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CHINESE AND SOUTH AFRICA.
(Daily Preet 30th May.) Wenote, by REUTER telegram of the 27th
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PŘESS AND
THE STRAITS CURRENCY.
instant, that a mass meeting of the Chinese in Johannesburg has been held on the labour question there, and that it was decided to warn their compatriots against emigrating to South Africa, and to take comprehensive steps to disseminate the warn- ing through China. This is undoubtedly a sensible decision, and we trust it will be carried out very thoroughly. For our part we are quite willing to assist in disseminating this warning to our Chinese friends. There are 80118 countries in which Chinese labourers receive a warm welcome, and where they thrive exceedingly. ese are primarily, the Malay penisula, Sian, Bor- neo, Sarawak, Timor and portions of the Netherlands Indies. They are not welcome." in the Philippines (now at the islands have passed under American rule), though they do exce dingly well there; neither are they wanted in the Hawaiian Islands, though there, too, they find remunerative employment. In French Indo-China they are accorded a very grudging reception, but those admitted make money and prove god citizens But the French Government have had too much trouble with Chinese Black Flags and banditti from across the Yunnan frontier to feel very kindly towards Chinese or to regard them as desirable inimigran's. Their cool reception in Tonkin, therefore, is not be wondered at In Burmah the Chinese have always found ready employ. ment and great numbers of them have settled down there, and intermarried with the Burmese. In Mexico, too, there seems a field for Chinese labour, but it will be well not to overdo it, or the natives will soon raise an outcry, just as the Americans in the States have done. In Australia, New Zealand, and Canada there is no scope for Chinese energies, as the colonists of these countries have fully determined that their territories shall be kept as preserves for the white mau. The South African colou es, although they have a native population, and admit a small number of British Indians, are just as determined as the Australians to keep out the Chinese, and those Celestials who have emigrated to the Transvaal are doubtless painfully experiencing the fact that they are not wanted, and at things will be made uncomfortable for them if they remain. The laboun trouble has been a →very real one in South Africa, but it cannot be solved by the importation of Chinese. The best way of meeting it would be to secure immigrants from Scandinavia and Italy if natives are not available in sufficient numbers. In any case, however, it is useless to think of the Mongolian. He is not liked in South Africa, and he will not be allowed to enter in any numbers.
(Daily Press, 1st June.)
The approval given by the Legislative
[June 6, 1903.
MANCHURIA.
(Daily Press, 2nd June)
denieanour to point out that Russia's acts do not en irely accord with her professions and because the London Times has con- sistently done this the Russian Governmen', in order to read the Times a lesson," has gone the ludicrous length of expelling the will not take the authorities at St. Peters- Times representative from the country. It burg long to discover how futile is the step they have taken, for the Times is certain to have unlimited sources of in- formation which will now be availed of to a greater extent than ever before. If the truth were known, however, it is probably the Times correspondent at Peking whom the authorities at St. Petersburg - would like above all to get rid of, for the present irritation has doubtless largely been brought about by the inconvenience and annoyance entailed on the Russian Foreign Office by the press despatches from Peking with reference to Russia's Manchurian demands. By the mail we get fuller details of the denials given by the Russian Foreign Office to the alleged demands telegraphed from Peking. On the 28th April a formal semi- official statement was issued at St. Peters- burg which declared that the demands ascribed to Russia in telegrams from Peking simply invented.” Then the state- ment proceeded:"No change has occurred in the intentions of Russia with reference "to Manchuria, and the exchange of views, - "which is about to take place between the "Russian Minister and the Chinese Govern-
It is evidently a high crime and mis-
were
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t.
