November 9, 1901.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. |
with which Dr. Cantlie deals in his comprehen- two islands has been cut off. Orders of warning | sive article. He writes informatively of the have been issued and any boats oruising around Colony's trade, its docks and banks, its mer-will have a sorry end to their voyage if they chants and manufactories, public buildings and encounter any gunboats, as the armed vessels in institutions, its climate and its defences. It is these waters have orders to blow them out of only in the nature of things that he should the water without asking any questions. Gen- conclude by taking a peep into the future. Dr. eral Smith is determined that there shall be a Cantlie, it may be mentioned, foretold the an- complete and effectual blockade of Samar and nexation of the Kowloon Hinterland and the a cessation of the furnishing of supplies to seizure of a northern base in China. The Lakban's forces over there. immediate future of China, he says, is of great importance to the welfare of Britain.
"The British sphere of action must be defined, and not only defined but pegged out and defended. The region of China lying between the Yangtsze valley to the north and the Pearl (Canton) river to the south must be guarded, from the sea to the confines of Burma and Tibet, if Britain is to claim her fair share of influence and trade in China. There must be no delay in the declaration of this policy.' The French from the south and the Russians from the north will attempt, not openly but stealthily, to straddle' the Yangtsze and join hands to bar the British advance from Burma; and Hankow or Ichang will become the future
· Fashoda' of China.”
LUKBAN'S POSITION.
A Catbalogan, Samar, despatch of the same date says:--
con.
Some complications have arisen in regard to the efforts of the friends of Lukban to bring about his surrender, Francisco Yuaji de Jesus and Andres Reyes, the former Lukban's Com- missary General up to the time of his capture in Biliran Island a fortnight ago, the latter a resident of Catbalogan and head of the insur- recto civil government, have been working industriously to reach Lukban during the last three or four days, but he is a hard man to find, as he is so closely pressed by the American troops. Besides this there are two American deserters in his camp who exercise a siderable influence. These two deserters, The recent seizures by Britain and Germany according to Lukban's wife and relatives in have no doubt taught the Russians a lesson, Calbayog, have forbidden Lukban to surrender. continues Dr. Cantlie, and henceforth the They assert that the Filipino leader is ready Russian advance will be more stealthy still until and anxious to surrender, but is stayed by this the time comes for the great coup d'état, influence. The statement may be worth little namely, the disbandment of the Imperial Mari- or nothing, as with any force at all at his time Customs Service of China. The more command Lukban ought to be able to rid distant future depends upon whether the himself of the deserters, even though one of Russian can amalgamate with his fellow-them stands guard night and day to prevent Mongolian the Chinaman. Assimilation, Dr. assassination, as in rumoured, Cantlie thinks, is impossible unless the China- Lukban last week attempted to escape from man can be persuaded to stop shaving his head Samar. was trying to steal and abandon his queue. That the Chinese are the north end of the Island, but was headed to be enslaved is not his belief; that they are to off in the vicinity of San Jose and forced conquered by the Russians seems to him an to again retreat inland. All but one source absurdity. "Were the Chinese but to listen to of supply has been shut off from him and their Japanese and British counsellors, and set this will be cut off in a day or two. His to work to train their soldiers, it is not China case is indeed hard and from present indica- that would be conquered but Russia, and the tions he should be forced into surrender at once. opinion of many men, who have seen the Chinese fight under European leaders, bears out the statement that the world might belong to the Chinese, did they bat know how to organise their latent strength."
THE WAR IN THE PHILIPPINES
LEYTE FOLLOWS SAMAR AND CEBU.
He
THE U. 8. POLICY,
across
Another letter from Catbalogan says :- General Hughes's policy of striking at the real seat of the power of the insurrecto more ment by arresting the so-called "amigos," presidentes, principales, priests and cabezas who have secretly nurtured the insurrectos while pretending loyalty, has thrown a large body of that sort of gentry into an hys- The Manila Times publishes the following tele; terical panic lest they might likewise be gram, daded Tacloban, Leyte, 28th October: seized, and the retaliation policy of campaigning From all signs the insurrectionary activities seems to be bringing forth satisfactory results. which mark the situation in Samar and Cebu There is some hope that widespread knowledge are about to spread into Leyte. A deep feel of the fact that this course will be pursued of unrest prevails and there are very grave wherever the many-headed insurrecto move. apprehensions of uprisings, especially in some ment raises itself upright, whether disguised of the coast towns toward the Samar shore, under the
name "Katipunan,"—"Reunion into which it seems to be pretty well estab Revolucionaria,”- "Partido Federal," that is lished fact that insurrectos have fed from the what it called itself here, will result in caus- American forces in Samar who are pushing ing those leaders of a carabao sort of in- Lukban's command so fiercely. These refugees tellect to stop a moment before running amuck. are at work fomenting trouble. On account Even a carabao shuns fire. So the present of this deep apprehension, all the American tactics may be set down as less harsh than they women have been directed to withdraw to places of safety, and their tears and scepticism of danger will not avail to secure their remaining here. General Smith has their safety at heart. No one will be surprised if Leyte Island again reverts to the military government and the temporary retirement of the civil authorities in to the background should occur. Even those who most dislike martial law are willing to con- cede that there is only a very thin barrier to prevent the revolt in Samar spreading over here, and that the crushing of the insurrecto spirit there is difficult, while the sympathisers continue to support them from this place.
seem, if not counted actually beneficent, when the restraining influence they will exert in the future is taken into the reckoning.
