December 17, 1904.]
the mere paying for them, for the Emperor is said to have sharply rebuked the official whose duty it is to enlighten him on all matters relat- ing to foreign affairs, and then imposed upon the Imperial Household Department the task
of procuring foreign translated works for him, ins end of the Waiwupu. His Majesty also commanded that the sum of Tls. 70,000 should be at once set aside for the purchase of those books, and that upon arrival at Peking they
should be taken charge of by the officials of the Imperial Library (Shang Shu-yuan) who are to hand up to the Emperor the books in succession as he has finished one after
another. Being a rapid and voluminous reader itlis reckoned that his Majesty will be able to complete the perusal of these translated works at
an
average of a book a day of about three hundred pages, large type,
The same correspondent at Peking states that the Empress Dowager has listened favour ably to the suggestion of Prince Ching to appoint a Prince of the Imperial House to the post of Chief Commissioner General for China at the Exposition at Brussels next your. This sending of a Prince to Brussels is intended to be
an acknowledgement of the courtesy and kind- ness which King Leopold of Belgium has extend-
ed to Chinese students who have gone to that country to study at the special invitation of its King-N-C. Daily News.
THE REPORTED ARMING
OF CHINA.
A Chinese official of high rank recently arrived at Shanghai from Peking, and was n terviewed by Mr. S. T. Laisun. Speaking of certain rumours among foreigners that China was arming preparatory to another war with the "Barbarians of the West," he warmly denied the imputation, from his own knowledge of affairs in general.
The Chinese Govern. ment, he said, is aware of its weakness in the
matter of well and properly drilled troops which puts the country at the mercy of the first aggressive Power. This, it is only natural, all patriotic officials are determined to remedy, without delay. China, as a qule. moves slowly, but what she fears is partition, and this very apprehension makes her officials work feverishly towards the desired end of making China strong enough to prevent such a catastrophe. Then there is the war in Manchuria, the end of which no one can foresee, and all Chinese feel the need of having a strong army to hold these three provinces no matter how the War will turn out, for there is no intention to allow the cradle of the dynasty to be wrested perpetually
**
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
kind.
THE WEIHAIWEI SCHOOL.
The District magistrate (Mr. R. F. Johnston, formerly of Hongkong) distributed the prizes at this school on Nov. 16th. The Headmaster reported that this was the second event of the day scholar. Formerly there were eleven day He had 23 boarder-pupils, and only one boys. The number would increase when the war was over. They were too near the scene of hostilities to expect more at present. The pupils came from the most northerly treaty port. and one from the most southern. "If Weihaiwei is to be the regular summer recort and sanitarium of the China fleet, the authorities here will prevent the crowding together of a large native population, and that, as in Hongkong at the eleventh hour it has been decided to reserve the
Peak for foreigners only, so here certain districts will be marked off for European residences and only a limited number of Chinese allowed to I believe, already done this." reside therein. The Germans at Tsingtao have,
Mr. Johnston thought the school was not sufficiently known, at any rate in Hongkong;
People there might know in a vague sense of the existence of a school here, but as regards its excellent situation, the climate, the surround.
ings, the suitability of the new premises, the qualifications of the staff, the standard of educa tion, the parent in Hongkong who had sons ready for school was, as a rule, in ignorance.
"SHREWSBURY" WRECKED.
The 8.8. Shrewsbury is wrecked on Bombay Reef. H.M.S. Rosario brought the news.
The Shrewsbury left Singapore for Hong: kong on the 10th ult., and ran on the reef at midnight seven days later. The wind was strong from the north-west at the time, and an abnormal current is said to have set the steamer about thirty miles out of her course in twelve hours.
to
She ran on the
came
455
ceremony, the Rev. Father Spada, the acting vioar for the district of Kowloon, addressed the gathering. He said that the new church, which is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii, was the gift of Dr. A. S. Gomes in loving memory of his dear parents and sister, and as an act of his love and veneration to the Kowloon were feeling for a time the necessity Blessed Virgin The Catholic community of
of a more spacious church in consequence of the
increasing number of Roman Catholics resid. ing there, but their wish could not be realized owing to want of funds, which were now fortu. nately provided through the spontaneous generosity of Dr. Gomes. It was a happy idea of Dr. Gomes to erect this new church in honour of the Blessed Virgin in this the Jubilee
of year
the pro-
clamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception; and this church will ever re- main as a lasting memento to the future posterity of the Roman Catholics in Hong. kong and Kowloon of the piety and devotion of its generous donor. This solemm ceremony just performed by the Pro-Vicar Apostolic, reminds him of Monsignor Piazzoli, who, he is
sure, is among all those present and participat- ing in spirit with their joy on this occasion, he, who has always cherished the wish of seeing this church erected. Father Spada con- cluded by calling upon all present to join him in expressing their grateful thanks to Dr. Gomes for providing the necessary funds for the construction of this church, for the inauguration and consecration of which in the coming year he hopes to have a still more solemu and agreeable ceremony. Three cheers were then called for Dr. Gomes, who bowed his acknowledgment. The party then adjourned to the Chapel for the Benediction, after which tea and cakes were provided in the school rooms of the Italian Sisters of Charity close by. The stone bore the following inscription in Latin:--- In the Faith of Jesus Christ. This first stone was laid by the Very Rev. P. de Maria. Pro-Vicar Apostolic, on the 10th December, 1904, in the year of Our Lord 1904"
+
FURTHER FIRES.
