Page
7
November 3, 1900.]
The cause of the explosion is not yet known. Most probably it arose through the carelessness of the soldiers in the station and there is no suspicion that it is due to the rebels.
TIENTSIN.
FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
Tientsin, 10th October, The following extracts from a private letter, dated Tientsin, to-day, may interest some of your readers :—
A PUZZLING SITUATION.
or
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
LOOT THE DEMORALISER.
how loot
The expedition to Paotingfu has started at last: I suppose, like the capture of Tientsin and Peking, it will end in an orgie of loot. You have no idea
demoralises both men
and officers: it infects them as measles did the South Sea Islanders and in my opinion does them as much harm. It is just pitiable to hear our fellows talk in these days. and I hear other nationalities are just as bad loot and promotion.
at mess nothing else is spoken of but
A TALE OF ENTERPRISE.
a
I hear that
- your Hongkong broker, has had a big stroke of luck: he is said to have bought from Russian officer for $3.000 the Order and Insignia of the Black Eagle conferred by Emperor William on Kwang Hsu. together with an autograph letter. Count Waldersee is very desirous of recovering the valued gew-gaw and asked to name his price. •£2,000, said the enterprising specula- tor: and on dit he will get it. I do not guarantee the verbal accuracy of all this flot- sam and jetsam thrown up by the seething of war: I can assure you however that it is not phere dim-flam. In any case it is better stuff to write about than my usual inanities.
The public situation illustrates confusion worse confounded, and every new move by any one player in the political chess-board seems only to mystify the student and to darken policy. I hear on authority so excellent that I am forced to believe it, that the Russians four days ago restored the Palaces to the Chinese, and that after an interval of one day the British went in and took them over from the Chinese. Now what can an average man make of a move like this? Is it a made up bit of play. between the two Powers,
is Codlin proving to the Chinamen that he, and not Short, is their friend? Why is Russia, after a display of savagery on the Chinese rustics unexampled in the last half century. HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER suddenly wheeling about and coquetting with the Mandarins? Why this cosseting of Li Hung-chang. the withdrawal of Bank and Legation to Tientsin. the anxiety to get hold of the Railway in its entirety from Newchwang to Peking? If Manchuria only is the object. surely there is no occasion for this sudden assumption of ursine friendliness towards the Chinese goat. No European power is going to quarrel with Russia over Manchuria, and Chinese anxiety will not allay Japanese anxiety in that question.
THE BHANHAIKWAN AFFAIR.
one
We hear of ructions the other day at Shan- haikwan. The British, German, and other Admiral were at the Railway Station to receive the Russian General when he arrived by train with his soldiers. They were suavity and urbanity incorporated, and the more their guest fumed and fidgeted at the unexpected check the more polite they grew. He threatened a diplo matic storm. but still the flags in possession kept on flying. One may doubt the wisdom of a course of conduct, but yet enjoy the humour of it; and it is so in this case. It is late in the day for our people to put their spoke into railway affairs after Russia has done so much in the way of track defence, repair and administration. What would have been just and proper inter- ference a month or two months ago seems now like the tutrusion of a jealous badger. The humour comes in here--that we have all along been jockeyed out of everything, and have been relegated to a back seat in consequence either of misplaced magnanimity or of sheer
lack
of enterprise. while our rivals have been laughing at our stupidity: now it is their turn to be jockeyed and elbowed out and to have to submit to mild chaff.
CONCERNING FLAGS.
OF COMMERCE.
At the Monthly Meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held at noon on Monday, the 22nd October, at the Chamber Rooms, City Hall. Present:-Hon. R. M. Gray (Chairman). Messrs. A. Haupt, Sir Thomas Jackson. Kat.. A. M. Marshall, R. L. Richardson, C. S. Sharp. N. A. Siebs, Hon. J. Thurburn (ex officio), and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary).
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the previous meeting (held on 11th September) were read and confirmed.
CHANGES IN THE COMMITTEE.
Sir Thomas Jackson, who, on the resignation of Mr. H. M. Bevis on the 5th October, had accepted the invitation to rejoin the Committee, took his seat.
The Chairman, in welcoming Sir Thomas Jackson back to the Committee, signified their regret at losing the services of Mr. Bevis, but at the same time expressed their pleasure at the return of Sir Thomas Jackson, whom they had also to thank for having so ably represented them at the Fourth Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the Empire, and voiced their opinions on the subjects that were entrusted to his care.
Sir Thomas Jackson returned thanks for the welcome accorded to him on rejoining the com- mittee and for the Chairman's kindly ap- preciation of what he had done at the Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the Empire. THE NAVIGATION OF THE UPPER YANGTZE.
