August 29, 1903.]
THE BRITISH CONSULAR
SERVICE.
The report of the Committee appointed by Lord Lansdowne to enquire into the constitution of Consular Service has been issued as В Parliamentary paper. The committee consisted of Sir W. H. Walrond, Lord Cranborne, Sir James L. Mackay, and Mr. A. Bonar Law. The Committee find that the British Consular Services in the Levant, Persia, Siam, China, and Japan are recruited by means of open competition under the Civil Service Com- missioners, the limit of age being from 18 to 24. The general Consular Service, that is, for all
countries other than those named, is recruited solely by nomination of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the ages of those appointed being anything from 25 to 50, both years inclusive; officers appointed in this way are obliged to show that they have a certain degree of fitness for their appointments. As regards the China, Japan, and Siam Consular Services, the Committee recommend that they should be recruited, like the general service, under a system of limited competition, and they further recommend that the service in Siam should be linked on to the general, and not treated as a separate service, because the limited number of appointments in Siam makes promotion ex- tremely slow. Thus, after serving a few years in Siam, a man might be moved to another country, either on promotion or otherwise.
The General Consular Service, as it at present exists, offers no attractions to capable young men. The committee strongly recom- mend that the present system of nomination and age limits for general Consular Service should be abolished, that admission into that service should be by limited competition, and that the age for admission should be from 22 to 27, thus enabling candidates to compete who have had both an University and a commercial training. At the same time, power should be reserved to the Secretary of State to appoint any person, regardless of age limit, to one of the higher posts for which special qualifications may be required, but such ap; pointments should only be made in exceptional circumstances. Evidence has been submitted
tending to show that the most successful British traders have no desire to invoke the assistance of our Consuls, and that they consider them. selves able to obtain much more useful information for their business than the best Consuls can supply. There remains, never- theless, the report adds, a certain demand for the commercial intelligence which Consuls are in a position to afford, and their trade reports are undoubtedly of interest and value to the commercial community. The committee have reason to believe that, if opportunity is afforded to young men of from 22 to 27, who at the age of from 18 to 22 have chosen a
CHİNA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.. to adopt the recommendations, the committee suggest that it might be convenient to bring them into operation with new appointments, leaving existing arrangements to run out in respect of men at present in the service
JAPAN AND RUSSIA.
secre
on
An interview with a Japanese General, whose The General is represented as stating that name is not given, is reported in the Mainichi. there is no reason to believe that Russia is determined to accept the danger of a war with to convey troops and war materials and thereby Japan or any other power. It would be absurd expose their intentions to the whole world. If absolutely war preparations are determined upon, it is
necessary to
carry them iu the greatest
oy.Russia's action is evidently a threat; otherwise we should not hear 80 increase of men at Port Arthur and additional much in the papers of an work on railways, and other military prepara- tions at this place and that. It will be time for raise half a million troopers in Siberia after the Russians to strike a blow when they can laying out the wilderness in rich farms. Russian finances now are just getting on a regular basis and it would be disastrous if war should on the other hand, the present is the best confront her statesmen at the present moment.
time for Japan to fight. Her Military aud The reserve and provisional regiments are to Naval programmes have just been completed. be armed with good weapons, and the Navy has Japan will start the third expansion of the oves 300,000 tons of strong warships. Of course Navy, but the Russians will increase their Navy to even a greater extent. Had Japan showed Manchurian question would have been solved a strong front three or four months ago the much earlier; "but time has been wasted. It is still not too late and Russia will withdraw, leaving some railway guards, if Japan insists
on the evacuation of Manchuria. It would not
drive the be a very hard task for the Japanese army to Russians from Manchuria and
Vladivostock; but it would be impossible for the Japanese to invade the Russian capital. It would be also impossible for the Russians to approach Tokyo, and a Russo-Japanese war therefore would be a campaign in frontier dis- tricts. As to the American aim touching Manchuria. that (the General is reported to have said) is only to obtain the opening of some towns and ports for foreign trade. That once secured, America will abandon her demand. She would not insist upon it even if Russia refused to comply with the demand. The British interest in Manchuria is far larzer will not risk a than that of the Americans; but even Britain The Anglo-Japanese alliance helps the British to decrease her Navy in the Far East and will facilitate movements in Turkestan and Persis, in the event of Russia and Japan coming to blows. Japan may expect very little of the alliance in case of war, and there is no hope of British warships or British not render any actual assistance to Russia when soldiers being sent to assist Japan. France will her ally goes to war, and Japan will therefore have to be prepared to fight Russia single- handed when it comes to business and not depend on any other Power or Powers for
assistance.
war.
167
HONGKONG NAVAL DOCK..
