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326
DISPOSITION OF THE CHINESE INDEMNITY.
of
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
(Daily Press 29th April.) Only the other day, aud then in a way incidentally, we alluded to the Protocol of 1901 and the manner in which one of its chief stipulations--that providing for the proper administration of the Harbour Dues -had been silently permitted to fall into oblivion through the benumbing action of that most deadly of soporifics, "Interna- tional Concord." It is only right to add that there is one point on which there has been no paralysis, and in regard to which the Concord" has shown itself indeed very much alive. We, of course, allude to the penalties demanded from China in part payment for the damages to life and property caused through the crazy escapade of the Empress Tsz'ni, who had usurped, without the requisite strength to control her ticklish steed, the reins of government. Wise in its generation, the Concord had assessed the damages at £67,500,000 ster- ling, but had so mancurred the incidence that, while the crime to be punished had been committed by Peking acting under the inspiration of the Dowager Empress and her satellites, the indemnity to be exacted was carefully saddled on the pro- vinces, who had taken no part whatever in the émeute, and even beyond this had taken active steps to preserve the peace of the Empire. Stranger still was the allocation of the penalties, which for the most part were to be applied in an exactly reversed proportion to the losses undergone by the several members of the Accord. A table of percentages will be interesting, as while the other parts of the Protocol were given wide publicity, this, which in the clue it gave to what was really the ruling feature | of the Concord, has been steadily suppres- sed, even by those whose apparent interest it was to have the miscarriage of justice publicly exposed. The following were the percentage rates which each of the Powers forming the Concord were to receive:~
Russia ... Germany
.
28.97
20.02
France
15.75
Great Britain
11.03
Japan
7.73
United States
7.32
Italy
5.91
1.89
Belgium The Rest
1.38
Actually the amount of Russia's claim was in sterling £20,003,116 12s. 11d. Germany's of nearly fourteen million mak- ing a bad second. As this was a matter of entente it was held on the part of the other Powers to be "bad form" to ask any ques- tions. The use made of these pretended; indemnities has become matter of history. While the greater number of the Powers pro- ceeded to divide the amounts amongst those who had been the actual sufferers, these two proceeded to use the indemnities in still further weakening China. Russia on the security of the capitalised amount at once raised a loan of some fifteen millions sterling, which she applied to warlike preparations in Manchuria, under the false pretence of safeguarding her new railway; while Ger- many, whose credit in financial quarters was better, did not have formally to pledge the amount, but nevertheless made use of the windfall in still further pushing her in terests in Shantung. Regarding Russia's action in the settlement a writer in reviewing a couple of months after its close the events of the year 1901 made the following remarks. Russia had been using her in- fluence in the Accord to screen the worst of the conspirator in the Palace Intrigue:
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to pass and also because the delay in the construction of the line is endangering the welfare of the Colony. In these con- clusions all those who have the interest of the Colony at heart-whether British or non-British-must agree, and it was in that conviction that the members present so warmly applauded the observations made by the Chairman and other speakers present.
