December 22, 1900.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. guishing feature, and in the event of further the report, which has been circulated to all of hostilities will spring up from all quarters pre-you, that your Committee has not been idle. cisely à la Boer.
The Provisional Government have issued a notification to the effect that it is well known that quantities of arms, rifles, and revolvers ars being secreted in the City. They give five days' grace for these to be voluntarily given up, after which time the property of any one secreting arms will be confiscated, and the guilty parties put to death. This is a very wise proceeding, and if effectively acted upon should prove a valuable measure.
A regular, or perhaps we should say, irregu- lar, charge is made of all passengers to Taku by rail now.
The Russians are issuing tickets and making everyone pay, but the fares vary accord-| ing to the weather apparently. Sometimes $2 is charged one way, $1.60 on the return journey; sometimes one kind of ticket being given, at others another. We do not know by what in ternational agreement the charge is made at all or who benefits by it.
The report of the Tientsin Waterworks Co., Ld., for the year ended the 30th of April last, shows a balance at credit of profit and loss of Tls. 132, after writing off Tls. 1,101 for depre- ciation, etc.
THE NAVY LEAGUE.
GENERAL MEETING OF THE HONGKONG BRANCH.
The general meeting of the members and asso- ciates of the Hongkong branch of the Navy League was held in the Chamber of Commerce Room at the City Hall on Tuesday afternoon. The chair was, in the absence of Captain Has tings, occupied by Mr. H. E. Pollock, Q.C., who was supported by Captain Anderson, Messrs. E. W. Mitchell, A. M. Marshall, and R. L. Richardson. There were also present, Messrs. J. Francis, Q.C., M. W. Slade, L. S. Lewis, A. May, J. P. Cottam, G. J. W. King, T. Skinner, Capt. Goddard, and Capt. Douglas.
The CHAIRMAN said-I am sorry not to see a larger attendance this afternoon, but I hope the committee may take it as a sign that the public are satisfied with the manner in which the com- mittee have carried on the work of this branch during the past couple of years.
Our President, Captain Hastings, is absent from the colony, and the other members of the Committee have done me the honour of temporarily electing me to fill his place as Acting President, and the task devolves upon me, therefore, of addressing you at this present meeting.
All of you will, I am sure, be pleased to learn that, although we have not had the benefit of his presence and experience out here lately, Captain Hastings has been in consultation more than once, at their request, with the Executive Committee of the Nary League in London, and there can be no doubt that he has given them some very sound common-sense advice.
A short time prior to the last annual general meeting of the Navy League, I resigned my position as secretary and treasurer, in con- sequence of certain doubts which were enter- tained by General Black, who Was then administering the Government, as to the ex- pediency of my holding that position whilst acting in a Government appointment. I am glad to say, however, that our present Governor took a broader view of the question, and, after Mr. Slade had kindly noted as secretary and treasurer for a few months, I resumed my old position. I may mention that in both the Mauritius and Barbados branches of the Navy League the Governor and the General Officer Commanding are Members of the Committee, the Governor himself being the President.
It is now close upon two years since we held our last annual general meeting, and I am sorry to say that the blame for that lapse of time rests upon my shoulders as honorary secretary.
About this time last year, when an annual general meeting should, in the ordinary course of events, have been held, I was kept extremely busy with Government work, and I hope, there- fore, that you will kindly exense the delay which has taken place.
Although, however, we missed our annual general meeting last year, you will see from
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If, as I hope will be the case, you approve of what has been done by the Committee, I trust that you will do your best to induce your friend to join this branch of the League. The Navy League is a National League and all British residents here ought to join it as a matter of patriotic duty. There is no entrance fee, and the subscription is only a small one, $5 a year for members and $2 a year for associates. Your Committee would like, especially at a critical time like the present, to be able to tell the Home authorities that all British subjects out here are supporters of the League, and you should boar in mind that, in supporting the Navy League, you are supporting our trade, for, without a strong Navy out here, we shall most assuredly not be able to maintain a strong policy nor to preserve our commercial open door in the Far East. Surely a trade of over forty millions sterling per annum with indefinite pos- sibilities of expansion, is worth looking after.
The first event of any importance, which took place during the two years under review, in fact only a few days after our last annual general meeting, was the dinner which was given by this branch of the League to Lord Charles Beresford, on the 3rd January, 1899. Ihat dinner was very well attended, and was, I think one may say, a great success and will dwell as a pleasant memory in the minds of those who were present.
We were glad to note that Lord Charles Beresford was appointed a few months ago to the post of second in command in the Mediter- ranean Squadron, and he is doubtless keeping a watchful eye over every detail which may tend to the efficiency of the Service for which he has done so much.
One of the principal subjects which has oc- cupied and still continues to occupy the serious attention of your Committee is the relative strength of the British Fleet in these waters, as compared with the Fleets of other Powers,
By our letter of the 30th March in this year we ventured to express our dissatisfaction upon the subject to the Head Office, but since then, it must be candidly and sorrowfully confessed that our relative strength has still further di- minished and we have recently pointed out strongly the unsatisfactory nature of the pre- sont postion.
