April 18, 1901.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
INDEMNITY AND COMMERCIAL | in the home papers which have just reached
CONCESSIONS.
|
299
in 1900, 93 entries and 102,997 tons, Portugal did not figure in 1890, but in 1900 claimed 306 entries and 23,994 tous. These were the chief figures of foreign nations, Chinese entries in 1890 were 882, with 205,667 tonnage; in 1900 entries were 1,485, with 223,255 tonnage.
find that entries under the British flag in- Turning now to the Coastwise Trade, we crensed during the decade from 6,632 to 8,080, while tonnage increased from 6,025,347 to 8,303,836.
from 677 to 1,334, and tonnage from German entries increased 410,940 to 1,881,467.; American entries from 58 to 584 and tonnage from 19,063 to 103,340; Japanese entries from 46 to 1,712, and tonnage from 33,225 to 1,165,879; French entries from 24 to 115, and tonnage from 4,560 to 50,923; Swedish and Nor- wegian entries from 12 to 69, and tonnage from 5,696 to 61,331. Danish entries de clined from 45 to 22, but tonnage increased from 19,362 to 20,005. mounted from 4,689 to 15,331, and tonnage ·
Chinese entries
from 2,944,033 to 3,674,917. `
us that it was to be suggested to the British Government by some of the Members of Parliament who are specially interested in China that a portion of the indemnity should be waived on condition that the Viceroys who have assisted in maintaining order shall be continued in office, and allowed to carry out the reforms desired by the Powers in their respective provinces. This stipulation, however, should surely be made without any reference to the indemnity question; it is essential to the carrying out of the peace conditions. But Mr. HAY'S proposal is far more to the point. What the Western Powers have been striving for in Chia so long, and comparatively with so little success, is the opening up of the country to commerce. The rulers of China in the past have willingly parted with their subjects' money rather than yield any real commercial concessions, and what they have been compelled to graut have been largely nullified by the action of the local officials. It is far better at the pr. sent moment, when we have the power, to secure the possibility of fair commerical intercourse with China than to exact enormous sums of money. In the long run the policy will be far more lucrative both to the Powers and to China, and as the former claim to be animated now by no vindictive feelings this should commend it to them. There can be no Great Britain. doubt that Mr. Hay's proposal should Japan secure the support of all foreign residents Germany in China, and they have a very strong claim to be heard in the matter.
IN CHINA.
(Daily Press, 11th April.)
+ }
If we add now the increases of both entries and tonnage under the two headings to- gether, we get the following figures for the principal nations, which may conveniently be put in tabular form:-
Increase
in Entries. In Tonnage.
3,947
3,486,305
2,150
1,687,872
697
1,345,700
United States France Russia China
575
198,074
404
212,423
195
101,860
12,848
698,472
These figures, even if we must not build upon them too much, at least bear out the contention that our commercial rivals are exerting themselves to the utmost to reduce pared with the total bulk of the trades of our long lead, and if the increases be com-
each nation, it will be seen that their efforts are telling very strongly.
(Daily Press, 12th April.) The indemnity which the Powers will demand from China on account of the out- rages against the lives and property of foreigners last year has been fixed, as will be seen from our correspondent's statement of Mr. ROCKHILL's report to Washington, at the sum of five hundred million dollars-a | claim which certainly does not err on the side of undue moderation. From the pre- vious attitude of the United States in the matter of the indemnity, no surprise will be felt that their representative has been in structed to offer strenuous opposition to the demands of certain Powers, or that Mr. HAY has suggested a reduction of the claim by one half, in return for which additional commercial concessions shall be asked from China. As we do not yet know which are the Powers whose demands Mr. ROCKHILL is instructed to oppose, we cannot judge of what nature are their claims or on what grounds the States disapprove of them. A very large item in the bill of costs must necessarily be the military and naval expen- ditures of the expeditionary Powers, and this item China can be fairly called upon to meet. Nevertheless, as great advantages are expected to accrue to the foreign nations from the reform of China consequent on the overthrow of the reactionaries by the expedition, these have to be set to the credit side of China. Then there is the question of indemnity for actual loss of life and pro- perty, and here it is the Powers chiefly interested iu missionary propaganda that have the largest claims, that is, France, Ger- A DECADE OF FOREIGN TRADE many, Great Britain, and the United States themselves. The missionary question has been discussed in the China and home Press In the Imperial Maritime Customs report of late abundantly, perhaps