centimes per ton per kilomètre-a necessary allowance, the writer says, in view of the nu- merous British competing routes with con- stantly diminishing tariffs-we get the net annual receipt of 1,500,000 francs. Against this must be put the expenses of exploitation, which may be reckoned at three-fifths of the receipts, and numerous minor expenses, all of which the writer puts at 900,000 francs, leaving a net profit of 600,000 francs. It will take several years before this sum can be exceeded, and it is unnecessary to insist that these 600,000 francs will not satisfy the demands of guaranteed interest, etc. A reserve fund to meet the deficit is immediately necessary. This can only be raised out of the surplus receipts of the colony. The Vietri-Laokay railway will, for many years at least, only be fed by the line from Yunnan, while the lines from Mytho to Vinh-long, from Hanoi to Lang son, and others can only just be self-support- ing for some time. Consequently, on account of the Indo-Chinese railways, which are the property of the colony itself, and the Yunnan railway, which is guaranteed by the colony, Indo-China must. find the interest due to the shareholders. When the lines are completed, four or five million francs a year will thus be called for, which will make a heavy drain on the expenses of Indo-China. To meet this, says the French writer, a heavy increase must be made in taxation, which will arouse discontent among the inhabitants. Would it not be better therefore, he asks, to increase taxes gradually in advance and create a reserve fund to meet the calls made by those entitled to interest, during the construction of the lines. Then, when an important traffic shall have sprung up through the presence of the railways, it will be possible to remove the heavy charges, which will no longer have a reason for existence.
Our French contemporary to whom the correspondent above mentioned addressed his remarks, asks the question whether, in view of the weighty imposition on Indo- China by this railway enterprise, the scheme is a mistake, and answers decidedly, No. The English in Burma, it continues, have not waited so long, and they are assuredly practical people. Yunnan is eminently a country worth striving for; and by the construction of the French railroad Yunnan "will be for ever closed to British influence which is striving to get in by Upper Burma."
There has never been any concealment, on the part of the French, that their main object in pressing on over the Yunnan border is to prevent the British from getting any foothold in the province. Hence we need not feel surprise at the frank unfriendliness of the language used. It looks as if the only inducement which can reconcile M. DOUMER'S opponents to bis schemes of expansion is the thought that by consenting to them they are at least striking a blow at Great Britain. The amiability of such a line of conduct we need not discuss, nor could it have any bearing on the question, were it not that the British Government is less than indifferent, to all appearances, to the efforts of its country- men to tap the resources of Southern China from the side of Burma and India. Our French critics talk admiringly of British practicality. We are compelled to recognise thut this is only true of individuals. As far as the respective Governments are con- cerned, the advantage rests with the French. There are many points in our favour, chiefly arising from the aversion of French traders to leave France and the protective policy which cripples French colonial industry, But if the support of the British Govern. ment be waited for, it still seems as if
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS 'AND
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PRINCE CHUN'S VISIT TO
HONGKONG.
[July 29, 1901.
France would win the race for predominance | China was on a visit to this Colony. The in Yunnan; and that means, as the French purely private character of the proceedings bluntly declare, the total exclusion of British was plainly visible. Apart from the trade.
lautern decorations on the front of the Imperial Bank of China, there was nothing either on the Praya or in Queen's Road Central to indicate that anything out of the common was expected. Chinese sightseers, it is true, were collected in small crowds at various points from an early hour, but no excitement whatever on the part of the European residents, was to be noted. The circumstances of His Imperial Highness's visit are of course responsible for this state of affairs. It would not only be unsuitable, but a positive affront to our German friends, had any demonstation been made yesterday, and the informal nature of the ceremonies - was exactly what propriety demanded. The visit of H.E. the Governor to the Bayern and the call of the Prince and his suite at Government House were pre-eminently quiet events, and the courtesies were such only as were demanded by the occasion. The Prince himself created an excellent impression. His manners were such as we had been led to expect, and his affability was marked. His visit to Hong- kong cannot but be productive of an improvement of the feeling toward the present ruling family in China.
