July 18, 1903.]
RUSSIA'S POSITION.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
HONGKONG AND OTHER OBSERVATORIES.
I&
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prove a more dangerous foe than the most "the typhoon of September 19 and 11 of redoubtable of the beasts of prey; and
"the same year.
From that time on, rela- (Daily Press, 14th July.)
Russia driven to despair may before she Although we are by no means disposed to goes under inflict the most irreparable "when they were completely broken." From "tious were less friendly, until the year 1898, endorse the opinion of a contemporary, tele- damage not only on herself but upon a consideration of the corespondence which graphed a few days ago that Russia is on civilisation itself. So long as the House commenced with a letter addressed to us by a the point of a dilemma, and has only the of JENGHIZ Khan was alternatives left of a perilous defiance of the civilisation could afford to exist it was in April, 1902, and proceeded afterwards
a world power writer signing himself "Master Mariner Powers or an inglorious surrender, Russian not till the internecine wars of the descend- between the local Chamber of Commerce, the statesmen can by do process of reasoning ants of the great JENGHIZ led to the Hougkong Government, various Hongkong free themselves from the imputation that decay of the morale of the House, that firms, Sicawei Observatory, a number of they have by their recent acts brought the the worst effects of the invasion were seen. captains of steamers running to this port, Empire of the Tsar, Both internally and Hnd there been no JENGHIZ Khan, in all etc. [vide report of the Committee of the externally, within a measurable distance of probability there would have been no Chamber of Commerce for 1902, it is im- dissolution. Russia has, in fact, been play-Russia. The cruelties of his descendants possible to resist the conclusion that the ing a gam of bluff all round, and now that afforded the her hand has been called finds that her RAMANOFS to found the first Empire of pathy with that of Sicawei, and this is, as the first opportunity to the Hongkong Observatory is also out of sym- weakness has become so apparent that it Russia; but unfortunately his lust of Secretary of the Chamber says in a letter of has excited the ridicule rather than the empire is the only one of his characteristics the 24th September last, more or less admiration of all' onlookers at the game. which has descended to bis supercessors. It was with some regret at the necessity of
reproach to this Colony. It was objected on behalf of the Obs rvatory that, showing something, we may be sure, that
like she made a display of fifty-seven pennants
every other scientific institution of the kind,” the other day in the gulf of Pechili; it is
it declined to accept the responsibility of using the forecasts of other institutions noteworthy that neither Great Britain nor Japan has thought it worth while to make
(Daily Press, 13th July.)
[Colonial Secretary's letter of the 10th any response, and Mr ARNOLD FOSTER'S
In the second part of the report of the But the report of the Sub-committee of the September to the Chamber of Commerce]. answer to a question in the House that Director of the Philippine Weather Bureau. Chamber re Storm Warnings effectually dis- the Admiralty was not aware of any special recently published at the Bureau of. Public posed of this objection by suggesting that, gathering, is probably the best evidence of Printing, Manila, may be found some re- how little she has gained by the move. But marks on the relatious between the obser- when offered, weather forcecasts should be it is not alone in Asia that the bigh game
vatories of Hongkong and Manila which published as such; all such information received from other observatories and has proved a failure; the attempted ex-
seem to call for attention. The report would be welcomed by shipmasters and tinction of Finland and the massacre of the gives a history of the beginnings of the there would not be any necessity for the Jews at Kishineff have both proved to have Philippine Meteorological Service, its deve- local Observatory to accept any respon- been the outcome of craven four, and the lopment, and its establishment of relations expulsion of the Times correspondent from with the other service; in the Far East.sibility in respect to the correctness of the aspect to the silly panic which is at bottom attitude of Hongkong Observatory and Observatory, as initiated and still continued St. Petersburg has only added its ludicrous It goes on to deal particularly with the forecast. We must confess to being unable to understand the policy of the Hongkong the mainspring of Russia's recent policy. makes some curious reflections 01 the Still as we have several times of late had to
conduct of Mr. W. DOBERCK, Director between this and neighbouring ports ure by Mr. DOBERCK. Mariners travelling point out, this by no means removes the of our local institution. Referring to danger to peace. In all ages of the world Mr. DOBERCK's memorial addressed to
dissatisfied with the meteorological in- panic has been the fruitful mother of disor- the Colonial Secretary here in 1883
formation given out here; and
the der, and the madman is never to be so much concerning the ports and lighthouse stations
two most prominent observatories in the avoided as when the demon of fear iras got along the China coast and the neigh neighbourhood complain of the lack of
shown courtesy
them hold of him. If the past teachings of history bouring islands, the Manila report says:-
by Hongkong. are of any account towar is forecasting the On reading the whole memorial one can
There may be some explanation forth- future, Russia as a nation has committed all hardly resist the impression that Mr. coming. But we cannot find one in the the crimes and all the follies which mark
"DOBERCK attributes too much importance collected together in the appendices to the long correspondence now for the first time the last stage of a despot's existence. True
"to himself in meteorological matters. at the last moment it has more than
"Later on, he published some meteorologica! report of our Chamber of Commerce, once happened that an able and virtuous
"instructions which were to be followed by attitude of the local Director of the Obser. Nothing apparently has been gained by the ruler has recovered his country ou the
all the observers of the Chin coast, and very brink of ruin, and restored the prestige
it caused the Rev. P. M. DECHEVRENS, direction, is suffering from a bad reputation vatory, while Hongkong, in one particular she in better days had attained to.