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Council of the Straits Settlements with only one dissentient to the scheme formulated by the Straits Currency Committee is a inatter of considerable interest to Hongkong, and will doubtless serve to hasten the appoint- ment of the Committee of Enquiry which has been solicited by the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. While it was fully expected that the Straits Legislature would approve the Committee's scheme, we gather from the latest Singapore papers, to hand that a final decision was not immediately expected, as in the words of the Free Press, "there are many points open to discussion, and many details that may cause serious "barin to our trade if not foreseen and provided against." In the little brochure by Mr. A. HUTTENBACH, reviewed in our columns a couple of months ago, the subject in all its bearings was excellently discussed. As our Singapore contemporary reminds its readers, according to Mr. HUTTENBACH's calculations half the trade of the Straits Settlements is done with countries wi o would, because co-using the Straits currency, be affected by any change in it. The author specially meutions the case of Deli and Acheen, whose trade is s important to Peuang, and in this connection our contemporary quotes from a criticism of the book appearing in the Deli Courant, a paragraph which referring to the opinion expressed by Mr. HUTTENBACH that it looks as if Deli would go ou using British and Mexican dollars, says:- "We would sincerely regret this: we con "sider it of great importance that also for Deli a fixed dollar rate should exist, the niore so as one can foresee that if the Straits should adopt a dollar with a "fixed rate, the Government will at the same time forbid the importation of dol- lars. Then silver will go down still more and the dollar still further depreciate. . . "On the adoption of a gold basis in India "and Japan, silver at the beginning rose, only to fall to a lower point afterwards. "It would not at all astonish ús if the dol. "lar, after the regulation of the exchange "question in the Straits, should go down to "80. In any case Deli can derive no profit by the maintenance of the Mexican dollar, while it would have all the advantages o a fixed dollar rate equal to that of the Straits." We note that the Straits Colonial Secretary has recently been on a visit to bridge-work, will fail to recognise that Batatia and is stated to have consulted the it is not possible for Russia to evacuate Netherlands Indies officials on currency "the country." This conclusion has been and other matters, and we may take it that irresistible to every traveller through the the Straits Legislative Council, which, in- province; and there does not seem to cluding H.E. the GOVERNOR, con-ists of be anything in the Russian Minister's sixteen members, would not have adopted assurances calculated to remove that im- with only one dissentient the scheme for a pression. Count LAMSDORFF, the Russian gold standard unless they felt amply as
Minister of Foreign Affairs, assured sured that no serious harm to the trade the United States Ambassador that Colonel O'Moore Creagh, V.C, C.B, who of the Colony would follow, but rather that the telegraphed reports of the proposed whilst employed in China has held the local rank the change would be highly beneficial. Convention were " absolutely incorrect" of major-general since Agat, 1900, is to be Many of the arguments which have in that there was no foundation for the promoted to the substantive rauk. General fluenced the Currency Committee andS raits report that Russia had demanded that Creagh, since Bir Alfred Caselee's departure in Legislature in favour of a gold standard China should refuse the requests of other July, 1901, has been in responsible coma aud of apply with equal force to Hongkong, and we Powers for Treaty Ports or Consulates in all the British troops in North China. In that doubt whether the same Committee of En- Manchuria; and the Minister gave the position his name has come prominently under the notice of His Majesty's Government, and quiry would see in the geographical situation assurance that Russia has no intention to the step about to be grated him is in acknow of Hongkong an argument of sufficient exclude other countries from the advan- ledgment of the success of his military admi. weight to vary the terms of the verdict they tages which are now enjoyed in Manchuria, nistration. His services are to be further have given in the case of the Straits Settle-
OF to confer exclusive privileges on recognised by his selection for a first-class inents, Of course, it would be more satis- Russians, and that the United States nfay district command in India, de will suce ed factory if the Government of China could be sure that nothing will be done to close Major-General Sir Richard Westmacott in be influenced to put the currency of the the doors now open. The doors now ope charge of the Mbow Distict, Bombay, and will whole Empire on a gold basis, but China is and the advantages now enjoyed by other take up his duties on the earliest í ossible date, the military administration, in North Ching never in a hurry and Hongkong can bardly countries in Manchuria are very few indeed, passing from the hands of the Indian Office to afford to wait until the Chinese Govern- and it would be more to the point if an . those of the War Om from the day of his ent finds its If prepared for the inevitable answer were given to the question : Are departure.
change.
the doors which are not “now open” to
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ment, can relate only to the measures to "be adopted for ensuring the preservation of order and tranquillity, after the Russian troops have marched out of the province. "Russia has absolutely no intention of placing impediments in the way of foreign 'trade.' The statement that "do change "has occurred in the intentions of Russia "with reference to Manchuria can well be believed, but we can only conclude that it is not, and never was, the intention of Russia to restore to China the absolute sovereign y of Manchuria. A German correspondent who has recently taken the trip through Manchuria, writes to the Cologne Gazette as follows:-
"No one
who has seen the Manchurian railway, "with its bold track, its fortress-like "station buildings, and its admirable