(Daily Press, 25th July.) Prince CHUN, who will land this morning in Hongkong from the German muil steamer | Bayern, will not, in the circumstances of his present mission, be received with the honours which would otherwise be called for by his eminent rank. As was felt in Shanghai, until the mission of apology to Germany for the murder of Baron VON KETTELEE has been carried out, any public demonstration would be unsuitable. More over, even were this not so, the brief stay of the Bayern in our harbour would render any festivities on a large scale impossible. It is probable that the Prince after his formal call at Government House will be enter- tained at a luncheon there, but whether he will make any other calls cannot yet be said. We learn that the Chinese Club pro- pose to invite His Imperial Highness to a tea in his honour on their premises, but it is not known of course whether he will be able to accept the invitation. Certain Chinese deputations will call on Prince CHUN on board the Bayern ns early as possible, and among these will be a party from Canton, representing the leading officials there, a number of leading Chinese from Hongkong of "mandarin" rank, and a deputation from the Imperial Maritime Customs. Apart from these courtesies, it is not probable that the ordinary course of events will be disturbed. The Chinese, we believe, will not attempt anything in the way of decoration, and the Prince will not have an extra ordinary guard of honour, What would in ordinary circumstances be the occasion for a great display of international courtesy must, owing to the motives of the Prince's journey to Berlin, be observed in very sober fashion. When the mission has been accomplished, matters will be different, and, as we already know, Prince CRUN is likely to visit the principal European countries before his return home. On the latter part of his journey he will no doubt meet with a more adequate reception. Report speaks well of the Prince. In appearance he is said to be very like his brother the Emperor KWANG Hsu, but he is somewhat taller and darker. In our Shanghai contemporary, the North-China Daily News, he is thus described
as
G
44
If
he landed in Shanghai:-"He was certainly a prepossessing figure. First, he is young--just out of his teens-a clean-run, wholesome-looking youth. "anything he is slightly under the average height, but apparently well-knit, bolding himself well, and looking honestly and straight. He has a ready and attractive "smile, and when later in the day he received callers, he impressed everyone "with a very engaging manner and a very evident desire to please." As wil be remembered, Prince CHUN bas been mentioned as a probable successor to his brother's throne; but from a Chinese point of view this would not be regarded as acceptable. Nevertheless he ranks, of course, very high among princes of the blood, and at any other time his visit to Hongkong would be an event of no little importance.
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(Daily Press, 26th July.) Prince Caux's reception in Hongkong yesterday was, as we had anticipated, a very sober affair, and there was little to indicate that a brother of the reigning Emperor of
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Having said so much, we cannot refrain from commenting on the inadequacy of the police preparations, which converted what would otherwise have been a decorous pro- ceeding into a scene of which we cannot feel proud. In other respects the arrangements for the Prince's reception were well studied, but we do not think that the fact of the too early landing of the Imperial party exoner- ates the police from blame for their deficien- cies. It is certain that, had the military authorities been in charge of the duty of escorting the Prince to Government House, the guard of honour would have been in attendance more than half-an-hour before the time fixed for landing. As matters turned out, the police escort was not visible until at an absurdly late hour in the pro- ceedings, and our visitors had to force their way through a gaping and unmannerly crowd up to Government House. By this conduct the wishes of H.E. the Governor, we feel sure, were absolutely frustrated, and most certainly the Colony has, against its desire, been made to appear lacking in courtesy. Such an accident as marred yesterday proceedings is not easily excusable, and it is due both to the inhabitants of Hongkong and to His Majesty's represen- tative here to say so.
THE SHANGHAI GARRISON.
(Daily Press, 27th July.) The assertion of Lord Cranborne, as reported in REUTER's telegram, with regard to the retention of foreign troops in Shang- hai, seems partly superfluous and partly of that soothing nature which is ministerially supposed to make statements reassuring to the home public. There is of course no alienation of Chinese territory involved in a temporary stoppage of a few European contingents in the foreign Settlements at Shanghai. If and when these troops are withdrawn the status of the Settlements will be as before, with their boundaries, presum- ably no larger than now. Leaving out the question of the necessity of this retention of troops, we do not suppose than any clear- headed man considers it to be part of a scheme of land-conquest from China. Again, Lord Cranborne is alleged to have asserted that the presence of these troops does not "constitute any infringement of