The quotation from Messrs. ILBERT & Co.'s circular made by Mr. E. S. WHEALLER was also very strikingly to the point, Referring to the Shantung Railway, it said:"A feature which is becom- "ing rapidly noticeable in the Northern trade is the transference of business from "Chefoo to Kiaochau; the facilities for loading and unloading cargo there and "the rapid transit by rail to the interior are creating an exodus from Chefoo and "the establishment of the same hongs in
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[May 2, 1904. Russia's action took, however, a much | Mr. HewETT did not hesitate to advocate tore offensive tone; she practically forbade a subsidy by the Government for the section others to demand the punishment of of the railway running through British TUAN. The extraordinary thing about all | Territory. It would, he admitted, be a "these pretensions of Russia is not so much departure from British Imperial policy, and their extraordinary and unprecedented he quoted Earl PERCY in proof of this, but nature, as that the Powers concerned per- he considered this was a case that should "mitted this language to be made use of to properly form an exception to the rule, both them. Had Russia been warned off the on account of the difficult nature of the premises when these rudenesses com-country through which the line would have menced, and the insolent demands of her representatives been treated with the con- tempt they deserved, we should have "heard nothing more of these pretences.' Unfortunately" Britain, in her weak but honest desire to have in the sup- posed interests of peace some settle ment arrived at, took of all others the course most especially fitted to hasten the inevitable war by conniving at these glaring and inconsistent exactions. The subsequent course of events has proved, what at the time was shrewdly suspected, and what ought to have been perfectly well known to the British Government, that Russia, so far from being entitled to the countenance of the other Powers, had actually been herself" the first and main instigator of the Palace Plot, and had actually gone so far as to promise to LI HUNG-CHANG and his mis- tress immunity in case of their expelling the British Minister from Peking. Li was too cautious in his methods, and was quietly Kiaochau. It is said, that important shelved by the more truculent actors in the "markets in the interior can now be reached Plot, which eventually fell into the hands "in one day whereas formerly the same of bunglers like YUNG-LU and Tung Fʊ-
"class of cargo did not reach its destination HSIANG who made the mistake of rousing" under three weeks." This statement of a general anti-foreign campaign in which fact is impressive and to the point. It shows Russia was included, and against which the absolute necessity for the establishment Russia was ostensibly bound to act, while of the most rapid means of communication be- secretly screening the chief conspirators tween Hongkong and the interior of Kwang- from the punishment due to their deserts. tung, and especially with its greatest centre, It was for this service, and not for any Canton. It is idle to say that there is no pretended wrong suffered by herself, that prospect of any alternative line being built Russia demande her twenty million
or port founded, but there is really no cer- pounds; and the attempt to blink this fact, tainty on the subject; and it is the disgraceful as it was to British honour and peremptory duty of the British Government British prudence, has more than anything to see that the position of Hongkong as the else contributed to the loss of British pres. commercial gate of South China is not tige in the Far East; which in turn, by endangered from any quarter. That position paralysing her best meint efforts, now has been slowly and laboriously built up unfortunately too late, to bring about more during the past sixty years by its merchants wholesome conditions, has rendered neces- and traders, until ongkong has become sary the present war. In it, it is hardly the third port in the Empire in volume of necessary to add the honours are not trade, and it should be the constant care of ` Britain's, and we hope the lesson of our the Government to conserve and foster previous diplomatic bungle will not result that trade. What the German Govern- in our again tying our bands in the ment have done in Shantung could easily be entangling meshes of another pretended done by the British (lovernment in Kwang- "Concord." Unfortunately, judging from tung, but they are not expected to make a recent utterances both on the Continent railway 252 miles long; they are simply and at home, the warning is more than ever asked either to construct a railway twenty necessary.
miles in length through British territory, or to guarantee interest on such a line.
THE KOWLOON-CANTON
RAILWAY.
(Daily Press, 2nd May.)
Personally we should prefer to see the Hongkong Government empowered to make the line to the frontier of the New Territory, the Colony and the Imperial Government The Hongkong General Chamber of Com-sharing the cost between them, and leasing merce has, it is satisfactory to note, declared, in no uncertain manner, its inten- tion of urging on the prosecution of the desired railway communication between this Colony and Cantou. The Committee had not, as yet, taken up the question, pro- bably for two reasons: they had no mandate from the members, aud, being a cosmopoli- tan body, it was perhaps considered by them that so purely a British question should hardly be dealt with unless the members generally were in favour of it. The Chairman introduced the subject at the tail of his speeech as the most important of all, though not in the list of those dealt with in the Report, and he proceeded to speak in strong terms of the vital necessity existing for immediate action in the matter,
it to the Company responsible for the con- struction of the railway from Canton to the British frontier. The reason for this is simple. We want to see a final period put to the sickening procrastination shown by the concessionaries. It is now five years and four months, if not more, since they secured the concession, time enough-as has been recently demonstrated to construct a milway of two hundred and fifty miles and place it in running order; and not one sod has been turned of this which may truly be termed one of the most promising railway routes in the whole of the Celestial Empire. If negotiations are to be opened with the British and Chinese Corporation for the granting of a subsidy or other arrangement of the kind, more time will elapse before
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