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CHINA AND THE INDEMNITY.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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(Daily Press, 17th January.) Last week there appeared in our contem- porary, the Mercury of Shanghai, an article entitled "China deserves no pity." This was suggested by the statements, telegraphed via London, of the New York Post to the effect that the United States Secretary of State was strongly supporting China's contention that 400,000,000 Haikwan taels was all she could pay as indemnity to the Powers without serious financial difficulties, and that the United States intended to accept payment on that basis. The Mercury says that those who read the state- ment will smile at China's contention and points to the reports of the Empress Dowager throwing millions away on theatri- oil entertainments and unnecessary exten sions of her palaces. The Shanglini paper continues :- The Powers would be very foolish were they to follow the lead of the "United States. China has committed "herself in such a brutal way, in butchering "innocent men, women, children and babes, "after committing on them unmentionable "atrocities, that she deserves no pity "whatever.
China is a criminal "and to treat her as a martyr is only to encourage her to repeat the diabolical deed she committed in 1900, which many of her present high officials joined in and are ready and willing to perpetrate again. "China deserves no pity." We regret to se a paper of the standing of the Shanghai Mercury take up such a position, which is contrary alike to humanitarian principles and to commercial expediency—perhaps, in the eyes of many, a sufficiently rare com- bination. In the first place, those who hold the views of the Mercury must lend their approval to the policy of squeezing the uttermost farthing possible out of the Chinese, including the entirely innocent inhabitants of the Southern provinces, in order to compensate for the wrongs done by the "Boxers" and their villanous friends in the Imperial Court. The offen- ders of 1900 are scarcely touched by the levy of the enormous indemnity which China is called upon to pay as the result of the events of that year. In no way can it be contended that the movement of 1900 was a “nitional” movement. Had Central and Southern China joined with the North, the outbreak would have produced far different effects. Yet we are told to treat China, the whole of China, as a criminal and to extort all we can. Secondly, it is only to be described as surprising that any British journal appearing in China should be found to advocate the policy of insisting ou a money indemnity which threatens to check trade. Granted that we have concluded an arrangement with China by which she has bound herself to pay a certain sum in the space of forty years.
At the same time she has agreed to remove the principal obstacles to commerce between herself and foreign countries. It must be conceded that the latter is by far the more important part of the treaty. The fine which China was forced to consent to is of relatively little importance to any of the Powers which are to share it; the promised commercial facilities are of the utmost importance to all but a few. To insist, therefore, on the exact payment of the indemnity, while allowing the fulfilment of the promises with regard to trade to be delayed or evaded is nothing short of suicidal. China indeed deserves pity. Not only is she cursed with blind or corrupt rulere, but also the foreign nations with which she is brought into contact,are, for the most part, apparently
[January 26, 1903.
adopting an attitude which threatens to of Turkey to evade them. Did she come ruin her without profiting them in the long | boldly forward and present the case to her run. The struggles of the past half-century colleagues in the agreement, a possible way and more in China have not been with a view might had been found out of the difficulty, that the Powers might screw what money and it is even possible that the waters of they could out of China, but that they the Bosphorus and Dardanelles might have might open China to their trade. Yet they been thrown open to the war-ships of the have been constantly put off with in- world. But Russia felt that it might not remnities, while trade and intercourse be altogether agreeable to have foreign demain under most disastrous restrictions. navies prying into her arsenals in the With regard to the present indemnity, it is Crimea and elsewhere, so she tried to easy to say that "China has agreed to it." make private arrangements with the Sultan Had she any alternative? And have not to shut his eyes to her war-ships making circumstances changed since the treaty was use of the passage, from which the rest framed, to such an extent as to make the were to be excluded. Now it was to prevent indemnity far heavier than was even in just such a course that the other Powers tended, while the state of the currency refused to sanction any exercise of her threatens to make it gradually heavier still? national rights in Turkey in such a manner It will be seen from REUTER'S telegram of as to enable her to make private treaties
GERMANY AND RUSSIA.