The official explanation of what is being done at Hongkong was welcome, says the Naval and Military Record. Mr. Proty man described the proposal to build dooks for the Navy on the mainland (at Kowloon) as a purely commercial and colonial plan in which the Admiralty had no direct interest. No particular progress has yet been made with the naval dook in the island, because difficulties connected with infiltration difficulties appear to have been surmounted now, hive delayed the preliminary work. These and the dock will progress. There is room, too, have increased their Dockyard territory from six for a second dock, if required, as the Admiralty to forty acres. Our readers probably know that large commercial docks already exist at Kowloon, on the other side of the anchorage, but these are not deep enough to take a modern battleship with safety. There is reason to conclude that the colonists would have built a larger dock on the mainland, under certain guarantees from the Admiralty. They are known to have been very desirous of averting the extension of the naval yard at Hongkong, where land is so much in demand. The point has been decided mainly on strategical grounds, the island being more secure from attack than the mainland opposite.
also, no doubt, to erect a chain of forts. Our If we built naval works at Kowloon it would be necessary to occupy that place with troops, and coaling station, however, is on the mainland and we do not know how this is justified.
In the course of a leading article in the same issue the Naval and Military Record says:- The progress of the Hongkong works is said to and only one is contemplated for the use of our be good, but we have no Naval dook there yet, big squadron in the China seas. The alliance and save as some outlay. The Admiralty are with Japan may, however, affect this question
constructed on the island of Hongkong, and satisfied that the necessary works can now be
his disposes of the Kowloon scheme,
THE S.S. "CLAVERING" ASHORE AT HONOLULU.
From the Hawaiian Gazette of date 21st July we take the following account of the mishap to the China Commercial Co.'s 8.8. Clavering: from Hongkong, and thirteen days from The steamship Clavering (Captain Barton) Yokohama, with freight and a large number of Chinese coolies for Merican ports, was reported off port about ten o'clock last night and about an hour later was reported ashore on the reef.
The Clavering struck the reef between the bell buoy and the spar buoy. She commenced blowing her whistles at once and two red lights
were hoisted to the mast-head. The vessel hád pushed her nose hard up on the reef and was apparently in a pretty bad fix, although there was buta light sea running last night. Pilot Lorenzen went out to the steamor immediately and after securing a report of the vessel's condition pat back to town for assistance. About the time that Pilot Lorenzen reached the vessel the steamer Lehua arrived with the Board of Health party from Malokai. The Captain of the Lehua got alongside the distressed steamer and offered assistance, but aside from saying that he wished to have his plight reported to the agents in Honolulu and that he was evidently hard on the reef, Captain Barton did not require any furthe
assistance of the 'Lehua.
The agents of the vessel, Messrs. W. G. Irwin & Co., were notified, but at one o'clock this morning the tug had not yet got under way to go to the Clavering's assistance.
business career, to enter the Consular Service, there will be no dearth of suitable applicants for permission to compete. With- out proposing that, at first, candidature for the Consular Service should be confined to such men, the committee are of opinion that a proportion of the nominations for the suggested limited competition should be given to young men who have received a good commercial training. The applicants should be required to satisfy the Secretary of State, before they receive nominations, that they have had a liberal education, that they views of a military correspondent on the situation The Yorodzu also publishes a report of the have had a commercial training of four or five It notes that Russia, which is busy on her years, and that they are in other respects military preparations in the Far East, is from their previous history likely to be
constantly trying to come to an amicable qualified and suitable for the Consular Service. Recommendations follow
arrangement with Japan, by offering Corea in
The Clavering is a British vessel of 2,155 examination and as to salaries, the committee exchange for Manchuria. Japan, however, is
now allied to Great Britain and an understand-tons. She was recently chartered by the new suggesting that the service should be
China Commercial Company and was making divided into grades, as follows:-Consulsing with Russia is out of the question. As a General, first grade, salary. £1,200 a year;
last resort, Russia is trying to compel Japan her initial voyage on the run for this company second grade, £1,000 a year. Consuls-first trouble in Corea.
to come to some understanding by causing from Oriental ports to Honolulu, Manzanillor Mexico, and San Francisco. She has a large- grade, £800 a year; second grade, £600 a year.
number of coolies on board and freight for Vice-Consuls-salary, £300. rising by annual
Mexico, and is said to have about 1,500 tous of increments of £25 to £500. The committee
freight for Honolulu. This is the first vessel make recommendations also as to a system of
of the line to call at this port. local allowances in expensive places. Salaries and allowances under the system proposed by the committee would amount to £95,650 per annum, as against £91,600 under the existing system, a gross increase of £4,050, but the committee think that the net increase would be only £3,250, Should Lord Lansdowne decide'
8.8 to
|
Two of the recently escaped convicts at Shanghai, by name Langford and Ward, were sent to the United States in charge of a deputy- marshal on the Hongkong Maru, to complete their sentences in San Quintien Prison. Natalie Nalis, a Filipino undergoing a sentence of 15 years' imprisonment for murder, was sent by the same steamer to complete his sentence at San Quintien,
It could not be learned last night how the vessel happened to get ashore. Some mis must have been made regarding the shore lights. At the time of the accident there were some twenty or more Japanese sampans off port, all burning bright lights, but the steamer got in much closer to the shore than were these lights,