Besember 9, 1999.]
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
475
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value would our seeming success have been? with those for other ports, a little disappoint | male population has been trained to arms, Lord, CHARLES BERESFORD himself, in the ing. "It would be a mistake, however," | With what object ? Was it simply for self- speech he made at the banquet given to him our contemporary continues, to take the protection, as" Veritaä" contends, or was it by the Hongkong Branch of the Navy present low figures as indicative of the not rather in support of the policy of League, stold we that the question of the future trade of the colony. That the "South Africa for the Boers?" The Rumian advance in the north was essentially "trade to-day is almost nil we have re ment Great Britain became engaged, with military question. "You may," he said, "peatedly said, also that there is little any other great Power--and it is at any "double your fleet out here; you máy
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prospect of its improvement until new time possible she may become so engaged- fifteen ships like the Victorious out here "markets are opened by the penetration the Boer army would have been able to and forty destroyers. What has that to do "of the railway into the interior. It should descend upon Natal and Cape Colony and " with the advancement of Russin to the "also be borne in mind that goods would drive the British Garrisons out, for we "mouth? (It in, I any, a military and not "be rushed in as far as possible during the could not have permanently maintained an “a cenaval #question." Being a military" time immediately preceding the opening army there of a hundred thousand men; question, what profit would the temporary "of the Customs. We e are sure that the and even that number would in a few years. withdrawal of the Russian fleet from Port "third quarter of 1900 will give quite time have become insufficient, seeing the rate Arthur have brought us? Russia would "different results from those of the quarter at which the Boer Republics have been arm- in the meantime have exacted satisfaction "covered by the first returns of the Tsinging and preparing for war. As Mr. CHAM- from China away from the seaboard, where "tau Customs." Our contemporary's pre- BEELAIN said in one of his speeches, the our fleet could not have renched her, and diction will, we believe, receive ample Empire has just escaped one of the gravest, would subsequently have reappeared at "fulfilment. Meantime, however, the trade dangers with which it has ever been con- Port Arthur, when the opportunity again is comparatively insignificant, the trade in fronted. With the Cape in the hands of a offered. The Boer war is costing Grent piece goods of all descriptions amounting hostile Power, and the possibility of the Britain a considerable effort. A war with during the quarter under review to only Canal route being blocked, Great Britain's Russia, if any lasting result were to 11,839 pieces, while that in wollen goods hold upon her Indian Empire and upon the be achieved, would cost a still greater is represented by a couple of pairs of blan trade of the Far East would have been effort. Circumstances may arise rendering kets. The metal trade amounts to 718 worth but a very short purchase. Self-pre- such a war necessary, and in that case piculs. In foreign sundries 16,455 gallons servation is the first law of nature, and upon we may enter upon it with a clear con- of kerosine oil and 55,883 gross of matches that ground alone, even if there were science and firm resolution. But it would are the principal items,
no other and no nobler motive, the war be truly lamentable to allow ourselves to
would have been justified. But there is become involved in such a conflict without due consideration and simply as the conse-
another motive, namely, that of sube- tituting a free, just, and enlightened form quence of pursuing a policy of bluff. It is to be hoped, too, that if Great Britain and
of government for a selfish and unjust ad- ministration. The establishment of justice Russin over do become involved in war it
for all should command the support even will not be through the former championing
of a humanitarian like "Veritas," but by the cause of barbariem against civilisation.
some strange perversion his sympathy seems to be given to the oppressors rather than to the oppressed.
THE KIAOCHAU CUSTOMS RETURNS,
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THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE TRANSVAAL WAR.
industry.
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(Daily Press, 7th December.) "Veritas "in his letter appearing in this issue says it requires a pretty strong faith in humanity to believe that were there no gold fields in the Transvaal millions of money would be spent and thousands of lives sacrificed merely for the sake of wretched lot of Outlanders. Such faith terests and commerce flourish better under
would not be unwarranted, however. The her good government than under any
Abyssinian War may be referred to as a "other regime in the world, but that is the
case in point. Many millions of money "limit of our interest. What we desire is were spent on that expedition, and if equal rights for all men of all races, and thousands of lives were not sacrificed it security for our fellow subjects and our
was merely the fortune of war; the "Empire." In those few words we have risk of such sacrifice was taken. And what the whole case concisely stated.
