August 10, 1903.]
as
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
107
that recover from the inoculation and are convalescing are placed in other yards, accord- ing to the extent of recovery, and finally, after they begin to enjoy their meals and take on what flesh and fat that were lost during the two weeks of immunisation, they are ready for shipment to the Philippine Islands.
I may appear to the unprofessional observer flat anch stringent means arə unnecessary, but not so; although as great a percentage as from tab to fifteen die while nadergoing inoculation, the least deviation from the methods employed by thoroughly immunise sufficiently to satisfy the the proprietors would result in failure to
8 U.S. Government.
the fluctuations which must necessarily occur in the exchange between gold and silver countries, and I trust it may not be im- possible to find a remedy. I would however not wish it to be supposed that this can be found, by retracing the steps that have been taken in the past with regard to the currency of different portions of the British Empire. Year after year more states have adopted the gold stand- ard, and I believe that it is destined to become universal, You are aware that the Govern- ments of the United States, Mexico, and China, | being the two principal countries, and the chief's Iver-using country, silver producing have taken up this question, and that Commission charged with its study has been despatched from Americs with the object of conferring with the Governments that are chiefly interested in Chinese commerce and finance. It is too early yet to make any forecast of what the result of their labours may be, but, speaking for myself, I may perhaps assure you, gentlemen, that the reform of Chinese currency is a matter in which I take a deep interest and that I shall gladly carry out any instruction I may receiv- from H. M.'s Government to assist in urging upon the hinese Government the adoption of the necessary measures.
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prepared by an expert, and the same veterinarian The rinderpest serum for Chinese cattle is
supplies serum for immunising the large anm- bers of carabao that have been recently shipped to the Philipp nes. At pr sent as many as fifty thousand carabao are being transported from China (at Uncle Sam's expense) to make up for the loss in the Islands from the ravages of rinderpest of this valued beast of burden.
*
It may seem strange, nevertheless it is a fact, that few people really know what rinderpest is. I have heard it described all the way from foot- rot to a chronic skin eruption, and I myself had been at a loss until on this recent occasion I had the pleasure of investigating its character in person. I must say that I was surprised at my discovery, for 1 found a complaint that corresponds almost exactly with acute dysentery in the human being The period of incuba- tion is about five days, then the animal's temperature goes up from 100, gradually increas. ing as the disease progresses, and sometimes just before the final collapse, and prior to death, the temperature reaches 106 or more. After five days of incubation there is a stage of diarrhoe and continued elevation of temperature, which lasts about one week or ten days, when the cimax is reached, and when they either get batter or die. None but cloven-footed animals contract the rinderpest, no case of a horse, for instance, baring had the disease, is on record.
In answer to a question by Mr. H. E. E. Procter as to what he meant by the words, "the near future," Sir Ernest Satow said nothing was so dangerous as to prophesy unless one knew. But he Commission arrived in London in the beginning of June. After sitting ia London the Commission would go to Berlin, Paris, the Hague, and, he believed, st. Petersburg. He bilieved that four or five months would be occupied in Russia, as the latter country had big inte ests at stake and claimed one-third of the total amount of the indemaity. Then, of course, when the Com- miss.on was fiuished, there would come the most difficult part of all-the persuading of the Chinese Government to accept its proposals They Wara all aware tuat the Chinese currency was in
a most confused state, The régime for inoculation is simple. The Then there were other difficulties. But anim lis placed in bamboo stocks (in the West wa it was quite evident that unless some reform would use something else, so that the fast are Fas effected in the systems of carrency secure, otherwise la demonstrating his objection and taxation which existed in China she would to having needles run into his flesh the bullock have the greatest difficulty in extricating herself might naturally delay the process, which usually from her present financial situation. Unless takes twelve and a half minutes), Ten onbio they gave a very liberal meaning to the words centimetres of virulent blood from another the near future" he did not think the change animal with the disease in progress, and fifty would come about in the near future, and they C.C. of the prepared serum from an immune should be prepared to labour nader the inauimil, are then injected into the sabontaneous conveniences which existed at present for at least some years longer.
