December 21, 1901.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
(Daily Press, 20th December.) The latest contribution to the now very extensive "literature" of the Russo-Chinese
499
terms only led to the presentation of others repeating substantially the same demands. The Manchurian Convention has been a
that she would be anxious to get rid of the THE MANCHURIAN CONVENTION. | several abandonments by that Power of her young man. In fact, we were definitely told that she was about to do so. It is therefore rather unexpected that she should now show reluctance and after the issue of the decree of disinheritance permit it to become a dead letter. The consent to the decapita-negotiations about Manchuria is a memorial tion of General TUNG FUHSIANG, it may be imagined, would not cause a great struggle in the first place, because he is much liscredited now, and secondly, because he is out of reach. The rumours of the great forces which TUNG and Prince TUAN were collecting to march on Peking and intercept the returning Court have entirely ceased to circulate, and it may be gathered that they were originally nothing more than rumours. TUNG has for many weeks sunk entirely out of notice. His capture, it is true, might be a matter of great difficulty, but the remnants of the reactionary party at the Imperial Court are hardly likely to make any efforts to save him from his well
deserved fate.
That the Empress Dowager should be unwilling to banish YUNG LU from the Court is easily to be understood. Recently he has been, to all appearance, the guiding spirit at Hsianfu and Kaifengfu, and has proved himself the strongest man among the surviving members of the Conservative party. What is not so easy to understand is the attitude said to have been taken up by YUNG LU himself. According to our Shanghai correspondent's telegram of the 13th inst., SHENG has received a despatch from him, in which YUNG Lu speaks of disregarding the personal danger to him
involved in the return of the Court at once
to Peking, on the ground that delay threatens the reigning dynasty. YUNG LU thus seems to be posing as a disinterested supporter of the Imperial family, ready to sacrifice his fortunes in its cause. This is a new role. We should not like to say it is a mere assumption, bat YUNG Lu's previous career does not exactly inspire confidence in his protestations.
Prince CHING in his fourth suggestion urged the abolition of the Empress Dowager's so-called regency. A few months ago this would have been a very bold proposal as coming from a Chinese not identified with the Reform party. Even now it may be imagined that Sir ERNEST Sarow and his American colleague exercised a good deal of persuasion on the Prince before he consented to put forward what the Dowager must consider so crude a suggestion. The termination of the Em- press Dowager's usurped reign is bound to come, and to come soon, but it is not astonishing that she should "absolutely reject" the idea even yet. It is said that Viceroy YUAN SHIKAI has been instructed to learn the opinions of the foreign repre- sentatives on the answer of the Empress Dowager to Prince CHING's proposals and to report to the Throne. The Peking correspondent of the Daily News added, in the telegram referred to above:- Although the date for the departure of the Court for Peking has been fixed by Imperial decree for the 14th instant, whether there is to be any further change of date will depend on Viceroy YUAN's report." The telegram which appears in to-day's issue sets at rest the question of the Court's start from Kaifeng. According to this, the appointed date, the 14th instant, saw the Imperial departure on the way to Peking. We are still, however, in the dark as to the final answer to Prince CHING's proposals.
The German Emperor has conferred on Marquis Ito the Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle set with brilliants.
sent by Viceroy YUAN SHIKAI in reply to a command from the Empress Dowager to learn the opinions of the representatives of the Powers concerning the Convention which the late LI HUNG-CHANG had almost concluded with M. LESSAR at the time of his death, and to report the result of his investigations to her. Our contemporary the North China Daily News gives the following as the gist of Viceroy YUAN's reply to the Empress Dowager's command: tion with Russia concerning Manchuria are The consequences entailing upon a conven- fraught with serious danger to the Empire, Great Britain, the United States, Germany, as they affect not Russia alone, but also and Japan to a very great degree. If this the other Powers and merely tries to meet Government then ignores the interests of the wishes of a single Power like Russia, the former will naturally imitate her example and how will China then be able possibly to satisfy the inordinate demands of the others in the future? My humble opinion, then, is that the other Powers shall be secretly consulted and a refusal be sent Russia. Backed as ve will then be by the moral support of the other Powers, it may be, perhaps, that Russia will not dare to act contrary to the wishes of the majority and will not therefore try to obtain her conven- tion by force. China will not then incur the displeasure of the other friendly Powers, whilst, on the other hand, it will be of incalculable benefit to the Empire.
