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THE DEFENCE OF HONGKONG AND WEIHAIWEI.
expenses,
(Daily Press, 1st February.) Admiral COLOMB's suggestion, in his recent memorandum to Lord SELBORNE, that the defence of this Colony and of Weihaiwei should be provided for in event of war by Australia, New Zealand; and Canada conjointly, may be looked upon as a natural corollary of the tightening of Imperial bonds which has resulted from the South African war. In the past the idea of the Imperial connection has rather been that Great Britain has been the central power which drew all the profits from her colonies and therefore paid all the including that of the defence of these Colonies. Now, though the principle of Imperial Federation has not been officially | accepted, the trend of events has been to bring about a very real federation, which has not failed to be remarked upon even by Continental critics. As a consequence of this, it is recognised that the Colonies have in the future both a voice and a duty with regard to the conduct of the affairs of the Empire. Thus there is brought about that solidarity" which has been re- marked upon within te past few weeks by that eccentric but on the whole fair minded German writer MAX NORDAU. It is in proper sequence on this that the main divisions of the British Empire may be considered each to have a peculiar interest in the outposts of our dominions which lie closer to them, and therefore the British possessions in America and Australasia may be considered the safety of this Colony and of Weihaiwei. In the matter of naval defence, it is not likely that any change will be introduced, for the Navy must continue to be the affair of the whole Empire, even though it may be found advisable to estab- lish Canadian and Australian squadrons, manned in part at least by Canadians and Australians. With regard to garrison duties, on the other hand, it may well be expected that in time to come the Dominion, the Commonwealth, and New Zealand, out of their superfluity of men, can afford to provide efficient guardians for these two vital stations in the Far East. It is obvious that a disaster sustained by Britain in the Far East would most gravely menace all British possessions touching on Pacific waters. With the growth of Imperial sentiments which the past two years have witnessed there can be no doubt that such British possessions are ready to bear their part in the defence of the interesis of the whole Empire. Admiral COLOMB has done well to raise this important question.
RUSSIA AND THE BOXERS,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Great Britain.
[February 10, 1902.
is what we cannot As
do. ret
It and customs, and also perhaps through the may perhaps be considered improbable efforts of the Tien Tsu Hui in South China. that a hoax of this magnitude could be The movement which has led to this new played with success, especially as the Times and most salutary decree has originated once received a notable warning on the outside China in the first instance, though danger of trusting to supposed incrimina- it must be admitted that very strong ting documents. It is to be presumed that support has been given by many of the Dr. ULAR, if he is acting in good faith, is native upper classes, including some very prepared to substantiate the charge he has prominent officials. Viceroy CHANG CHIH- made. The matter is one which most TUNG, for instance, wrote personally against We have foot-binding and urged bis subordinates in decidedly calls to be cleared up.
Chihli to discourage it as far as possible in not heard so far that any remarkable sensa- tion has been caused by the Times correspond- the province. A former Governor of Hunan ent's revelations, though, were they generally went so far as to forbid it altogether in tis believed, it is difficult to imagine that, there jurisdiction. The Reform party, as might would be no stir in other countries beside be expected, has always been strongly We should certainly expect against perpetuating this deformity, and the German Press to take immediate notice KANG YU-WEI started a league to memo- of the story, and France, protector of the rialese officials and disseminate literature Romanist missionaries, could not remain on the subject. Natur.lly also the mission silent. The absence of any intimation that schools have brought all pressure possible their converts and pupils. any noteworthy discussion has arisen on the to bear on Continent tends to induce the opinion that This humane movement has at last bad its been taken too reward, and the barbarous custom is now the discovery has not seriously. Still, as we have said, we may declared illegal. It is not to be supposed, reasonably look to Dr. ULAR for au attempt however, that the old custom will be given up to bring home the charge which he has made without a struggle. The tradition of so against the representatives of the Tsa". many hundred years is not likely to be cast Until then the story must be received with aside without opposition from those who suspicion, to say the least. The utmost have been brought up in it. The present that can be said for it at present may be victims of the practice will doubtless be put in the words in which the Times very reluctant that the pains which they summed up, as we reported yesterday, namely have suffered in their childhood should now that if Russia did make the alleged bargain be made in vain. The mass of Conservative with LI HUNG-CHANG both parties did their thought, too, is on the side of the footbound women. But it may reasonably be hoped best to carry out its main stipulations. The Chinese dynasty did authorise the Boxer that, with so much preparation of the movement against foreigners, and Russia | ground as there has been of late, and with did maintain the dynasty against Westeru the active support of leading officials, the intervention as well as against the I-ho- Imperial Edict may find acceptance, and chuan as, according to this document and that in consequence, within a few years' the Canton Thotai's letter, she had pro-time, the custom of binding women's feet mised Li to do.
