January 16, 1904.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
-this is the
44
A
more
side of the question on which the Novoe | (or perhaps not strange), a Berlin telegram | signs. The Russians do not, or_not_all of Tremya writer does not touch-throwing of the 7th instant, forecasting such an offer them at any rate, see a bluff on Japan's aside the pretence of a mission and frankly to Japan, declared that the European Press part.. Our Port Arthur correspondent admitting that the dominion of the whole of did not expect any danger of war from move- tells us that there the Russians - say Northern Asia is what she aims at, Russia ments in North Corea so long as Russia that the Japanese evidently want can justify her more than lavish outpouring refrained from attacking Japan in South war and are acting in the right way to of money, raised with difficulty, and bring Corea, and Japan from attacking Russia in get it. The falseness of that view is ing back no visible return. But it is just Manchuria. The final occupation of South obvious, if natural. The Russian Press has, this which Russia cannot afford to do. To Corca by Japan, said this. Berlin telegram, of course, done its best to represent. "the have any chance of success, she must lay is considered liore a great success for Japan, Japanese nation as one of Jingoes and claim to a mission, must offer the world and is, as it was foreshadowed by the fire-brands; But where has been the justi quicker mail and passenger service, and must whole German Press, heartily welcomed. fication? No Western Power could have ask only for ice-free harbours and facilities. Is it possible to imagine a more foolish conducted the negotiations with for the expansion of her commerce. Then statement? Let us take it in conjunction dignity and moderation. If what is meant she is confronted with the. difficulty of with the now announced proposals of Rus- is that Japan did not "climb down" and answering questioners like that in the sia. That country is to remain in full accept whatever Russia was kind enough to Novoe Vremya, who asks why all this mouey possession of Manchuria, despite all concede, then words have acquired a new is being spent on the Manchurian railway previous promises, inaking only a few signification. Japan has certainly not acted and works connected with it, when Vladivo worthless concessions" to the rest of the the despicable part of prostration before stock will serve better and cost incalculably world. Japan is to be allowed to deal with Russia for a small bribe.She has not been less. The London Standard, referring to South Corea economically and strategically terrified by tall talk about vast numerical the article which we first quoted, says that as her interests may require, without, how superiority and hopelessness of resistance. the Russian, thanks to the repeated utter ever, occupying permanently any fortresses And yet she is not fighting her own cause ances of responsible papers, all more or less
final occupation" of South alone, even though in Corea she is chiefly in the same strain, is becoming accustomed Corea by the Japanese as welcomed by the concerned. Therefore when the time comes to the idea of the abandqment of the German Press ! North Corea is apparently we cannot believe that she will be found Southern branch of the Manchurian line, to be exempt from Japan's economical and alone or that in isolation she will be allowed from Kharbin to Port Arthur. Well, this strategical dealings, but full commercial free- to sink from the ranks of Great Powers, to may be so, but unfortunately the executive dom is to be accorded to Japan, being become a helpless spectator of Russia's pre- part of Russia, the Government, is little apparently the gift of Russia. And along dominance throughout Northern Asia. affected; though the Standard suggests that the Yalu there is to be a neutral zone in it may not be altogether without high official which neither Riggin nor Japan is to approval that the Russian Press is thus establish fortresses. Taking these four assiduously building a bridge over which points in order again, we may ask what Russia, if need arise, may effect a graceful Russia is offering to the Powers other than retreat when the present position becomes Japan in. compensation for her broken untenable in, Manchuria. This is an pledges concerning Manchuria. Secondly, optimistic suggestion, which we should lik- after the arbitrary division of Corea into to think true. The next weeks, if not days, two halves, how can the Russian proposal should show what amount of reason there about the South be interpreted? The Con- is in it. The loss of the Manchurian line istinental Press has anticipated a complete one which can be easily got over, by Civili- sation. It was built by aggression and dishonest diplomacy. Many other very useful railway lines might be constructed by similar means in various parts of the world, for instance across Southern Asia. But we can hardly imagine that Civilisation, cynical as it is wont to be, would feel called upon to approve of them because they shortened mail and passenger traffic. There are other principles, more vital to the comity of nations, at stake in this Northern complication.
