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January 19, 1901.]
murderer and his associates for punishment. I The actual criminal is the party behind the assassin and his accomplices who did their work so thoroughly last Thursday night, and for the honour alike of this Colony and of the British nation in general the guilt must be brought home to the right persons.
MYSTERIES IN NORTH CHINA.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. proposal seemed reasonable, and we cannot under the heading "Kaulung District "magine that England would have made Land Population." The third rule in Sir any objection, Count VON WALDERSEE being MICHAEL FOSTER'S memorandum advises the Allies' Generalissimo. The report as to preventing malarious persons from being handing the line over "to the Germans' bitten by mosquitoes. Among the Chinese can only be treated as a misconception. this is clearly a task absolutely beyond our But if the state of war is now at an end, control; among foreigners it can only be there is no reason why the Shanhaikan- done (and then only within the limits of Newchwang line should not revert to its own-human power) with the full co-operation of ers, who, moreover, seem to have a strong the sufferer, who must be taught that he is claim for compensation from the Russians, suffering from a dangerous malady which (Daily Press, 12th January.)
if, as is alleged, the plant and material has may endanger the life of his
tellows. The The news from Peking given in our Shang been completely removed during the Russian prevalence of the scourge in
past has, hai correspondent's telegram of the 10th occupation. The southern section of the it cannot be doubted, been largely due instant to the effect that the terms imposed railway can but remain in the hands of the to the unscientific neglect with which it by the Powers are still unsigned "owing to Allies until the Chinese Government is able has been treated. The absolute want of *"the second refusal of the Emperor to sanc- to take it over. The whole affair of the method of the past has now given place to “tion them," is more than a little mysteri- northern railways has been extremely un- a definite plan of campaign, from which the ous. When, it may be asked, was the first satisfactory to British pride, but it must be experts expect great results. As far as refusal of the Emperor made? As far as remembered that it was entirely due to the their schemes are practicable they are ad- the information which we possess goes, the supineness and indecision of the British mirable; but their application to existing Emperor has always expressed the greatest authorities that matters went as they did. conditions are, as has been seen, difficult anxiety for peace. As the New Year opened The Russians were ably advised and com- and in cases actually impossible as yet. we heard that he had issued a decree accept-manded, the British were not, and the The stamping out of the breeding-pools, ing the terms. Then it was stated from consequence was that Russia, with the which has long been advocated, is progress- London that an official 'message had been additional advantage of overwhelming ing as cultivation advances. The isolation received from the Chinese Government, numerical superiority, was able to do what of malarious persons, so as to avoid their accepting the terms of peace, but say we could not and would not. We trust contact with mosquitoes, can only be pos ing that an immediate compliance with that the railway question will soon be satis-sible by a far stricter treatment of the fever them was impossible; and, on the other factorily settled; but it will not be due to than has ever been accorded to it.
But as hand, that the representatives of the our naval and military authorities if it is. far as foreigners are concerned, it is within Powers had required the Imperial scal
our power to protect them more and more to be affixed to the document convey-
from danger as time goes on, if they will ing China's acceptance of the terms. Now
bestir themselves to aid in the task. we learn that the Emperor has for
form;
the second time refused to sanction the terms. We are at a loss to find the previous refusal. When the first draft was made of the demands which China was called on to meet, a protest was made against the clause asking for the execution of the principal offenders, as being, owing to the rank of some of them, against the law of China. There was, however, no refusal to sign the demands, as they had not been presented for signature then. Not indeed until the 24th December were they definitely laid before the Chinese representatives in their final and then they were accepted within a week. It is plain, therefore, that either we have an incomplete story of the course of events or else the Peking news is incorrect. It may be that the refusal of Count von WALDERSEE to put a stop to the expeditions of the Allies inland into Chibli and beyond have occasioned a difficulty, for the Chinese evidently regard these as of an hostile character, although the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces claims that they are only directed to the protection of life and property. Speculation, however, on this point is unprofitable, for our information is too scanty.
MALARIA PREVENTION,
(Daily Press, 15th January.)
荨
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·THE QUESTION OF CHINA'S REPARATION.
