32.
tariff on Philippine products in accordance with the broad shd liberal spirit which the American people desire to manifest toward the Filipinos, and of which you have been exponent-Taft.”
an earnest
FORGERY OF H& S. BANK- NOTES.
|
According to the Osaka Asahy, extensive forgeries of the notes of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank have been brought to light in Osaka, and three men are now under arrest. It appears that the forgery was first discovered in Hongkong [but later it is stated that the arrest was made in Shanghai, where a Japanese named Hayashi Hidekicht was arrested on the 20th ult., which led to the apprehension of two men in Osaka. It is stated that between March and April last two men named Ishikawa and Hisayo forged from 3,000 to 4,000 of the 5 yen notes of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in the house of Ishikawa in Osaka, and Hisayo, with about 1,000 of these forged notes, proceeded to Shanghai by the Shinano Maru, which let Kobe on the 23rd May. The man spent a few days in Shanghai and succes tell in passing about a hundred of the forged notes, and then proceeded to Hongkong. Here he put up at the "Hiroshima Hotel" and was trying to dispose of about 1,000 of the notes when a Jap- anese named Forukawa discovered that they were forged and threatened to expose Hisayo, who promptly gave his aconser about 800 of the notes as a bribe. Hisayo was successful in pass ing about 200 of the notes, and came back to Osaka at the beginning of last month. About that time, a young man named Hayashi, a friend of Hisayo, was about to leave Osaka for Shang- hai, and paid a visit to Hisayo to farewell.
say Hisayo then asked his friend to oblige him by taking some of the forged intes to Shanghai and passing them for him. He accordingly handed about 250 of the notes to Hayashi, who took them to Shanghai He was trying to pass one of them when suspicions were aroused, and the fraud was discovered by the authorities of the Japanese Consulate-General The man was arrested in Shanghai on the 20th ult, and the two men in Osaka on the 26th ult, and the stock of paper used for forging the notes, together with
80m
ome more notes which were ready to be circulated, was seized.
Enquiries here have not resulted in the confirmation of the statement concerning the passing of about 200 five-yen notes i
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[July 13, 1903.
are in southern waters in the "Proteus, which
vicinity of Ambos Camarines, to take the troops and supplies off the Sumner were given telegraphio orders
and continue the distributi n which has been interrupted by the mishap, and pick up the troops of the 26th Infantry which are scheduled duty which had been assigned to the Sumner. to return to the United States on the Logan, a
the
by twelve policemen, who could not venture afloat, te egraphic report of the accident earlier because of the storm. The police obtained that vessel was, ordered to sail to the relief of nas received, the particulars they required and left, the Ben the disabled transport. At the same time the vnue afterwards continuing its voyage to Yoko- chartered transports Lal-loc hama, and from there on to England, the captain thinking nothing more about the in- cident. As indicating the nature of the weather on that occasion, Captain Webster remarks that on that voyage the Glenesk left Ko e a little later than the Benvenue and took three days to and vessel damaged, while the German mail reach Yokohama, which was done with cargo from Yokohama also took three days to reach Kobe. Captain Webster also had something to been charged with a breach of the Customs say with regard to port regulations. He had law. In Japan, he said, they were expected to know the regulations of the ports before they entered them. I Hongkong and other ports, a captain on entering a port was supplied with pected to be returned before the vessel lit. a copy of the port's regulations, which was ex- In these cases a Captain had an opportunity cf learning the rules in force, but this method was aathorities were not slow in enforcing the penalty not in vogue in Japan, although the Customs for infringement againt all and sundry.
The Article alleged to have been infringed ruos as follows:-"A vessel ongaged in foreigu trade may not enter or leave an unopen port, to other cases where unavoidable circumstances but this do s not apply to vessels in distress or
has entered an nuopen port, for any of the exist. When a vessel engaged in foreign trade
the reason to a Customs official, or, if there be above reasons, the master shall forthwith report
no
Customs official, to a police officer." Punishment for infringement of this rule is a fine not exceeding 2,000 yen. Now, as the master's evidence shows, it was impossible to because of the bad weather, and yet the Customs make such a report before the police cam off, regard the offence as one to be met by a fine. Though the fine is a nominal one, the principle at stake is important, says the Kobe Chronicle.
WO
THE "SUMNER" DISASTER. Manila papers to hand contain further parti- culars of the disaster to the U.S. transp rt Sumner in the Philippines of which have already published a special telegraphic account. She ran on a reef off the coast of Ambos Camarines some time during the fourth of July and she now lies opposite the
The Sumner bas met with so many accidents of lite that she is now regarded as Se vice. Her last trip fron San Francisco hood bo" ship of the U. S. Army Transport incapacitated her refrigerating plant so as to delay her in Honolulu for a week and she had hardly left the Hwaii a metropolis when her ice-plant broke down again. When she arrived been thrown overboard, and while she was at Manila all of her ments and vegetables had scheduled to return to the United States via th. Suz almost immediately, she was comp lied which was stationed at Manila as an emergency to lis at Mauila for repairs and the Kilpatrick, transport, was sent over that courge in ber stead,
JAPANESE CRUISERS VISIT AUSTRALIA.