The Viceroy's diplomatic answer should serve its purpose. It has been obvious all through the Manchurian negotiations that the only way to appeal to the reactionary and pro-Russian party in the so-called Government of China was to play upon their fears of having to make fresh surren- ders to the Powers other than Russia. No
sentiment of care for the Empire seems ever to have restrained them from giving up to Russia the practically complete But that this control of Manchuria. sacrifice should be followed by similar con- cessions to other nations would not at all suit the reactionaries book. YUAN SHIKAI presents the case to the Empress Dowager in a fresh and forcible guise. An useful commentary on bis memorial is conveyed in REUTER'S telegram of the 16th instant, in which it is stated that "Japan has notified the Chinese Government that she will re- quire equivalents for all advantages given to Russia in Manchuria." Great Britain and the United States are also said, in conjunction with Japan, to be exerting strong pressure on China to secure the sub- mission to them of any treaty concerning Manchuria. What the nature of this pressure may be, it is not easy to guess. It is to be trusted that the threats in event of China's refusal are of a tangible nature. Nothing short of the most determined attitude can inspire the proper fear into the timeservers who are willing to continue the late LI HUNG-CHANG's policy of cringing to Russia. Were it not for the worthless-
veritable hydra, and China is no Hercules to strike off each head as it rises. It requires therefore that the "moral support which Britain, the States, and Japan are prepared to give to China in meeting the monster shall be of the strongest possible character. Naturally the diplomatists of the three countries will not reveil at the present moment the steps which they are taking to inspire China with the strength which she lacks herself to fight against aggression. We have to take on trust the statements that they are displaying vigour and exerting all legitimate pressure. In view of the lack of certainty with which we are bound to put up, the statement of Japan's notification to the Chinese Government is
welcome.
CUSTOMS RETURNS: JULY-
SEPTEMBER.
(Daily Press, 17th December.) The last Customs Gazette recording the duties collected under the old tariff bas just been issued from Shanghai. The next number, containing the October-December statistics, will be based on returns of which
a little more than one-third will be on the
old basis and rather less than two-thirds on the new.
It is satisfactory to note that the final list of returns under the bitherto existing tariff is very hopeful. On the figures for the third quarter of 1900 those now before us show a rise of 1,600,000 Taels. This particular quarter of 1900, of course, was enormously affected by the prevailing troubles in the North, and the fall from the coresponding period of 1899 was little less that 2,500,000 Taels. 1901
shows about 850,000 Taels less than 1899, but the recovery has nevertheless been remarkably sharp, while a comparison with the figures of the third quarter of 1898 shows a gain of no less than 670,000 Taels, a fact which may be allowed to speak for itself. It is with the totals of 1898 and previous years that we must compare that of 1901, not with that of the phenomenal year 1899. When we look into the figures for the various ports, we find them still more significant. The only ports showing a decline from 1900 are Hankow, Foochow, and Santn all of them, it is to be noted, tea-ports. Compared with the 1899 figures, the follow- an advance :-( 'hefoo, ing places show Kiaochau, Fhasi, Nanking, Shanghai, Soo- Hangchow, Wuchow, Samshui, chow, Kongmoon, Kumchuk, and Kiungchow. Santu too shows an advance on 1899, though a falling off from 1900. Yochow, the new "port," has no figures before 1900. Newchwang, Chungking, Ichang, Kiukiang, Chinkiang, Amoy, and Canton, though they fell off in 1901 compared with 1899, very narly recovered from the effects of the 1900 disturbances. Tientsin suffered from a very heavy fall, the figures for 1899, 1900, and 1901 being 345,209 Taels, 60,082 Taels, and 207,726 Taels respectively. For the same years the figures for Foochow were 498,813 Taels, 451,959 Taels, and ness of those who still hold sway at the 288,229 Taels; for Amoy, 197,166 Taels, Imperial Court, it would be impossible to 149,911 Taels, and 175,389 Taels; and for the Chinese Swatow, 458,189 Taels, 361,906 Taels, and withhold sympathy from Government in its position toward Russia. 390,383 Taels. The total figures for the After repeatedly being goaded into refusing twenty-nine treaty ports during the three Russia's demands, it always finds remaining years were 7,626,387 Taels, 5,168,795 to be faced the figure of Russia with a new Taels, and 6,761,594 Taels respectively. Manchurian Convention in hand. The Turning to the separate headings under