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conveyed in lighters to take part in the attack on the Pehtang forts. We arrived 8 or 9 hours too late, intelligence, but not intelligent, officers said they had no official information about the said attack. House-breaking takes place in open day in a British Settlement by non-British foreign troops; no one in authority sees the disgrace of it, or seeks to mend it. Military messes and individuals have possession of private honses without rent, and instead of confessing an obligation and behaving accordingly, they manifest an utter indifference to the destruction and theft of the property by their own soldiers and servants. Loot and promotion form the staples of soldier talk. This is a heavy, if vague indictment, but most civilians in Tientsin could, I think, say it is far too mild for the existing order, or disorder, of affairs.
STORES AND THE WEATHER.
Coal and grain are rising to famine prices, but fruit is abundant, as there is no export this year. The cool weather has come in with a rush, and the troops are changing into warm clothes: the winter housing of such vast num- bere there are nearly 100,000 in North-China now-promises to be a very large question.
WEIHAIWEI.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Weihaiwei, 1st October. ACCOMMODATION FOR REFUGEES.
The little village of Leu-kungtau has had a rude awakening in finding itself under martial law, carried out in its fullest severity. It will be remembered that this island was, on its transfer to the Imperial Government, under Naval control, and while in that state, the Naval Commander-in-Chief authorised a Mr. Clarke, an old Chefoo résident, to establish a small hotel here for the accommodation of cfficers' wives who desired to reside on the island. On the subsequent transfer of a portion of the island to the Military authorities, the site of this hotel became War Department property. At the he ginning of the present disturbed state of affairs in China, this place, being considered the only safe place in North China for ladies to re. side in, the Admiral issued a memo. stat- ing that refugees should come here. The little hotel as a consequence became full; amongst the occupants being Mrs. Bruce, the wife of the Rear Admiral, Mrs. Percy Scott, and Mrs. Watts-Jones, wife of apt. Watts Jones, R.E., who, when last heard of, was surveying somewhere north of Peking. The refugees were provided for by being accommo. dated in houses specially prepared by the "Com.
missioner.".
THE APPLICATION OF MARTIAL LAW.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
CORRESPONDENCE.
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
GREAT BRITAIN, HONGKONG, AND THE TREATY PORTS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,'
Amoy, 3rd October.. SIR,-At the recent Annual Meeting of the Douglas Steamship Company in Hongkong, the Chairman in his remarks dwelt particularly on the fact that the Company had to meet with a subsidised opposition and that this militated greatly against the management in their efforts to maintain their old established line between Hongkong, the Coast ports, and Formosa. This is true enough, but Coast port share holders regard it as unfortunate that he did not go further and afford the meeting details of the nature of the opposition and the real obstacles that the Directors had to deal with. It may have been a spirit of moderation on his part that inspired him, but he barely did justice to himself or his Agents in not describ- ing the nature of the opposition that he had to deal with and certain facts bearing thereupon; and it is best, not only in the interests of the shareholders, but also for foreigners trading in China, that these should be known.
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The Treaty ports of Formosa were, about the year 1858, thrown open to foreign trade, thanks to the efforts of Great Britain, and they were open to the world's commerce on even terms for one and for all. In an evil moment the Japanese, some forty years later, were allowed to annex the island and to take the ports so opened by Treaty under their own control, and ample assurances were given that, this being allowed, British trade as it existed would not be interfered with. What has been the result? An immediate differential duty against the British flag and the original trade route, creat ed and maintained under that flag. I venture to hand you for publication the correspondence between the various Chambers of Commerce and the British Minister in Tokyo on this point. * It is needless to add that the British Minister has done nothing in the mat- ter, the result being that the British flag is now seldom seen in Formosan waters. The differen- tial duty complained of in the letters was not aimed at the tea trade, which was merely used as a cat's paw; it was really intended to inflict an injury on British shipping, and in this it has assuredly succeeded.
the Formosan Govern hit on the idea of on their own account to passengers to Fo by a British steamer
passes, costing to 25.
[October 18, 1900.