may become but a memory of the past in China.
THE END OF FOOTBINDING.
COMPETITION ON THE
YANGTSZE.
(Daily Press, 5th February.) The decree issued by the Empress Dowager last Saturday, though it would have been preferable had it been issued in the name
(Daily Press, 6th February.) of the titular ruler of the Chinese Empire,
When Dr. MORRISON, the well known may be looked on as a notable step in the direction of reform. It is also a triumph Peking correspondent of the Times, was for those who have worked hard in the visiting Hankow last November, he wrote cause of freeing the great mass of Chinese for the London journal au exceedingly in- women from the tyranny of the lily feet," teresting review of the situation on the whether under the name of the Tien Tsu Yangtsze, which has now reached China Hui or of kindred societies. The practi e once more among the mail papers from of footbinding, after some thousand years home. Perhaps the most noteworthy por- of prevalence, is now apparently to recive tion of his letter is that which refers to the its death-blow. This is not the first time in condition and prospects of trade on the the history of China that it has been made Yangtsze. The remarks of Dr. MORRISON illegal. In the second halfof the seventeenth will be found consoling by those who look century the Manchu Emperor SHUN CHIн with apprehension for Germany to strike a made it punishable with death for parents serious blow at British interests in the great to bind their daughters' feet. Owing to the river valley. British shipping, we are told, (Daily Press, 4th February,) opposition of the Board of Rites of the has never been more prosperous. An effort was being made by a line of German With respect to the story, details of which day, however, this edict was repealed three we published in our issue of yesterday, years after its promulgation, and the Con- steamers to wrest some of the trade from concerning the alleged discovery of the servative defenders of fashion won a victory the old-established lines, both British and complicity of Russia in the anti-foreign | which has doomed so many of their country. Chinese, but so far, wrote Dr. MORRISON, the development of the Boxer movement in women to over three hundred years' more chief success attending the attempt had been 1900, it must be confessed that the sugges- pain. Certain divisions of the Chinese the misleading impression that the competi- tion is very startling. It is true that the Empire have been exempt from the practice tion had given abroad of the extent of Gerinan Times, commenting editorially on the matter, -the Manchus, for instance, and, as Euro-interest in the shipping trade of the Yang- These are weighty words, coming says that it sees nothing in the recent his pean resilents in Hongkong are aware, the tsze. tory of Russian action in the Far East in- | Hakkas. It has been suggested that it is from so highly trained an observer as the consistent with the report. Nevertheless, | because the Empress Dowagerand her attend-" Times correspondent. He goes on, more- little admiration as we have for the methods | ants are Manchus (though others contend over, to say that at Hankow the Germans of Russian statesmanship in this part of the that the old lady was by origin a Cantonese) have a share of the "muck and truck world, we should be loth to believe such an that she has remained callous to the suffe--trade, which is singularly unremunerative, allegation. The outline of the plot as senting inflicted by bound feet. We need not Were it not for the subsidy, these German to the Times by M. DE BLOWirz, on the bere enter into the details of the torturing steamers could not be seen on the river. strength of certain "secret documents process by which the much admired mons- They carry little cargo and few passengers, "Tot," All our readers and are notoriously run at a loss. earthed by Dr. ULAR, is clearly enough trosities are manufactured. drawn if we can rely on the authenticity no doubt are familiar with them through the of the said documents. This, of course, numerous works published on Chinese life
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he says, "being of respectable tonnage, they figure largely in the shipping returns,
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