While the Americans are indifferent as to whether the Island has to be devastated in order to impress upon the Filipino the fact that insurrection has to be crushed at any cost and while General Smith is intent upon a severe policy, the word being: "No quarter for Lukban ". No surrender accepted" Shoot, but never capture '-some friends of Lukban desire to bring about his surrender, in order to save themselves and put an end to the warfare. They have received but scant encouragement to There was to have been a convocation of the believe that if they are successful in "locating" presidentes of this and the Biliran Islands, but Lukban,-not one of them but can communicate this has been knocked in the head by the arrest with him between two suurises, if they choose, of the Biliran Island Presidentes, every one of he will be permitted to present himself to the whom was found to be collecting imposts on senior officer of the Department, General abaca and other taxes for the insurrecto govern- Hughes. Francisco Ynaji de Jesus, who is ment of Lukban. This fact is known to all the perhaps Lukban's most intimate and confidential people. Those who de know and sympathize friend, is making an effort in this direction, with them, of whom many have taken oath of and so also other Filipinos almost as powerful allegiance, only to violate it in the manner and influential in the insurrection as he, includ- indicated, are angry at the blow at the insuring Andres Reyes, the Civil Presidente of the rectionary movement and are fomenting strife. Revolutionary Government in the Island. So serious to the troops has been the aid What they may succeed in doing, and what the furnished the insurrectos in Samar, by those in result of their efforts will be, remains for the Leyte, that all traffic and travel between the future to reveal.
1
1
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE IN HONGKONG.
[Contributed.]
881
It is a notable fact that of all the commercial centres in the Far East, Hongkong is the one where business men work hardest and with less respite in the matter of holidays. In former times this hardship was less severe; it was not aggravated by other hardships as it is nowa. days. While the pressure of business is now greater than ever, the cost of living has more than doubled, without a proportionate increase in pay generally. It remains to be seen how much longer this strain may be undergone without manifest signs of the physical break- down it entails, specially in the case of bread- winners occupying subordinate and less re- munerative positions.
Let us take for instance the hardships of a junior clerk. His meagre salary, based on the requirements of former times, is inadequate to make ends meet under the altered state of things. His thriving employer, in response to an appeal or to several appeals, condescends to palliate the grievance with a paltry, insuffi. cient increase. To satisfy the extortionate demand of his landlord, the nonplussed clerk then looks for extra work, and if he gets it, sacrifices much needed rest after a day's hard work. This, however, does not settle his diffi- culties.
The constant rise in the market prices now renders his case that of double work and slow starvation. To avoid reduced rations, he lets part of the house he occupies, by no means large enough. Bat such sacrifices soon prove unavailing, for there is no end to the rise in rentals and market prices. Nor are these his only dilemmas. What with insanitary quarters and physical as well as moral sufferings, the unfortunate man finds it necessary to consult a doctor, who, without ascertaining his means, charges for an office consultation more than his daily earning. He can ill afford a generous diet, not to say a change of air, if recommended. And when death relieves him, in comes the preposterous demand of the undertaker; and even at the burial service may sometimes be noticed certain neglect, if not contempt, which Christ never sbowed towards the poor.
Such are the scenes in the life of many · a responsible man among the exploited class in Hongkong nowadays-scenes as unmitigated by the philanthropy of modern civilisation as as if in an uncivilised, barbarous land. To such exploited people, it is not only the question whether life is worth living. Even an iron constitution will not long withstand such trials. Already an abnormally increased death-rate from consumption points to the effects of over- crowding and privations, which, moreover, predispose the sufferers to fall victims to the annual visitation of plague. The evils do not end here. The younger generation, bred amidst such miseries, cannot but suffer. The influence of environment must tell at least on manners. The new generation cannot be en- dowed with the culture, the accomplishments of the older generation educated under happier circumstances. Overworked, underfed, and dis- tressed parents beget weaklings further im- paired by insanitary surroundings. the new generation will be an morally, socially, physically.
inferior
Thus
one
The struggle for existence i hard everywhere, it is true, but nowhere in the civilised world is it more cheerless and aggravated than here in this affluent British colony. Elsewhere, arbitrary capitalists are counterpoised by humanitarian principles much in evidence and earnestly at work, while labour leagues and the resources of an ever improving social organisa- tion often enable the working class to assert itself righteously. Elsewhere public welfare is the supreme law, jealously guarded by the people's representatives, and, if trifled with, promptly vindicated by the much respected voice of public opinion. Here, alas, even the Govern- ment seems powerless against the absolutism of landlords; seldom or never, except at the like- wise powerless Sanitary Board, is the voice of the people's representatives raised against this most oppressive absolutism and its manifold evils, perhaps because in some instances it must be the voice of self-accusation; and the exploited public either ignores its latent power or cowers