Sir John Lister Kaye. Bart, having placed his scheme for improving the navigation of the Upper Yangtze before the Committee, a letter
was.
on
the
documents, and
THE HEALTH OF THE PORT.
addressed to 1st October,
for the op- that gentleman thanking him We are all glad that Seymour has found some portunity afforded to them of perusing- bunting in his ships' stores: as far as ocular the
while declining to demonstration goes. a Britisher might have taken offer any opinion on the details, assuring him an oath that all our troops and naval brigades that the removal of the obstructions to naviga- travelled without that useful commodity, just as tion on that waterway would prove of advantage he might have sworn that it formed nine-tenths to trade generally. of the Japanese and French equipment. By the bye, did you hear that enrious story of the Read letter from the Government dated 14th flag at the capture of the North-West Fort at September in reply to Chamber's request that Taku on the morning of June 17th? A Jap how plague was no longer epidemic, a clean bill and a British officer reached the flag-staff of health might be issued, in which it was pro- together, down came the Dragon; but what was mised that, so soon as seven consecutive days to go up instead? Neither man had a flag. The passed without the occurrence of a case, the Jap slipped off his coat, took off his shirt. Medical Officer of Health will, according to halved it, smeared a big round circle with the practice, issue a clean bill of health to the port, blood of a dead Celestial and ran up an improvis Also read letter from Colonial Secretary, ed "Rising Sun." I have made many enquiries dated 18th September, transmitting copy of a to substantiate this gruesome story but have letter from the Bengal Government containing failed. Believe it if you like, but you may de-a revised rule as to surveillance of persons sus- pond it will, whether true or false, find its way pected of being infected. into the history books, like "Up guards and at Considerable discussion ensued on the delay them," and stay there till some sceptical Dryas dust arises to confute it by negative disproof. I was lamenting that the 'blue' of the Union Jack precluded similar improvisations to our old friend M-, when he remarked Nonsense. Kill an aristocrat!"
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tion to Singapore and other places are continu. ong, and as the plague has long ceased to be epidemic, it was decided again to address the Government on the subject.
THE TREATY BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND
URUGUAY.
Read two letters, dated 20th September, and 17th October respectively, from Government transmitting copies of circular despatches from the Colonial Office, announcing the ratification of convention for renewal of the above Treaty, text of which, it was stated, would be published in the Government Gazette of 20th October. THE PROPOSED WITHDRAWAL OF THE ALLIED TROOPS FROM PEKING. Read letter from London Chamber of Com- merce, dated 11th September, acknowledging receipt of Chamber's telegram of the 6th idem on the above subject, stating that a copy thereof was immediately forwarded to the Foreign Office, with a covering letter, copy of which was enclosed.
Decided to write and thank the London Chamber for their good offices in the matter.
THE RE-SURVEY OF EASTERN SEAS.
A letter having been received from the Lon- don Chamber of Commerce, in which they enclosed copy of a letter to the Foreign Office conveying the terms of the resolution moved by Sir Thomas Jackson at the Fourth Congress of Chambers of Commerce, and of the reply of the Foreign Office thereto, and the London Chamber having asked for further information in order that they might again communicate with the Foreign Office.
The Secretary said that he had done his best to gather some facts to forward to the London Chamber, and had received valuable assistance in compiling a list of uncharted dangers from Messrs. Marshall and Law. He had also been in communication with the Commodore's Secre- tary with regard to two disasters to men-of-war mentioned by Mr. Whitehead, who, however, could give him no particulars of the discovery of a pinnacle rock in Amoy harbour. He then went into some detail and read the list he had compiled.
A very general opinion was expressed that in view of the great and increasing value of the tonnage employed in the Eastern Seas, the question of surveying could not receive too much attention.
It was accordingly resolved to furnish the London Chamber with the list compiled by the Secretary, together with such further arguments as might seem desirable.
PROPOSAL FOR BETTER CONTROL OF MASTERS AND ENGINEERS OF STEAM-LAUNCHES.
A letter having been received on the 16th October from Mr. A. M. Marshall giving no- tice of his intention to move a resolution to the effect that it was desirable to create a sys- tem for securing a continuous record of certi- ficates of the masters and engineers of steam- launches with a view to bringing these persons under better control.
The Chairman, after introducing the subject, asked Mr. Marshall if he would propose his resolution.
Mr. Marshall said the question had become one of considerable importance, there being now about 120 steam-launches in the harbour, the masters and engineers of which, who carried a certificate, had grown very difficult of control, owing to the facility with which they could get employment, no matter what their record. It was possible, as matters stood, for a master to leave one service to-day, get a fresh certificate to-morrow and enter on new employ the next day. What was wanted was a system of con- tinuous record of certificates, which would prevent a man guilty of gross carelessness in bringing about a collision, say one day, for which he might be discharged, being taken on in ignorance by another employer directly afterwards. The resolution he had to move was as follows:-
"That the Government be approached by the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce with a view to the adoption of continuous record certificates for the masters and engineers of steam-lanuches holding certificates of com petency from the Harbour Department, such certificates to be a record of service from the time the certificates of competency were issued."
in issuing a clean bill of health, the opinion being that if the rule requiring seven consecu tire days to elapse without a case of plague being reported be maintained, its issue might
After some discussion, in which it was be deferred indefinitely. Meantime as the losses by detention of vessels and suspension of emigra. ' generally agreed that the question was one that
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