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You will soo, from our report, that your Committee have also considered it their duty, in the absence of any Army League here, to call attention to certain defects in the Land Defences of this colony, and the arming of our forts and forces. Some steps have been taken and others are in progress, with a view to meet some of the deficiencies which we have pointed out, but much yet remains to be done.
It is obvious that, in time of war, the duty of our Fleet would be to seek out the enemy's Fleet and engage it, and it would very seriously hamper the freedom of action of our Fleet, if it wore felt that one or two fast hostile cruisers might possibly snatch possession of or very materially damage this important base for supplies and repairs.
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The object, in short, which your Committee have set before themselves is that not merely should our Fleet out here be kept up to a proper standard of strength as compared with the Fleets of other Powers, but also that this Colony should be put in such an adequate state of defence as to be able to hold out by itself against the attacks of a few fast hostile cruisers.
You may be glad to learn that the work which has been done by your Committee out here has met with the approval of the Com- mittee of the Navy, League in London. In a Circular Letter from our Head Office, which` reached me only a few days ago, the following paragraph occurs in connection with the work which has been done by the Hongkong Branch of the Navy League :-
Hongkong. Founded in October, 1895. This Branch has from its inception been one of the best managed and hardest working Branches of the League. Its financial condition is good, and its support of the Head Office has been both consistent and liberal. The information it has furnished to London has been of the great- est value, and it may well consider that it has been of assistance to the Imperial authorities by drawing attention to undesirable points con- nected with the defence of the colony."
Again let me say that we have no desire to be alarmists, but your Committee are anxions that the people at home-the people in whose hands the real power ultimately rests-the power of the vote and purse-should be able, through the agency of the Press, to discern matters clearly as they are,-instead of being permitted to in- dulge in a dreamy optimism.
At the dinner which we gave to him here, Lord Charles Beresford observed, "The first essential is to have command of the sea." Can we truthfully say that we have got that sential" out in the Far East at the present moment! Obviously, I think, we cannot.
The Navy League is not a jingo body and its watchword is Defence not "Defiance," but we certainly do think, and we have so informed our Head Office, that in view of our prepon dorating mercantile interests in China, it is most regrettable that we are not able to assume a more imposing naval position in the Far East at the present time. If a sufficient num- ber of battleships cannot be spared from Home waters to enable us to assume a more com manding naval position in the Far East, then it is abundantly clear that a new Naval Defence
Captain ANDERSON said—Mr. President and Act should be passed at once in order that the Gentlemen, in rising to second the adoption deficiency may be promptly remedied and also
of the report I am quite sure that I voice the ensure the that steps should be taken to
views of all the other members of the committee more speedy construction of our warships, in acknowledging the very great assistanos and In the October number of the National
benefit which we have derived from our worthy Review, Mr. McHardy pointed out that treasurer and secretary, Mr. H. E. Pollock. I whereas our proportion of modern battleships think we have been exceptionally fortunate in har built and building in 1889 was 53 against 37 ing had him to guide us for the last two years. He battleships belonging to France and Russis
has consistently maintained the weather-guage. combined, our proportion of modern battleships There seems to be a considerable amount of built and building in 1900 is only 51 as against uncertainty in the public mind at present in the 50 battleships of the other two allied regard to the state of the Navy, and it seems Powers. In protected cruisers too, as he points to me that people want re-assuring. I think it out, our ratio to that of the two Powers in will be found that the steps taken by our worthy question has fallen from a ratio of 5 to 1 to s ratio of 23 to 10. The Navy League has chairman will tend very much to that end. I have pleasure in seconding the report. (Applause). recently been described, in a leading article in the Times, as "hysterical," but surely the present position of our comparative naval strength ought to give rise to reflections of the most serious character in the minds of all those who are concerned for the honour and prestige of their country. In view of the fact that the consequence of defeat at ses would be disastrous to the Empire, it is difficult to speak | calmly in face of so serious a decline in our | comparative naval strength.
One can imagine nothing more dangerous to a nation than a state of false security, or fancied superiority over others.
The question is sometimes asked: “What is the use of this branch of the Navy League? What good does it do ?"
Let it be our proud privilege to be able to answer that it is an organisation for teaching the electors of Great Britain the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, about our comparative naval strength out here, and about the needs of this colony in the matter of defence.
If no one has any question to ask with re- ference to the report and accounts (which have
{ already been published) I beg to move that they be adopted.
The CHAIRMAN-I am very much obliged to Captain Anderson for the kind words he kne used concerning me. Will those in favour of the reports, and accounts passing kindly hold up their hands?
The motion was carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN-I think the only business is the election of a committes. Por haps some gentleman will kindly propose the election of a commities.