(Daily Press, 19th January.)
with one to the detriment of the others. There is nothing new or derogatory in such a stipulation. Under the title of the "Favoured Nation" clanse it is inserted
the 14th instant that Great Britain has proposed a reduction in the instalments of the indemnity by the prolongation of the period of forty years in which the total is at present payable. This seems a wise almost 28 custom in many treaties suggestion, if it is coupled with a determina-between Powers of the first rauk, and the tion to enforce the other clauses of the treaty only difference in the present case was that between China and the Powers; for by these it was agreed to by each and all in the clauses China, in spite of her rulers, will common interest of the whole, In the have a chance of entering on the road to present instance Russia has been pleading prosperity.. At the present she is most the subterfuge that a man-of-war whose guns heartily to be pitied.
have been sent on shore censes to be a man-of-war, even though her guns may be waiting to be placed on board, and all the armour and fittings are already fixed. In the interests not only of herself, but of all, Great Britain refused to accept such a self-contradictory argument. The other Powers with the exception of France, just now inoculated with Russian virus, at once acknowledged the natural rendering of a sentence as plain as language could make it. Germany herself does not attempt to deny the clear meaning, as that would be im- possible. She, however, takes an less straightforward course; conveniently forgetting that as a siguntory of the treaty of Berlin she is equally bound to Great Britain, as Great Britain to her, to support that instrument, unless the Powers should by mutual consent agree to its denuncia. tion, she without consultation with her partners writes privately to Russia and informs that Power that she is no partner of Great Britain.
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It is by no means easy to comprehend the very curious attitu le at all times taken up by Germany with regard to Russia. That Germany should desire to be on good terms with her neighbour, and refrain from any act that might border on provocation, is not only natural, but in the general interests of Europe highly commendable. That Germany should continue to maintain her traditional policy of abetting Russia in every scheme of national aggrandisement, careless of the best interests of her closest neighbours, is not only beneath her dignity, but in the long run certain to turn out suicidal. After a good deal of hesitation she at last cou- sented to patch up a renewal of the old Triple Alliance with Austrin and Italy, to support them in the case of an attempt on the part of Russia in conjunction with France to commit any unprovoked aggres- sion. The alliance did not raise any sanguine hopes on the part of either, nor, it may be remembered of any of the other Powers in Europe. Germany had paraded smewhat ostentatiously, it may be noted, when making the former alliance, the dis- interested character of her motives, and professed to be hurt that England did not throw in her lot with the others. England had consistently he'd that while she was to be depended on in the case of any aggression it was contrary to her well understood traditions to tie herself to an alliance which would affect her freedom of action; and pointed out that her own interests were stronger than any alliance could possibly be. The course of events showed how wise was the resolution. Germany, then under the guidance of Prince BISMARCK, while entering into an alliance with Austria to guard her in all events against Russia, had at the identical time a secret understanding with Russia for the partition of her ally.
The present case is not dissimilar. Russia in the Treaty of Berlin gave certain engage ments to the other Powers of Europe, one of the principal of which was that she renounced the right of passing through the Bosphorus with her men-of-war. Of late years this stipulation has been becoming irksome, and Russia has been secking by varions intrigues with the present Sultan
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The whole proceedings are characteristic of the extremely dangerous position of the continent of Europe at the moment and how thin is the sheet of ice on which the statesmen of the various nations are skating. We drew attention to the forces at work in view of the decease of the aged Emperor of Austria, and pointed out how real was the peril, more especially in connection with the recent mischievous agitation for that will-o'-the-wisp, pan-Germanism, in experienced hands. This must recent action of the German Foreign Office does not tend to raise our opinion of the wisdom with which the affairs of the German Empire are conducted.
Writing under date Battambong, 10th Necember, the Siam Observer's special corres- pondent says:-Work on the new barracks and stables which were in course of erection was suddenly stopped, I hear, about two months ago. That these and the hospital at Battambong should not be proceeded with is rather a good sign. Early on the morning of the 22nd [F] inst. five mules were sent across the river from Chantaboon into the country in charge of three
Annamite soldiers. Three of the mules carried
long ammunition boxes on each side. Later on
a mounted party of twelve European soldiers and eight Ânnamite soldiers followed. They were absent the whole day, returning in the evering looking very fatigued. They must have been a considerable distance. The gunboat Comète is lying at the mouth of the river,