378
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
AFFAIRS IN THE PHILIPPINES. may also be added that insurrection is more
COLUMN,
[November 9, 1901.
our opponents is made plain. The moment appears to have been carefully chosen, and the initial success and ultimate repulse of the enemy show that Colonel BENSON was taken by surprise. Fuller details of this affair will be most eagerly awaited. So far we have just enough to arouse anxiety, though the final success of the defending force is welcome news.
[We are glad to be able to state that Sir Thomas Jackson received a telegram from Lon- don on the 4th inst. containing the intelligence that his son, Lieutenant Jackson, 1st King's the late Colonel Benson, was quite safe, not even? Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), A.D.C. to having been wounded in the attack on Colonel Benson's column.]
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
SHANGHAI, 3rd November, 6.30 p.m. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers' barracks and Messrs. Droste and Batouieff's premises were totally burnt down on Friday night. Two of the Fusiliers were burnt to death. By the united efforts of the military and civilians of all nations the fire was prevented from spreading. If the day had been windy half Tientsin would have been destroyed. The loss is at least 1,500,000 taels,
On the same night the British barracks at Sinho suffered considerable damage. People at Tientsin recall the fires previous to the last outbreak in the North.
Enquiry at Headquarter House on Sunday elicited the additional fact that the two un- fortunate Fusiliers who lost their lives were Privates Robert Jones and Henry Dunbar. The military telegram gave no further details. Our evening contemporary the Hongkong Telegraph published as an Extra on Sunday morning a telegram giving most of the facts stated in our correspondent's despatch and further adding that small fires occurred at the same time in the British and German Settlements at Tient- sin-ED, D.P.]
or less hereditary with a great mass of the Filipinos. The States undertook a very (Daily Press, 8th November.)
difficult task when they decided to take over A curious story reaches us through the the Philippines. We have always expressed papers brought by the last mail from home, the opinion that it is a task within their to the effect that there has been a suggestion power, if they can train up their colonial made in the United States that the Philip-administrators on the right lines. Recent pines should be renamed "The McKinley events do not tend at all to spve th dirois. Archipelago," with the names of subordinate The time probably was not quite ripe for officials for individual islands. Influential establishing civil rule so widely as was done, supporters of this idea think it Mr. and for this error the authorities are now MCKINLEY'S best memorial, but as the suffering. Yet the lesson is not likely to suggestion came out simultaneously with be lost. Time and a comparative study of news of the surprise of United States troops Colonial methods alone can give the civil in Samar, the proposal was not very favour officials the requisite training for their ably received. It must be adinitted that, posts; and early mistakes, caused perhaps were the renaming of the Islands in itself by a desire to arrive by intuition at the desirable, which we do not think, the pre- proper method of government, should have THE CRISIS: TELEGRAMS, sent is hardly a suitable time. The insur the effect of steadying the would-be ad- recto movement appears suddenly to have ministrators. Not too much weight must be broken out with a fresh display of vigour, attached to the reports of discouragement and the indications rather point to its and dissatisfaction in the United States spreading than dying away rapidly. There over the comparative ill-success so far in can be no doubt, of course, of the ultimate the Philippines. There was bound to be success of the United States, but it is such feeling excited as news of reverses manifest that the assumption that the arrived, but it is not credible that it can Filipinos are conquered yet is at least as effect the policy of the rulers of the country premature as American and other critics are
in the slightest. Those rulers would not be fond of reminding Great Britain the an- worthy of trust if it did. A speedy solution nouncement of the virtual completion of the of the Philippine problem is not reasonably South African War was. It must be ad- to be looked for, but that the United States mitted to the credit of the United States will ultimately solve the problem it would authorities in the Philippines that they are bel equally unreasonable to doubt. showing no lack of vigour and foresight in face of the fresh disturbances, and though they avoid all appearance of panic they are THE ATTACK ON COL. BENSON'S preparing for all eventualities. Herein they show their wisdom. When Samar was the scene of the recent treacherous massacre of
(Daily Press, 4th November.) a party of the 9th U.S. Infantry, it was
