November 7, 1903)|
certainly have been, by itself, a very insufficient and sentimental 'return for so important a privilege to France. We are already firmly established in Egypt beyond the possibility of being turned out, unless some grand national disaster should befall us. The renunciation of France's historic shore rights in Newfound Innd has also been suggested, but these rights were only prejudicial to us as being somewhat irksome to Newfoundland. Britain would naturally be anxious to relieve her colonists in Newfoundland of such an inconvenience, but not at too, large an expense to the Empire. The granting by France of two coaling-stations on the coast of Indo-China, we must confess, seems to an improbable clause in the agrees evt,|| both because Britain, does not appear particularly in need of them, and because we should imagine it would create too great an outcry in the French Colonial Party. It would be a distinct departure from previous French policy, and the proposal would probably wreck the chances of the convention being signed. The last paint mentioned by our correspondent is the retrocession of Chan- taboon to Siam, an act of justice to that country which has been long delayed by the intrigues of the forward party of which M. DOUMER, late Governor of French Indo-China, is so prominent a member. Such a provision would doubtless do much to improve Anglo-French relations in the Far East, since the suspicion of designs upon Siamese territory has been a great stumbling block in the way of a good understanding.
£
331
not killed by kindness, as far as we their can remember, nor by proposals to make pleasant for them.
constant sojourns in gaol more of a particular class, whatever it may An outbreak of crime be, is followed in the first place by severer sentences by the magistrates, and often by severer legislation. That is all we ask for here. The problem with which we are now in contact is not one peculiar to the meeting of Western civilisation with the East. It is one which may face any community, homogeneous or otherwise
provide sufficient safety of person and A Government which cannot property is
for its law-abiding subjects Government whose only notion of doing u failure, just as much as that
Government takes the middle course and so is by Draconic severity. The just
punishment. deals out adequate, though not inhumane,
check
TIBET.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. in prison, with an increase in the security of life and property;
that Governmeut barbarity breeds barbarity (in the governed); that Canton, where legal punishment i not only severe but harbarous, offers less safety for life and property than Hongkong; that we have no ground for supposing that severity of punishment would prove a deterrent of crime here, when extreme severity has altogether failed in Canton; that it would almost seem that what is going on in the "model" communities of China is the levelling-down of Western civilisation, not the raising of Chinese, in race. }
and that for Westerners to advocate brutality in punishment is practically to confess the failure of Western civilisation in contact with the problems of the East. These are, briefly, the main contentious advanced by our Kobe contemporary. To avoid misappre bension of advisable to answer them shortly, though;
our attitude, we think it the subject is one to which we have given official or unofficial, European or Chinese, No sensible resident here, a considerable amount of space recently. is advocating cruelty, barbarity, or bru
In the first place, it is a great error totality, or any "pale imitation imagine that we have in any way advocated inethods, as the Kobe Chronicle suggests. of Chinese barbarous punishment for any class of All law-abiding residents alike criminal. It is rather absurd to speak of to
wish the severity of the punishments inflicted larceny, with or without violence, by the prevailing outbreak of on Chinese prisoners in Hongkong," or vagabonds who dare not ply their trade in of the local papers advocating measures of "still greater severity." Chinese pri- look down on us as brutal persons? We their own country. Must Kobe therefore
writer in the Kobe Chronicle has probably ments in Shanghai. We have not praised the soners are not treated with severity. The say nothing about the Mixed Court punish- never had the opportunity of inspecting methods in vogue there, have only barely prison life in Hongkong, or he would not mentioned them, and it would be a travesty speak in this strain. Those who have done of dialectic to make out that the penal so cannot honestly maintain that the pri- systems in Shanghai and Hongkong soners in Victoria Gaol, whatever their resemble one another. This much of justice nationality, are in any way ill-treated. The is at least due to us. only fault which we can observe is over- crowding, and this is a point which is earnestly engaging the attention of the authorities. The percentage of sickness in the Gaol is wonderfully small, notwith- standing the lack of proper accommodation; and a prisoner, certainly if he belongs to the coolie class, is wout to come