The was the object? The rescue of a consul capitalist class with the lust of gold" and a few missionaries. We might also would not carry the nation with them if they point to the Soudan. Great Britain obtains proposed to gratify their lust by despoiling no gold mines for her work in supprewing other people of their rightful possessions. the slave trade and establishing_good gov- It is not on that ground that the war is beernment in that wide region. Haman na- ing waged, but, to use Lord SALISBURY'S ture and the British character are therefore words, to secure equal rights for all men of not so sordid and selfish as "Veritas " ime- all races. All that is wanted is to replace angines. He appeals to Mr. STRAD as his oppressive oligarchy governing in the inter- eats of only one section of the population for a more liberal and more equitable admin- istration which will govern in the inter- ests of all alike.
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(Daily Press, 4th December.) "Veritas," whose letter appears in another column, makes the assertion that it is for the "root of all evil” that men are slaugh- tering one another to-day in the Transvaal. We also publish_to-day Lord SALISBURY'S speech at the Guildhall Banquet, in the course of which this view is met and effect- (Daily Press, 2nd December.)
ually disposed of. England, his Lordship The Chinese Customs returns for the July showed, would derive no advantage from the September quarter include for the first time possession of gold mires except in so far as the returns of the German colony of Kiao- her government confers the blessings of good chow. "The covering despatch of the Com-administration upon those engaged in the missioner, Mr. E. OHLMER, contains the
All successful industry," he following passage:--"The Custom-house continued, "breeds commerce, and all in- **was opened on the 1st July, 1899. The "collection of tariff import and export duty "and Convention lekin on opium, and the * collection of Native duties and lekin on junk cargoes at half tariff rates, com- "menced on that day. The stations at pre- "sent provisionally controlled by the Kino- "chow Customsare known as Tupotou, Ling “shanwei (including Tachiangkou), Nuku, Teugkou, and Shatezkou (including “Tengyao). The word inwards in "these statistics means to China, and the "word outwards' from China, the statistics "of goods landed and consumed in German “territory not being included." From the regulations published at the time of the establishment of the Customs we under-
authority on the Transvaal question. Mr. stood that although no duties were to be
STEAD is a believer in "spooks,” is clever levied on goods produced in or intended
but unreliable, and we would recommend for consumption in German territory
"Veritas" rather to use his own judgment cognisance was to be taken of the
than to follow such a leader. The broad total trade of the port, including that car- The oligarchy of which "Veritas" is en issue, as a contemporary tersely puts ityviä zied by steamers. So far as the shipping amoured, and which is now being over-this-Shall a handful of Dutch farmers be returns go, however, they have reference thrown, not only governed oppressively and only to the junk trade, and are analogous to unjustly within the Transvaal, but was the returns of the Kowloon Customs. As ambitious of extending its rule over the yet the trade is small, the total number of neighbouring British possessions. Veri- juisks entered at the various stations during Las says this is not so, that the idea that the quarter being 458 only and the clear- the object was to drive us out of Africa is a andes 365. Turning to the revenue table, very inr-fetched one and probably no more however, we find two columns headed true than that everybody would like to do respectively “foreign" and "native" the the same to everybody else everywhere if ram collected under the former being they got the chance. As things were going Tls. 5,015, nad that under the latter Tls. the chance would have come to the Boers 4,981, making a total of Tls. 9.946. The at some time, and can there be any Ostasiatische Lloyd in an article on the re doubt that they would have taken ad- turns mys the figures cannot be called vantage of it? The Transvaal has been brilliant nud ging fact, when compared | turned into a vast fortress and the whole |
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allowed for all time to rule as absolute des- pots over the mixed population of a country with an area equal to that of Great Britain. and Ireland ? Surely “Veritas” will admit, that the welfare of the population as a whole should be placed before the_interests of a limited class. Moreover, the Dutch farmers under the regime of equal rights for all will be as well off as they were before except that they will no longer be able to exploit the Outlanders.
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The German gunboat Jaguar, 10 guns, and with a complement of 127 men, arrived at Woo- sung on the 29th November from the Ma Islands.