Powers having varying interests find themselves face to face with negotiations that cannot have effect until all the separate interests, separately promoted, have been reconciled, I think it is likely to be some time yet before all the Treaty Powers will fall into line with respect to this question of lekin. You are aware gentlemen, that the reform or abolition of the exist ng system-or want of system-in the levying of the transit dues known lekin, has been urged upon the attention of H. M.'s Government by various bodies interested in the China rade, and especially by mercantile bodies directly connected with China, for many years past. It was impossible, therefore, when an opportunity was given to H.M.'s Government of negotiating a revision of the treaty of 1858, that they should not avail themselves of it, in order, if possible, to give satisfaction to the interests of manufacturers and merchants. And I venture to think tha, if we could count upon the good faith of the Chinese Government in carrying out their engagements, such an arrangement as is contained in Art. VIII. of the Treaty so patiently and skilfully negotiated by the British Commissioner, Sir James Mackay, is the best that could be made in order to obtain the end in view; namely, of freeing commerce from the fetters im osed on it by this system of internal taxation, while at the same time securing to the China Government revenue sufficient for carrying on the administration of tie country, and
for meeting their financial obligations to foreign governments and in- vestors in the Chinese foreign debt, But since there are Powers whose interesis in the pro- sperity of the China trade can by no means be compared with those of the British Empire in point of magnitude of those interests, it is not nnnatural that they may feel less earnest in this matter than H.Ms Governme t have shown themselves. There is one remark I feel it is necessary to make in reply to the observa- tion that when Chiua declared harse f unable to pay the indemnity imposed upon her to meet the expenses of the expeditions despatched by various Powers to relieve the foreign legations. to protect the foreign residents throughout China, and to put down the Boxer movement, Great Britain came forward and said "increase your import duties to five per cent." Gentlemen, this proposition was not made by Great Britain. It. can safely be affirmed that if Great Britain alone had been concerned, she would have dis played the same moderation as she showed in 1858 and in 1861, when she demauded an in- demnity far inferior in amount to the expen- diture she had incurred in common with her single ally on those occasions; but there wera other Powers that did not feel the same disposi-he tion, and the only principle which found favour was that of insisting upon China paying the whole cost of the expedition of 1900. When, under such circumstances, it is indispensable in order to arrive at a set ment that unanimity must be obtained, when there are eleven Powers negotiating for a common purpose, it is neces- sary for those who find thems Ives in the minority to give way, and thus H.M.'s Govern- ment found themselves unable to manifest that moderation and consideration for China that they would have preferred. It was urged upon INVESTIGATION OF RINDERPEST them by certain of the Powers with much in- sistence that the Customs duties should be raised to 10 per cent. ad valorem. They re- fused to consent to this proposal, which would have cast the greater portion of the burden upon British commerce, but as a compromise they intimated their willingness to revise the import tariff so that the duties should become what they were intended to be by the treaty of 1858, namely, 5 per cent., and in doing this I think they must be held to have defended British in- terests very effectually. You will not, gentle men. I think, expect me to discuss the whole of Article VIII. in all its details, nor to go into the question of the excise duty, especially as I have not the text before me At the same time, I would beg to remind you that such safeguards have been provided as in the opinion of H. M.'s Government will sufficiently ensure its fair application, so that the import trade shall not suffer any detriment from the Article being carried into effect after it has been accepted by all the other Powers. With reference to the question of exchange with China, I fully recognise the inconvenience of
Mr. C. Armstrong desired to know what was position of Hongkong in the matter of a gold sta dard.
Sir Ernest Satow, in reply, said he was not in a position to say what was likely to happen. He, however, knew that the interests of Hong- kong were bound up very much with those of the mainland, and by many interested in the trade of Hongkong is was thought that it would be suicidal for them to adopt the gold standard when China did not.
IN CHINA.
pleasure of visiting the cattle-yards, a short During my stay in Shanghai, I had the distance from the city, and became very much interested in the successive means employed for the prevention of "rinderpest." In the first place, the cattle-yards are divided up so that each drove of animals, in various stages of the inoculation, are separated and apart from the others, those which have the severest form of the rinderpest, contracted by the immune procedure, are placed in a covered yard com. posed of numberless stalls and capable of containing as many as five hundred head com- fortably. This yard is called the " sick ward," and particular pains are taken in the methods
ased for the disinfection of it; all the straw and other material, after contamination, is burnt, and a liberal use of lime is made. Not only is all waste material destroyed by fire and other means of absolute disinfection, but scrupulous cleanliness is observed in all matters, whether pertaining to the care of the animals or to the appliances of this so called "sick ward." Those animals
tissues, just behind the fore-legs, well down on the abdomen; and after about twelve and one half minutes, the serum and germ-soaked blood begin a battle for supremacy in the system of the unfortunate bovine. Which will win remains to be seen. This inoculation is repeated in five days, sometimes in less time, and sometimes two or three extra injections are needed, depending on the animal's condition; then you increase either the amount of serum or infected blood injected.
It is to be hoped that by continuous inpcala- tions and perseverance on the part of Govern- ment employees, as well as private firms, at some time in the future a breed of cattle will
be developed that shall be immune from birth, thereby removing one of the greatest curses the Filipinos have to contend with at present. Let us trust that the honest work of honest men may continue in this direction, and that science may soon be blessed with further discoveries for eradicating this fearful pest,-Contributed.
The Russian Minister at deoul is said to have claimed damages from the Corean Government as compensation for the destruction of the telegraph line on the Yala River, which was pulled down by order of the Governor of Wiju. The Corean Minister for Foreign Affairs bas refused the Russian claim, and says with regard to the allegation that other countries have greater privileges than Russie, that English and American concessionaires were allowed to construct their telegraph lines at the mines after obtaining the cousant of the Corean Government. On the other hand, the Russians had constructed their lines without any permission from, or communication with, the Corean Government. The Corean Government must therefore absolutely refuse the claims of the Russian Minister.