2
June 20, 1908.]
her exports.
感荡
"last year was over three million taels above
the previous highest on reccrl."
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
imagines Russia will not speedily attempt Tibet.
437
The total increase this year," continues our contemporary, "is the to get the line carried over the Corean of the 30th May says that a secret despatch We see that a Peking telegram more satisfactory when we remember that frontier. Russia doubtless does not wish received by the Chinese Government states "Mr. Taylor showed in his very valuable to invito a struggle with Japan, mean- that
200 Russian soldiers, arrive? at "report on last year's trade that the revenueing as it does a struggle with Great Ili and some other places in Mongolia Britain too; but she has carried through from Tsitsibar and are building barracks more difficult tasks without a struggle at these places, employing the natives. and may be hopeful of success here too. It is but another step from Mongolia and This is all the more reason for a firm Ili to Tibet. The best safeguard of China's attitude on the part of Japan, showing that outlying possessions is their opening to without the unwished-for struggle this trade. Had the door been more open in renson too for a sure declaration of British | hands to close or open. enterprise at least cannot succeed." It is the Manchuria, it would not now be in Russia's sympathy and support for that attitude.
•
THE FUTURE OF COREA,
(Daily Press, 18th June.)
TIBET.
(Daily Press, 18th June.)
It is not to be expected thatevents in Corea should attract much attention in South China or that much anxiety should be felt as to the activity of various nations in that so far little exploited country, Neverthe less, since the time of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance it has no longer been possible, for nny Briton to leave out of consideration in A certain amount of attention seems to an estimate of Far Eastern affairs the pro- have been directed in Chinese official circles gress of events in Corea, & country whose of late to Tibetan affairs, and rumours of connection with Japan has been one of the various kinds have been in circulation with prominent features of our ally's history. regard to British and Russian action in Since Japan's war against China and her the most exclusive of countries. One story rise to the rank of a first-rate Power, it has alleged the presence of some thousands of been recognised that the blow of her having British troops within the froutiers of Tibet! to give way before Russia in Corea would Now Tibet is very remote from Hongkong drive her once more into the background, and from most other parts of the British with little chance of recovery. The loss of Empire. But its affairs must nevertheless what is perhaps her most revered national be considered of interest, as forming part tradition would be a fatal wound to her of the Anglo-Russian question in Asia. honour. It is true that, nominally, by the The London Times, as may be seen in the agreements of 1896 and 1898 the Russians telegram to Bangoon papers appearing in and Japanese are on an equal political footing another column to-dy, has a statement in Corea. But the third article of the fron its Peking correspondent to the effect lalter agreement stipulates that "in view of that the Chinese Resident in Tibet is "the wide development taken by the com- apparently endeavouring by round-about mercial and in 'ustrial enterprise of Japan methods to induce the Tibetans to accept in Corca, as well as the large number some frontier trade arrangements with "of Japanese subjects residing in that India, for the negotiation of which an country, the Russian Government will not. Indian Commissiouer has crossed the frontist, hinder in any way the development of The Rangoon Gazette says that this reporr "commercial and industrial relations between is premature; negotiations, it is true, have Japan and Corea." And there is no doubt been going on for months about British now as to the forting which the Island trade relations with Tibet, but up to the Power has now gained in the Peninsula, pre cut no commission has been sanctioned. especially in the South Russia, however, According to the latest news, the nego- has never relaxed her effors to gain a firm tiations in question concern only the Sikkim footing also, in the North. The latest step Convention of 1890 between Britain and is in connection with the timber-felling China which settled the rival claims of In- business on the Yalu River, which has been dian and Tibetan suzerainty over Sikkim threatening to cause international trouble. and appeared to open the door to more inti- This enterprise is but one of those small mate traile rela ious between Sikkim and Leginnings which are over the foundations Tibet. The boundary between Sikkim and of Russia's empire-building. The Japan Tibet was then arranged and the suzerainty Mail recently discussed the subject of of the British over Sikkim admitted; while Japan's attitude towards Russia's growth, provision was made for discussing the saying that could it be conceived that question of providing increase facilities Manchurin, Mongolia and Tibet wore to be for trade across the frontier, and the ques- the final additions to Russia's East Asiatic tion of the method of conducting official empire Japan might be unconcerned. But communications between India and Tibet. Manchuria does not furnish good enough However, as far as we know, the opening maritime outlets, Russia's great desire; and of a Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs that Russia, holding the Amur region and the Etation at Yatung has been the sole com- Liaotung Peninsula, should not be irresist-mercial result so far obtained, and as ably tempted to absorb Corea, is out of the question. "She will be so tempted and she will yield to the temptation. Any nation would yield to it in her place. The question "is, how will the set to work?