The surprising vitality of the Boer fighting recollected that the island was always organisation is again manifested in the news notorious and that the Spanish sovereignty received on Saturday of the attack upon over it was practically non-existent. But Colonel BENSON'S column at a point between Cebu is also in a state of war, and Leyte, Bethel and Balmoral, in the South-Eastern according to recent despatches, is following Transvaal. According to the details at pre- in its neighbours' steps to such an extent sent to hand, a 'force of about a thousand that it is thought that the new civil govern. Boers, taking advantage of a thick mist, ment will have to be suspended and martial made a severe assault on the rearguard law reintroduced. The pronouncements of of a British column which was presumably General MIGUEL MALVAR, perhaps, need
on the march. Two guns were captured by not excite much uneasiness in the minds of the enemy, but REUTER's telegram curiously the United States authorities. The latest adds that it is assumed" they were after- Filipino Captain-General may organise his wards recovered. The violent nature of the army in Luzon, but he must have attack can be gathered from the fact that something more than paper organisations the British lost in killed nine officers and to show before he is treated seriously. fifty-four men, and in wounded thirteen LUKBAN in Samar, on the other hand, is officers and one hundred and sixty men. we had almost said, a more tangible foe, The enemy is stated to have lost heavily, but as a matter of fact the United States but no reliable estimate is obtainable yet. troops cannot get in touch with him; at Among the British killed was Colonel any rate there is no doubt he is an active BENSON himself. Colonel FREDERICK WIL-it. and dangerous enemy. A policy of no
LIAM BENSON joined the Army in 1867, rose quarter" is as necessary against him as to the rank of Lieutenant in 1870, Captain it was against Commandant LOTTER in in 1880, Major in 1886, Lieutenant-Colonel South Africa, though LUKBAN seems in 1893, and Colonel on the 1st June, 1898. the more gentlemanly scoundrel of the On the 20th February last year he was two. Such men
as he
Can have no appointed Assistant Adjutant-General/to place in the Philippines of the future. the South Africa Field Force. A long and Many insurrectos of very doubtful antece- honourable career, therefore, has closed in dents have been pardoned and even given this desperate encounter. No particulars office under American rule, but there must us to his subordinates are yet made be a limit to this generosity. Nominal public; but as it is known that Sir friends, who are ready to become enemies THOMAS JACKSON'S son was with Colonel again when they get the chance, are undesir- BENSON, all Hongkong will share the able in the Archipelago, in South Africa, anxiety of the much respected Manager and everywhere else, and the sternest mea- here of the Hongkong and Shang- sures against auch people are perfectly hai Banking Corporation until news is justifiable,
received of his son's safety. As the Boers were ultimately compelled to draw off to the eastward, a grave disaster seems to ehav been averted by the determination of the British troops. The presence of a strong force of Boers within some seventy miles of Pretoria, able to deliver so vigorous an at- tack on a British column, is not reassuring, and once more the astounding mobility of
""
The reasons for the wide-spread recrudes- cence of insurrection in the Philippines are generally given as overconfidence on the part of the Americans, leading them to abandon military government too soon in favour of civil rule, and the want of train- ing on the part of the new United States officials in dealing with the natives. It
1
SHANGHAI, 6th November, 6.30 p.m. Prince Chun landed in Shanghai to-day in excellent health and spirits, and proceeded to the Taotai's foreign house opposite the Country Club. His carriage was escorted through the Settlement by mounted Sikh police. There was no foreign demonstra- tion, but the Chinese houses were decorated with flags and lanterns.
The Prince states that he thoroughly en- joyed the whole trip and learned much from He deeply regrets that he was unable to visit England. He hopes for more suc- cess hereafter.
Prince Chun 'will remain here for fcur days, and will attend the Races.
SHANGHAI, 7th November, 11.5 p.m. Li Hung-chang is dead. Owing to this, Prince Ching has been recalled to Peking and returns to-morrow.
Li's death will probably seriously embarrass the Legations at the present junction. There is no other prominent Chinese statesman who understands foreign affairs.
A secret despatch passed through Shang- hai to-day from the Chinese Minister at St. Petersburg warning the Empress Dowa- ger that Russia fully intends to retain Manchuria if the Convention is denounced. Russia exacts other terms which gravely menace China's independence. Li died while the Convention was still unsigned,
The Imperial Court arrives at Kaifeng-fu on the 14th inst. The Palace at Hsianfu has been ordered to be kept intact.