance of strengthening it. Judging by all the signs of the times, says "SENEX, a properly organised intelligence office in connection with our British Embassy at Peking is practically non-existent. Other- wise, he proceeds to ask, "how can "account for the fact that our Minister "chose the critical moment when the Queen-Dowager was just on the very point of practically deposing the Emperor "and putting herself in his place to go off "for a holiday and sea-bathing?" After a reference to the importance of the crisis, and stating that its approach was perfectly well known by thousands of Chinese and probably in every foreign embassy in Peking except ours, the article proceeds;
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we
(Daily Press, 9th October.) The Contemporary Review for September contains an article by "SENEX "The "White Man's Burden in China." Accord his case on this point by making British ing to the view of this writer, in his recent action dependent on the supposition that a agreement with Russia concerning China rebel army is threatening a small British "Lord SALISBURY honestly means what he colony. Action will be necessary in a says in the preamble to the treaty," and much less extreme contingency than that. the treaty "is really intended to provide a In an attack on a foreign mission station guarantee for the integrity and indepen- by a local mob, for instance, the Native "dence of China.
We have there Authorities being either unwilling or unable "fore marked out the great Yangteze Val- to maintain order or to afford satisfaction "ley_territories and the larger half, at least, when wrong has been committed, is Great
"If we consider the general ques- "of Kwangtung for our sphere of influence, Britain to allow the foreign Power whose
“tion we shall find that we of all the "in order to keep them open to our trade and subjects have been outraged to send a puni- "Powers are, or ought to be if we went the "to the world's trade, while, so far as they tive force? If Great Britain is to make "right way to work, in the best possible are concerned, preserving the integrity of her ascendency effective in her sphere "position for acquiring good information "the Chinese Empire. We shall confine of influence
she must act in all "relating to every part of China. There "ourselves to the legitimate exploitation such cases herself, to the exclusion are hundreds of capable and well-informed of trade, commerce, and industry in of all foreign interference; and, further-"English missionaries spread over every "them. -
Including, therefore, one more, in order to obviate the em
"district therein. Most of them would be
"