1
C
*
f
«
few years ago Corea would have been just as convenient a field for that kind of ex- ploitation as Manchuria is now proving. But Japan may be said to have already conquered the south of the Corean penin- "sula by railway-building, and any Russian attempt to dispute that conquest by means "of a road from Wiju to Seoul would in- "volve a struggle such as it is entirely
the entry under the head of Revenue in the last Customs report is "Nil" it will be seen that that result is not yet very important. China naturally is not concerned in arrang- Aing matters without pressure being put upon her. It seems from the telegrams now before us that something in the way of pressure has been exercised at Peking and that we may expect to hear of an extension of Indo-Tibetan trade relations on the lines of the Sikkim Couvention. As nothing is so likely to preserve Tibet from falling gradually under the influence of China's great land neighbour, Russia, as the open- foreign to Russia's policy to invite. ing of the country to commerce, the news Seeing, however, that plans have already is welcome. The exclusive policy which has been made for a railway from Liao-yang, hitherto been maintained in Tibet with such through Fenghwang, to the Yalu River, and success is more favourable to the diplomaric that actual furveying work on the line is intriguer than to the merchant; and indeed reported to have commenced, we think our rumours have been uumerous of Russian Yokohama contemporary is sanguine if it'dealings with China in connection with
66
**
THE BAGDAD RAILWAY.
(Daily Press, 17th June.). Although it is reasonable to suppose that we shall not again hear of the Scutari- Bagdad Railway as an eligible investment fer British capital, the rejection of the German proposals has rather tended to emphasise the need for some more rapid means of transit than exist at present for communicating with our Indian Empire. Coming to look at that scheme auew wo can only insist on the instinct that induced its rejection; not only from the fact that we should practically have no control in its management, but that from a British point of view the route selected was of all others the least desirable for the interests, commercial and political, of the entire Empire. Passing, as the proposed line does, through the heart of Europe, its construction would immensely accentuate the disadvantages of our insular position, and the fact that it would pass the entire distance from Antwerp to Constantinople through territories controlled by our keenest commercial rivals coull not fail to be turned to our serious detriment, not only com mercially but politically. It is not that we object to the possibility of an important trade route being opened up between India and Central Europe, but that the proposed line, so far as it would have any effect in improving the trade of India would do so along a route which would place ourselves. at a serious disadvantage. Practically Germany has the control of all the lines of railway from the North Sea to the frontiers of Austria. The Ottoman lines again from Belgrade. to Constantinople are
kewise under her management, while the line from Scutari to Konieh, of which the extension to the Persian Gulf was the missing link to be closed, is actually owned by Germany, who in addition to the mere working of the line has procured valuable political and commercial advantages there- with. Russia, too, is in inconvenient proximity to the proposed line all the way from Belgrade to the frontiers of Persia; the intermediate territories, in fact constitute her favourite hunting- grounds, and have now for considerably more than a century been deliberately and as B matter of settled policy kept in a state of continual unrest, if not of absolute anarchy. However, then, we may regret being forced in this affair of the Bagdad Railway seemingly to act the part of the dog in the manger, there have been reasons at work to justify the instinct of the nation at large in com. pelling the Ministry to give an unqualified refusal to the approaches of the German Government,
Nevertheless although the scheme, as proposed, must be considered as definitely and irretrievably ended, it has at least had the effect of waking up the usually sluggish Home Government to the importance of the issues. If the Scutari-Bagdad line,
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