+
(Daily Press, 15th January.) In his telegram of the 12th instant REUTER gives, on the authority of a Berlin announce- ment, what appears to be a very probable outline of Russia's latest proposals to Japan. As these are published in another column we need not detail them here. The gist of them is that Russia puts the Manchurian question entirely on one side, though re dy to accord Japan and other Powers " repre- sentation for commercial interests" and to respect treaty rights granted by China in the province; with regard to Corea, she magnanimously allows Japan to deal with the South "economically and strategically as her interests may require", and to have * full commercial freedom in the North-but neither in North nor in South Corea may Japan permanently Occupy any fortress. Further a fifty- Kilometre zone is to be drawn along the Yalu up to the Tumen, the river bounding Northern Coren; this zone (which is on the Corean side of the river, of course) is to be neutral. The publication of these proposals, if we may assume them to be authentic, finally reveals the long-suspected insincerity of Russia in her negotiations with Japan. There is no longer any reason for hoping that Russia intends to deal honestly. In fact, she has shown her hand. Yet, strange to say
THE LONDON SCHOOL OF
TROPICAL MEDICINE.
(Daily Press, 14th January.) In April and May, 1902, Sir FRANCIS LOVELL, C.M.G., paid a visit to Hongkong in connection with a mission to rouse Colonial interest in the work of the London School of Tropical Medicine, a school which Japu nese occupation. But there are to be owed its origin principally to Mr. JOSEPH no permanent fortresses. How, then, could CHAMBERLAIN, who some years ago, with the Japan, did she fall in with the reported object of affording instruction in tropical offer, make any use of it? Thirdly, what is medicine to medical officers in the Colonial to be the future of Northern Corea? Is it service, invited the committee of manage- to continue in the same ambiguous positionment of the Seamen's Hospital Society to as the whole of Corea is in now? Russia's establish a school in connection with their own rights in it are left absolutely unde-hospitals. Sir FRANCIS LOVELL'S mission fined. And lastly, why the neutral zone and the stipulation against either Russian or Japanese fortresses in it? Is the Port Hamilton agreement of seventeen years ago now dead, whereby, in return for the British evacuation of Port Hamilton, Russia gave China & guarantee not to occupy Corean territory under any circumstances whatever? Does Russia contend that this is void by the independence of Corea? The whole set of proposals seems to present an unparalleled example of bad faith, which is sufficient to warra.t nation refusing to accept an- other Russian promise hereafter,
any
Our Kobe correspondent's delayed tele- gram of Wednesday's date announces a conference at Tokyo on the previous day of the Ministers, the Elder Statesmen, and the heads of Departments, under the presidency of the Emperor of Japan, at which a deci- sion was come to, at present unrevealed, but believed to be very grave, which was at once telegraphed to the Powers and to the Japanese Minister at S. Petersburg, as well as communicated to the foreigu representa- tives at Tokyo. It seems hardly possible that this decision cau refer to anything but the acceptance or refusal of Russia's pro- posals. Those who think that Japan, as well as Russia, is bluffing might look for another prolongatio: of the negotiations by Japan, To us it seems that the Kobe Chronicle in a recent number was right in insisting that Japan is not in a position to spend fifteen million yen (as she is doing to make a diplomatic bluff, and that those who hold the theory that she is bluffing are greatly mistaken in their reading of the
was very successful. The Hongkong Go- vernment itself voted £100 a year for five years, as did the Straits and Federated Malay States Governments, while private subscriptions were most liberal.
It was estimated at the time that the School would be richer by some £10,000 as the total result, but we do not remember having seen the exact figures since. Now again we hear that Sir FRANCIS LOVELL is to come out East, to make a second attempt to gather the necessary funds for carrying on what. Sir PATRICK MANSON in an address on the 7th Deceinber last, on the occasion of Sir FRANCIS LOVELL's departure on his second tour, rightly called "an importaut and national enterprise." Dr. MANSON (to use once more the name by which he was formerly so well known in Hongkong) on that occasion spoke of what the School of Tropical Medicine has done, is doing, and hopes to do. With regard to education, he told his hearers that since October, 1899, 354 students had passed its portals-among the earlier students, we may note, being Dra. ATKINSON, STEDMAN, and J. G. THOM- son. Moreover the increase has been steady, and a larger proportion now stay for the full course of three months. The education is of an essentially practical ind. Sir PATRICK MANSON said that the students had been "in actual touch with the raw material, so to speak, the germ causes of disease, and the pathological effects of the operation of these germs on the human body" and had "seen, and most of them applied for themselves, the most recent methods of diagnosis,' Such students