admittance to Formoss and returned steamer's expense to Amoy. This outrag so fingrant that even the Consular officials hold of it, and, after some $10,000 worth-ef injury had been done to the British steamers running between Amoy and Formosa, "Bureau" has been abolished. It put much money into the pockels of the Formosan officials concerned and served its purpose in assisting the subsidised line and injuring the foreign Hne to a material extent. In justice it must le added that the central Japanese Government and its representative here disowned any know- ledge or connection with this Bureau, and it was run almost entirely by Formosan official shareholders in the subsidised line.,
It may naturally be asked, What has all this. to do with Hongkong? The answer is very plain. Hongkong has not only lost her carrying trade to Formosa that affects one Company only but she has lost far more. Figures will show that, owing to differential steamship bounties, ste, since the Japanese occupation of Formosa, Hongkong has lost amongst her larger and staller traders an overturn of about $1,000,000 worth of export and import business, which has been transferred to Japan. This leads us to the apathetic manner in which the recent events in Amoy have been regarded in Hongkong. Amoy may be a small place, and Hongkong quite able to live on Share transse- tions alone, but as Japan and other powers annex the Treaty ports and place differential duties against British shipping and imports and exports from and to Hongkong, your Colony will wake up to realise some day that her busi- ness lay in the out-ports, and as she, bit by bit allows them to pass into foreign hands without making an effort to help those who are fighting- for Treaty rights and the maintainance of British interests, that her outlets are gone and her trade with them. That there is not differential duty against imports from Hong- kong and an extra tax of 60 per cent. against British ships entering Amoy to-day as compared to those trading to Japan, is due entirely to the recent action of foreign officials and others here who thwarted a well-planned effort in that direction with promptitude and prevented an occupation of the port.
Surely Hongkong merchants must be aware that the colony with the coast ports closed to her is a mere naval station. It is time she be- came alive to the fact and gave her attention to facts as they exist in South China to-day. The pest from the open door" of Japan. She will Formosan episodes have shown her what to ex- get worse treatment from other quarters, and unless she assists promptly, cordially, and in- telligently in a demand that ports open already by treaty remain unannexable, the worse for her and British trade in the Far East in general. Mid-China trade, and in reality her own Hongkong is the headquarters of South and
commercial existence depends on the maintain- ance of the integrity of the Treaty ports,
On the 16th August the manager of the ment on it is needless. Summed up, a glance The correspondence speaks for itself and com- hotel was eerved with a notice that his pre- will show that it merely means that cargo ship- mises would be required for military purposes, and that all accommodation must be reserved ped via Hongkong to England pays 60 per for military disposal in a month from that date. cent. more duty than cargo shipped via Japan The manager at once gave notice to the ladies to England. No clause in any part of any in the hotel that they must be out by the 15th Treaty permits of this. It is merely an arbi September. As there was no other similar placement (the members of which are shareholders trary tax placed by the local Formosan Govern- on the island to go to, this arbitrary enforce- ment of martial law naturally caused some
in the Japanese line) against British steamers little excitement. Two of the ladies previously trading between Hongkong and Formosa, in mentioned were provided for, as a Naval Officer order to facilitate between Japan and Formosa | and yet her merchants and oficials betray s. the operations of their own subsidised line. There is no getting round the point, and it is unfortunate that it is not clearly understood by those interested in British Steamship Companies in China.
at once vacated his house and placed it at their disposal. Mrs Watts-Jones, however, was not 80-fortunate; no place could be found for her, and she had therefore to leave the island, a course which was particularly distressing to her, owing to the uncertainty as to where her husband was, and also the fact that she had a delicate child. The matter w
was r
reported to General Gaselce, but as he was at Peking and telegraphic communication was not restored, his reply countermanding the ladies being turned out took some time; in fact did not arrive until these ladies had arranged to move out of the hotel.
A CURIOUS RESULT.
In the meantime the Military had entered in to an agreement with the hotel manager
So far as the Douglas Steamship Co. is con- cerned, a breach of faith on the part of the Japanese Government, an utterly incompetent British Minister, and the over-riding of an article or two in the Treaty has knocked them out so far as the Hongkong-Formosan trade is concerned. A subsidy might be fought, but an enormous differential duty against their trade route is assuredly beyond their power to cope with. Nor did the evil end here. In the height of the passenger season between Amoy and Formose
that, from the date Mrs. Bruce and Mrs. Scott left the hotel until the end of the year, they would pay him 8700 per month as compensation. The position is now peculiar. All the ladies have been turned out of the hotel which is now consequently empty, and the War Officetes. Unfortunately we cannot find room production of these letters. Our readers will remember that the bulk of them app
pondence which passed between the Amoy. Chamber Our correspondent encloses a copy of the corres of Commerce, H. M. Minister at Tokyo, our own Chamber and the Tameni Chamber of Commerce, on the subject of the differential Duty on ForMADSAR
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paying the aforementioned sum” pensation to the manager. To the lay mind it seems a very strange proceeding.
the correspondence of the Hongkong Cham was published in these columns earber in the
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crags ignorance and indifference as to what is going on in Chins proper and lend no helping hand to those who are holding as best they can the outposts of her trade. Enclosing my card, I am, sir, your obedient servant,
LOOK AHEAD.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE " DAILY PRESS.
o-day.
Un
Hongkong, 10th October. SIB,—I have read the let gned. “ Look Ahead" in your issue of terest and agree. fortunately we British ↑ rule to take up a case unl immediate pockets, more than give silent equally ineffecti What i binatio