The Sydney Town and Country Journal has some capital illustrations of the celebrations beginning of last month of the three Japanese connected with the visit to Port Jackson at the
cruisers, Itsukushima, Matsushinia aud- Hashidute under the command of Rear-Admiral Ramimara. It is of interest to note, says the Journal, that all three ships have bad their with China They became prominent as great baptism of fire, having been engaged in the war fighters,
The Matsushima was engaged as flagship at the battle of Yalu, and the Itsukushima was also in that battle. The form r lost about 40 men from a shell from the Chinese warship Ting Yuen, while a lot more sensation WJS provided throughout board, and one of the guns had to be thrown the fight, An outbreak of fire occurred on
into the se. The marines, however, fought the thus saving the ship and all hands from certain fire, and prevented it reaching the magazines; destruction. The Itsukushima was hit by three shells, receiving a lot of damage. The Hashidate was afterwards made flagship for Admiral Ito,
Hongkong. The police report that some time pueblo of Mauban with several large holes but this vessel es aped without injury.
ago à Japanese was succesful in passing in the Colony a couple of counterfeit five-dollar bills. He managed to evade arrest, and since bis departure no other attempts of the kind have
been made.
FINED. FOR SHELTERING FROM A TYPHOON.
At the end of June the Benvenue, of the "Ben" line of steamers, arrived at Kobe from
home ports. The vessel had not been long in the harbour before the master, Capt. Webster, received a summons to attend before the Cus- toms authorities, by whom he was examined, on complying with the summons, and fined 15 jen, his offence being, it appears, an infringement of Article 18 of the Japanese Customs Law.
în her bottom. Three of the bow compartments are filled with water, and while there is no
danger of her sinking, it will be necessary for the vessel to be convoyed back to Manila, and possibly towed with the assistance of her owa steam. The transport is bow-low in the water: Reports as to how the accident occurred are as yet meagre but enough is known to warrant the statement that the transport must be dry-docks before she can make her trip to New brought to Hongkong and repaired here in the
York. This will be at least two months and possibly three. There is a bre possibility that the Sheriden, now en route from San Francisco, may make the trip instead of the Sumner, bat anything that is said about the proposed voyage is at this time mere speculation.
棗
The 4th Infantry which arrived in the Philippines on the Logan, was transhipped in Manila Bay to the Sumner and she went south a few days before to distribute the companies at various stations in that part of Luzon. She had put troops off at several places and was en route to Atimonan to drop Companies K and L, when she run on the reef. The accident is believed to have courred off Mauban or Daet. Apparently the accident occurred at partially low tide, because when high tide came in the vessel floated off the reef without incident further than the filling of the compartments where the immense steel plates had been punctured, and the settling of the vessel's bow. She now lies with her stern high in the air.
A representative of the Kobe Chronicle saw Captain Webster on the 30th ult,, and obtained from him particulars of the alleged offence, which, it seems, was ommitted nine months ago. The captain says the Benvenue left Kobe on the 5th September last year for Yokohama. The weather was threatening from the outset, the barometer was falling steadily, and before many hours squalls of wind and fine rain gave indica- tions of the approach of a typhoon. The Benvenus was light, carrying only go hundred tons of cargo, and had the coast on her lee. As the weather grew hourly worse, the captain, under these disadvantages, with the object of protecting his ship, crew, and cargo, made for the nearest After its call at Atimonan the transport harbour, which happened to be the almost land- should have called at Daet and there put off locked Kads Bay in Kishu. For two days, the Companies I and M for that station and captain says; a terrific typhoon blow outside, and Companies A B and C for Nueva Caceres, the even in the safe harbour of Kada Bay, the Ben-capital city of Ambos Camarines, together with venue, with all available anchors in use, came the headquarters, field staff, and band of the near being driven ashore. On the second day of regiment. their stay in “port," the steamer was boarded
The Ingalls being in the harbour when a
The Itsukushima and Mutushima were built at La Seyne, in France, and the Hashidate in Japan, the three vessels being launched between 1889 and 1891: They are second-elass oruisors, the following measurements:-Length, 295ft; each having a displacement of 4,300 tons, and breadth, 50ft; and draught, 21ft 2in. Their engines are equal to 5,100 horse-power, and the
12-pounder quick-firers, six Hotchkiss machine arms equipment of each vessel comprises one 124-in guo, eleven 12-centimetre quick-firers, six guns, and four torpodo-tubes. A complete wire- less telegraphy equipment is provided on each vessel.
tennial Park, Sydney, in honour of the visit of A grand review of troops was held at Cen- the squadron.
L'Echo de Chine says that the sub-prefects of Shanghai and Naw Wei and Commander Long, who had united to operate against the Pootung brigands, have had no success in their operations. Fighting between the two factions who have been raiding the peaceful inhabitants is still going on, with considerable loss on both sides, and many of the inhabitants are shifting in'o Shanghai for protection.
A Peking despatch states that, owing to the desire of Governor. P'an Hsiao-sa, of Chinese Turkestan, to obtain a loan of two million taels for the reorganisation of the territorial army of that province, the Waiwupu has obtained a loan for that amount from the Russo-Chinese Ba k, "without interest." The "consideration" being that whenever the Chinese authorities of Tur- kestan desire to open mines or cultivate new tracts of country now lying fallow in that · province, only Russians should be engaged and no others to assist and teach the Chinese,