SJ., director of the Observatory of tunately Russia has not even this hope Sicawei, no little amusement, when Mr.
on the ground both of efficiency and of left; her Tsar is probably amiable, and
W. DOBERCK wished to make him conform perhaps is possessed with the very best to them, just as though that centre intentions, in such a case assuredly the depender by some natural right on the very worst possession a ruler could be "said gentleman." In November, 1883, cursed with. We know he is in his private Mr. DOBERCK. was appointed Director of life gloomy and superstitious. Even now the Hongkong Observatory; and the Manila the curse of a disputed succession, which report complains of the "animosity which from the beginning of history has been the he clearly showed on various occasions later bane of Oriental monarchies, hangs about out against the directors of the Manila and his neck, At the one side these unhappy Sicawei meteorological centres. Daily forebodings have made him a willing tool
observations and storm-warnings were of the machinations of the priesthood, while exchanged frour the very beginning be- on the other it is no secret that he has "tween the observatories of Manila and been meddling in the last resort of the Hongkong. But, for some inexplicable unstable-minded, and endeavouring to reason, Mr. DOBERCK on repeated oc- obtain the aid of the powers of spiritualisın. casions kept back our telegrams without It is no wonder, then that the powerful using them or giving them out to the bureaucracy, which in the absence of n public, even at times to the detriment of controlling mind has at all times been the navigation. This gave rise to complaints curse of Russia, finding no obstacle in its "on many sides from those interested, with way, has gone on from buc folly to another, "the result that in future the warnings and now finds that not only has it aroused "were sent simultaneously to Mr. DOBERCK the latent hatred of its own people, but has and to the Spanish Consul, the latter succeeded in alienating, if not all the foreign official sending them immediately to the Powers, certainly all those to whom Russia "local press for publication. Nevertheless, could look for counsel and help in the
Mr. DOBERCK's letters to Fr. FAURA were hour of need. As, however, we said, herein "written in friendly terms up to 1887, at lies the greatest danger of all; the timid "which time he spoke openly against the deer, who will fly from his own shadow, under the inspiration of despair is apt to
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ARMS-SMUGGLING INTO CHINA.
(Daily Press, 16th July.) Accusations have been rife of late among certain of the Powers of connivance at the smuggling of arms into China. The im. portation of arms into that Empire has beu totally forbidden, as is well known, since the events of 190). But it is equally well known that illicit gun-running has flourished exceedingly ever sites the probibi. tion. The forbiddance of the importation of fire-arms naturally puts a very heavy premium on such weapons, and it has always been found that unscrupulou traders are willing to take the utmost risks for the sake of the larger profit to be gained. In most of Britain's recent wars it has been found that European firins (possibly even British firms, it has been suspected) have done a lucrative business in the importation of munitions of war to the enemy's country. The Americans in the Philippines had a similar experience. Iu China, since the Powers agreed not to permit any more firearms to be imported, it is a matter of common knowledge that Manila Observatory on the occasion of vast quantities of the forbidden merchandise. "the warnings seat out by it concerning' have been smuggled in, Important seizures..
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