On the night of the 10th instant a fire broke out in bamboo matting and hemp shop The fire had at No. 108, Bonham Strand East. spread from the ground to the first floor when
coral about a mile distant from the wreck of the Baron Gordon. For seventeen days the crew were unable to attract the atten- tion of passing steamers, and were about to take the boats when the Rosario to the rescue. The vessel was then lying down by the stern, with her hull damaged to such an extent that little hope is The Rosario ap- entertained of salving her, proached close to the wreck, which lay on a table No. 1 of coral with deep water quite near it. and 2 holds were practically full, and No. 4 was making water rapidly. The engine room and stokeholds were also awash. By soundings. there was about 22 feet forward and nine feet fighting the flames were got under, but not before the first floor was gutted, and the goods aft. The vessel will probably break her back. The lascar crew is said to have shown on the ground floor practically destroyed by water. The fire Was caused through the lack of grit when the accident occurred. The crew numbered 43 all told, eight being Euro-capsizing of a kerosene lamp into some loose peans and the rest Indians. Everything move- hemp. The premises were insured in the Royal Insurance Company for $4000, and the goods able worth saving was taken on board the
in the North British Mercantile Insurance Rosario.
The Shrewsbury is a steel screw steamer of 3,223 tons and was Iuilt at Glasgow by Messrs.
the brigade, under the command of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Hallifax, arrived.
on the scene. After a few bours of hard
Company for a similar amount. The damage by fire and water is estimated at $10,000. There was no injury or loss of life in connection with the outbreak.
by an alien Power. All these are incentives to all Chinese officials (Manchus, of course, are also included in the term Chinese) to raise a strong well-drilled and modern-armed Army without delay so as to be ready for all such even- tualities as have been noted in the foregoing. There is, according to the sincere opinion of the interviewed mandarin, not the slightest cause for anxiety on the part of foreigners in China of a second and a greater "Boxer" war in the near future. Sentiment about foreigners in China has changed since 1900 and is still changing, until in a short time anti-foreign mobs will be the exception rather than the rule. When the Government possesses a numerous and properly equipped army so much less will there be the chance of mob rule and riots of any sort or colour; anti- NEW ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. Sing, reduced them to a heap of burning
mandarin, or anti-foreign. Indeed, since the last two or three months this feverish anxiety to raise and arm additional armies in the Northern, Central and Southern provinces has become accentuated rather than lessened, as from secret reports received from various Chinese Ministers abroad there are fears in Europe and America that the war between Japan and Russia is drawing other nations into the warlike arena, and that by the spring of
|
W. Hamilton and Co. in 1898. Her owners
were Messrs. Galbraith, Pembroke and Com- pany, of London, and local agents Messrs. Melchers and Company. She had a cargo of about 5,000 tons of Welsh steam coal aboard, consigned to the Admiralty.
LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE
The ceremony of the laying and the blessing of the foundation stone of the New Roman Catholic Church at Kowloon tok place on the 10th instant before a fairly large gathering of ladies and gentlemen and the clergy. In the absence of the Right Rev. Bishop Piazzoli, the Pro-Vicar Apostolic, the Very Rev. P. de Maria performed the ceremony next year no one need be surprised if he sees a assisted by the Revs. P. de Gabardi and G. general war on the two continents of Europe Spada. After some short prayers, Father de and Asia. Then where would poor China be, Maria blessed the stone, sprinkling it with holy if she remains as weak as after the disastrous water, and after spreading some mortar with a year of 1900? This danger is fully recog- silver trowel, the stone was lowered into its nised at Peking and the Government is quite place, and was solemnly declared to be well and naturally and properly preparing for eventuali- truly laid. The clergy then went round the ties. But a general anti-foreign war is out of | foundation of the Church in procession, the question the lessons of 1900 are too recent, sprinkling holy water upon it. After this
|
!
FROM KOWLOON SIDE. Another outbreak occurred at the Indian Military Matsheds at about 2 o'clock on Satur- day afternoon. Catching a hold on the dry matting, the flames spread very rapidly, and catching on to the boiler works at Pong See
embers. The interned Russians checked the progress of the flames by setting to work and pulling down some engineering sheds in the course the fire was taking. The fire brigade were quickly on the scene, but could do practically nothing. The origin of the fire is unknown. The damage is estimated at $10,000.
The s.s. Indravelli, which is being fitted up in the longkong and Whampoa docks for the South African coolie trade, was the scene of auother blaze. The brigade under Inspector Macdonald were soon on the spot and had the fire under way before any serious damage How the outbreak occurred is resulted. unknown. In this fire Police Sergeant Counsell sustained severe injuries about the body. He was admitted to Hospital, but from latest accounts is progressing favourably.