Sir MICHAEL FOSTER'S memorandum on malaria-prevention, issued with the approval of the President of the Royal Society and despatched by the Colonial Office at home to
(Daily Press, 18th January.) local authorities here, does not advocate any
Mr. JOSEPH WALTON, M.P., raised an in- measure which we have not had advocated teresting point when, in his amendment to by experts already. It merely recapitulates the address in the House of Commons last the familiar recommendations in brief form. mouth, he moved the addition of the words: Nevertheless they are recommendations "We further humbly submit that no de. which cannot be too often made so long as "mand should be made on the Chinese people persistently neglect them. Proven-"Government for the punishment of Chinese tion of malaria inay be secured, says the "officials which would not be equally im memorandum, by avoiding the bites of all" posed in the case of a European Power, mosquitoes, by avoiding sleeping or living" and also that reparation should be sought near native huts in regions favourable for in increased facilities to trade rather than malaria, and by preventing malarious per- by à money indemnity." The new Under- sons from being bitten.by mosquitoes; and Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Viscount also by diminishing the number of mosqui- CRANBORNE, to whom fell the lot of an- toes: Passing over the question whether swering Mr. WALTON, expressed the opinion malaria can be otherwise conveyed than by that this was asking too much. He con- the bite of the 'anopheles mosquito- a tinued:- "If the Chinese Government are question which will probably continue to
"to be treated like a European Power they agitate the minds of researchers for some
"must behave as a European Power. We time yet to come, although the great majo-
'know perfectly well that they have com- rity of medical men are now ranged on the "mitted the greatest outrage, and in a side of the theory which tends to attribute" manner which no European Power would malaria to the mosquito alone-we may
"think of for a moment. I refer to the fact note that the ability to obey these rules for "that they have absolutely ignored the A similar state of uncertainty prevails as the avoidance of malaria is very different in "sacred character of diplomatic envoys and to the progress of negotiations about the different cases. Every European, it is to be have, in a time of peace, allowed the Im- Shanhaikwan Railway. We are told to-day presumed, can live in rooms protected by
perial forces of the Chinese Government "to unite with rebels in order to bombard that a secret agreement is reported to have gauzes to the windows and doors, and cer- been discovered between Germany and fainly adequate mosquito-curtains under " the envoys of friendly Powers. That is Russia with regard to the railway. It seems which to sleep are within his reach. But he "not behaving like a European Power, and improbable that this is more than a report.cannot thereby absolutely "avoid all bites" it is quite impossible to treat a Government by mosquitoes "this is indeed a counsel “ which behaves like that upon the same of perfection. Also the sleeping or living "footing on which a European Power would near native huts in regions favourable, "naturally be treated. I think that the for malaria cannot be avoided by all. In European Powers are well advised to exact Hongkong this is possible, but in Kowloon
just and due reparation for the wrong and the New Territory it is obviously not so
which we have sustained. If the Chinese at present in all cases. The police are "Government expect to be treated in any practically compelled by the necessities of " other way they must behave differently, their work to remain in places where the. No one will dispute Lord CRANBORNE'S conditions are now as bad as they were once contention as to the advisability of exacting in Hongkong, when the island bore such an just and due reparation for the wrongs evil name for malarial fever. Time alone sustained, and in so doing the can alter the conditions of our possession will not be treating the Chinese Govern- on the mainland, as it has altered those on ment differently from any European Power the island. It is to be noted that of the under similar circumstances. But the fifty-one deaths due to malarial fever last mover of the amendment and his supporters month no less than seventeen (Chinese) coine were right when they advocated increased
At the beginning of the week we heard that Russia would hand over the line-that is, the Shanhaikwan-Newchwang section, fin- anced and built by British capital-to Mr. KINDER on Monday next, the 14th instant; while Berlin despatches are stated to tend to the confirmation of the report that Count VON WALDERSEE bas refused to accept Russia's proposal to hand over the railway before England has given her consent. The difficulty over the railway seems to us to have been made far too much of. When Russia disavowed any inten tion of using the line for her Own benefit and proposed to hand it over to Count VON WALDERSEE, as there was a state of war existing in North China, the
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the Allies