out of confinement in excellent physical condition. With regard to the comparison between Hongkong and Canton, it is unreasonable to suppose that China, with her entirely in- adequate police system, could keep order as well it a turbulent district as even an undermanned police force under Eu- In Canton, as elsewhere in China where ropean control and partly in itself European. there is much crime, the attempt is made to supply the deficiencies of police by a terrible severity of punishment of the guilty when caught. This is not entirely in ffective, for under the late Lr HUNG CHANG's rule in Canton piracy was kept under in a way remarkable in the history of Kwangtung province. But we would in no way like to see the Hongkong Government imitating that of China in the manner of its punishment of criminals. There is all the difference in the world between making The Kobe Chronicle, in a recent issue, says just (if we allow that punishment can be a punishment adequate and that it notes that the Hongkong Daily Press just) and creating a reign of terror. takes exception to some remarks recently have contended, and we have nowhere seen We made in its columns with regard to the a denial of that contention, that the know- severity of the punishments inflicted on ledge of Hongkong's system of punishment Chinese prisoners in Hongkong, and to the advocacy by the Hongkong papers that worthless rt: to c'e ne come here from the for theft and petty roguery encourages the measures of still gater severity should mainland, where they are threatened with be taken against such criminals. The Chronicle goes on to state that with the template, and to exercise their nefarious penalties which they do not care to con- greater humanity of legal punishment wits here. If they are caught, will, they in England, since the fourth decade of the get off lightly; if they are not, then they nineteenth century, crime has steadily can retire to China once diminished, and instead of the prisons proceds of the.r robberies, and live on more with the proving the reuge of the idle and vicious, ein as long as these last. as was prophesied, there has been a pro- deal here with a constant influx of Chinese We have to gressive decrease in the number of persons
Hooligans," The Hooligans at home were
It is impossible to pronounce upon the general probability of such an agreement as that reported in our Londou telegram. It might be thought that the conditions appear more favourable to Great Britain than we could reasonably expect, particu- larly as the conquest of Morocco must naturally be a difficult task, and that there are other nations icture-ted in North Africa. But Spain, the principal of these nations, has already been reported to have an under- standing with France on the Moroccou question, by which the Ceuta coast at least is preserved to her; and Italy's interests lie further eastward. On the whole, there is nothing inherently improbable in rumoured agreement (save perhaps, as we the have suggested, where it touches Indo- China), and though it would make a very serious alteration in the map of the Medi- terranean, it might be welcome as a means of putting the finishing touches to a bond of peace between Britain and France, a consummation which would be the strongest guarantee possible of the continued harmony of Western Europe.
PUNISHMENT OF C.IME IN HONGKONG.
(Daily Press, 5th November.)
::
|
(Daily Press, 4th November.) The latest news
may
be
con-
British Mission to Tibet, from which it is with regard to the
hope that Indo-Tibetan trade largely expanded, is that Major YOUNG- HUSBAND WAS due ii Simla ou the 20th October to consult with the Indian Govern ment on the situation. The position of affairs remained theu exactly as it had been for many weeks, the Chinese authorities having adopted their characteristic attitude
undertaking, sending of doing nothing and, in violation of their no representatives to discuss matters with the British and Tibetan delegates. But we learn from Indian telegrams that it was fidently believed in Darjeeling that the final orders terminating the present impasse at Kambajong would be issued shortly. If this belief was well grounded, then those orders should be issued by now. Colonel MANIFOLD, R.E., who was in charge of the troops superintending the road-restora tion in the direction of Tibet, Captain O'CONOR, Special Intelligence Officer for in consultation with Major YOUNGHUSBAND Tibet, and Mr. CLAUDE WHITE were all
at Darjeeling before his visit to Simla. It was suggested that a new road should be made for the purposes of trade into Tibet, via Bhutan, and it was believed that. carrying out of this project. It is realised the Bhutan Durbar would not obstruct the that road-making is a most important part of the opening up of Tibet, and troops of the Pioneer regiments have been sent up to Sikkim, etc., in considerable numbers. It is to be hoped that we shall soon hear that the ing the Chinese authorities to the fulfilment Indian Government has succee led in bring.
questions will then be brought to a satisfac- of their engagement, and that the pending
'tory termination.