almost ad nau- on the Trade of China in 1900 Mr. F. E. seam. Nevertheless the discussion will have TAYLOR gives some interesting figures of been useful if it has contributed to a more the entries at the Treaty ports, with ton- sensible manner of looking at the question. nage, of vessels under the various flags en- Reasonable compensation for destruction of gaged in foreign and coastwise trade in property should meet with no opposition. China, in the years 1890 and 1900 respec- But all fair-minded men have recognised tively. Owing to the disturbed condition of the justice of the protest against blood- North China last year it cannot be said that money exacted from the natives in return the figures enable us to see at a glance the for the death of a missionary. Germany progress made by each nation during the
(Daily Press, 8th April.) That Englishmen should feel any sympathy may have been warranted in asking China decade, but nevertheless some indication is in the "Tariff War," as it is described, for a foothold on the coast of Shantung, given of the changes which have occurred being carried on between the United States but that the murder of a Christian preacher in the period. Making due allowance for and Russia, is of course quite out of the should have been the pretext for the exac the upset of trade in the North and the question. But Russia and the United States tion of the privilege was a disgrace. Cases want of confidence engendered in the Yang-are, according to the English tradition, almost as bad, where the martyrdom of a taze region and South China, we can still the two greatest offenders against economic missionary has resulted in a large profit-form some idea of the comparative advance laws, and it is therefore interesting to note not to his family, but-to his Society or his
the steps in the pres. nt controversy. The country, can be supplied readily from the
United States have made no secret of recent history of the intercourse between
their intention in their present Tariff-that Europe and China. No more vicious prin-
under it the world was to be forced to go to ciple has ever been upheld by Western arms
America for all its manufacturing needs, in China that this, that the life of a foreign
while on the other hand America was to preacher can and must be paid for in money
permit no article manufactured abroad to or land for his country's benefit. It is this
enter her ports. The States, in fact, deliber- principle which we hope to see abandoned
ately placed themselves in a position of now, and it is a hopeful sign that the United
hostility towards the rest of the world. States and a portion at least of Great
That under the circumstances the other na- Britain have seen the error of the old way.
tions should complain was but natural, and Possibly the position of missionaries in
doubtless the fact would have led to serious China may remain unaltered at the con-
friction before this, but that the c continental clusion of the new Treaty. Sir ERNEST
Powers felt that they in turn were not SATOW and Mr. CONGER stated recently
blameless, as they had themselves been en- that they did not think it advisable to
gaged in the same game of "beggar discuss with the Chinese authorities re-
neighbour"; and to openly object was only gulations for controlling missionaries. But
to expose themselves to recriminations which at least it is to be trusted that we shall hear
could not be glossed over nor denied. Like no more of the system which made the mur-
HUDIBRAS, however, the States are not in- der of a missionary valuable to his country.
disposed to Mr. HAY's suggestion that the Powers should reduce their claim fifty per cent., in return for additional commercial conces sions, is an eminently reasonable one, which we shall hope to see adopted. It is stated
་
of various nationalities. We therefore give the figures below for what they are worth.
Great Britain, which in 1890 claimed 1,836 entries for vessels engaged in Foreign Trade in China, in 1900 could show 3,335 entries. The tonnage increase was from 2,031,608 tons to 3,289,924 tons, a little over 60 per cent, increase. Germany, which stood second in 1890 with 393 entries only increased this figure to 433 in 1900, but the tonnage increased from 262,480 tons to 637,653 tons. Japan, third among the for- eign nations in 1890 with 267 entries, in- creased her entries in 1900 to 751, while her tonnage increased from 219,263 to 774,481 tons, thus easily taking second place. France, who in 1890 showed 63 entries and 114,479 tous, in 1900 showed 376 entries and 280,539 tous. Dauish entries in 1890 stood at 101, with tonnage at 39,235; in 1900 the figures had dropped to 2 entries, with a tonnage of 4,140, Russia in 1890 claimed 21 entries and 80,182 tons; in 1900, 57 entries and 68,974 tons. America, in 1890, 20 entries and 21,749 tons; in 1900, 69 entries and 130,546 tons. Sweden and Norway, in 1890, 12 entries and 6,384 tons;
|
THE RUSSO-AMERICAN TARIFF WAR.
my
Compound for sius they are inclined to By damning those they have no mind to, and so export bounties come in sa the en- pecial sin needing above all others righteous abnegation on their part. Now it so hap-