482
CHINA ASSOCIATION DINNER.
" &
(Daily Press, 24th December.) The annual dinner of the members of the China Association in London is always a great success. It serves to bring together many old friends and acquaintances, keeps alive the interest of members in the pro- ceedings of the Association, which are conducted by the Committee during the year, and reminds the Government and the public of the existence of a body formed to watch over the interests of Britain in the Far East. The saying that dianer lubricates business '{
applies also to the functions of a public body, whose wheels are often made to revolve more readily by a little social festivity. For these reasons we are glad to note that the China Association's dinner in London has become an annual event, which is looked forward to not alone as a meeting of the society, but also as n meeting ground where old China hands may keep alive the memories and questions which were once continually before them and enable them to keep in touch with the new generation of colonists. The dinuer is likewise useful in bringing in guests from the various public services who have in the past and may in the future work in har- mony with the unofficial element in the Far East to promote the interests of British trade and to uphold British influence and prestige. On these occasions, naturally, when the good fare cheers the body and the good wine heartins the spirit, te tongue runs freely and neat compliments are ex- changed and encouraging words said which go to soothe the worried or irritated worker and, in not a few cases, secure to those who have borne the h at and burden of the day a merited tribute.
Such a tribute was
generously paid by Sir THOMAS JACKSON at the annual meeting to Mr. R. S. GONDEY, the former Hon. Secretary in London of the Association, Compliments had been flying about pretty freely during the evening, and the proceedings were wear- ing to a close, but the large-souled Chair. man was not going to let the occasion pass without giving to their old Secretary his need of praise. After replying to the toust of his own heal h, most cordially proposed by Mr. W. KESWICK, he said: "There is one thing I should like to refer to, and which I am sure must be a source of pride to every member of our Association, and that is the distinction that has been con. ferred upon our splendid old secretary. His work has not been of the ordinary description. I think he is one of the most houest, manly, and straightforward men I have ever met, and I an sura We all sincerely hope he will live long to enjoy the honour that His most gracious Majesty has conferred upon him. The applause that followel these remarks suffic ently attested their appreciation, which is shared, we feel sure, by members of all branches of the China Association.
While, however, these annual banquets play a useful and a pleasing part in the history of this great and influential associa- tion, we trust the Committee will not be content to live on the memory or reputation built up very largely by the indefatigable efforts and signal ability of Mr. GUNDRY. The Association must keep pushing, mu-t continue to progress. The Chairman, when proposing the toast of prosperity to the China Association, rightly said he must confine his remarks on the doings of the Committee by saying that all their works be written in the and proceedings would book of the chronicles of the Association for 1908-4," and he then proceeded to refer at some length to the stirling events now.
44
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[December 31, 1904.
we
In connection with another case, have received a letter from a gentleman the life sentence who considers that inflicted for a recent dastardly assault
We are upon a baby girl was too severe. amazed that any man could entertain such Once such an an opinion for a moment. offence is proved, we can scarcely consider ** this any sentence too severe. He says offence was not of like gravity" (with man- It was, in our slaughter). We agree. opinion, infinitely more heinous.
taking place in Manchuria, and expressed such recommendations, in cases like the the hope and belief that the result of the present, should not be taken too seriously. In war would be to lead to great developments cases like this, racial questions should not be in the trade with China, which he consider-raised for one moment. It is sufficient to re- ed was still in its infancy. But naturally member that fellow human beings, fellow he said nothing as to what the Asociation subjects, have been foully done to death. There was doing or thinking of doing to secure for are many murders in which the murderer British capital and British merchants their clearly has no animus against the particu- share in that coming development. That lar victim. The burglar and the pirate the Association is still active and using its kills any unfortunate creature who may influence on behalf of British commercial happen to oppose bis unlawful proceedings: that is murder, just as much as if the interests we are well assured, and we can
the slayer, actuated by hatred of a specific only hope that its influence with
We should enemy, were to lie in wait and kill that Foreign Office has not waned. like to feel equally assured that it is work- one. Humanity is one thing, and hysterical ing strenuously to bring about the early sentiment is another. The safety of the construction of the railways in China for community depends upon the careful admin- which concessions have been secured by istration of justice; and a tempering thereof British syndicates. It would likewise be with unwise mercy may easily endanger. comforting to know that the London Office that safety. of the Association is urging on the Govern- ment the propriety of encouraging and assisting the Chinese Imperial Government to adopt a scheme for placing the currency The Peking of China on a stable basis. Authorities are quite disposed to adopt a uniform coinage on a gold basis, and only need sufficient encouragement from the It is for Treaty Powers to take the plunge. the permanent iut rest of British manufac. tures that such a step should be taken, and there is no question that it would be follow. ed by a considerable expansion of business. At present, owing to the uncertainties of exchange, Chinese dealers in foreign piece
(Daily Press, 27th December.) goods and other merchandise are afraid to do more than order for the supply of im- It is not useful to speak of Corea's present mediate requirements, and business on any position as some Orient newspapers are at thing but the narrowest scale is out of the present speaking. It is easy to outpour question. The loss caused to British and sentiment in connection with the apparently foreign mercantile residents in Hongkong hard, painful, and unfair position into and the Treaty ports of China is continuous which Corea, as the cockpit of the East, has been thrust; but there is no great excuse aud enormous, and there is nothing, under
In her geographical position, present conditions, to make up for this for doing so. most serious decline, while it seems hopeless Corea.needed a much more settled and to expect any effort on the part of the strong administration than has been her lot while Russia, China, Japan, and England British Authorities to deal with the cur- reucy of this Colony. The Straits Set le- have been wrangling round her borders. ments have their dollar on a gold basie, but England's temporary occupation of Port Hamilton from 1885 to 1887 would pre- that Colony's borders are not conterminous with the frontier of China; they are sepa. sumably never have been aventured but rated from the Central Kingdom by nearly for Russia's intrigues to establish a protec- fifteen hundred miles of water. The interven-torate over Corea; and but for Corea's ing sea in this case is a substantial blessing, domestic disorder, involving all kinds of for Hongkong has to pay for its propinquity fatal cross purposes, it is unlikely that to Celestial soil by sharing China's losses Japan, with whom the new Emperor made wise treaty, could have been forced into the through the vagaries of the white metal. It remains for the China Association to endeavour to remove these disabilities from British subj cts in China, and to labour unweariedly for the promotion of railway fac litics in South and Central China, to the British influence and prestige end that may be maintained, and the prosperity an expansion of this Colony in the near future secured beyond doubt.
MURDERS AT HONGKONG,
|
COREA'S HARD CASE.
role of the tyrant of to-day, as depicted by the sentimentalist.
The Emperor's father, whom LI HUNG CHANG, so cleverly with drew from mischief, was an incarnation of China in her relations with the irresistible foreigner. His riotous attack on the Japanese Legation at Seoul was only the first of a series of incidents, more or less prominent continued by anti-foreign imitators, that has made it clearly impossi- ble to obtain peace while Cores, remains a debateable land, inspiratory of the covetous (Daily Press 24th December.) ness of her neighbours. For a long time The three beachcombers, who killed a it was China and Japan which faced each Chine e sampan woman recently under cir- other on Corean soil; and that Corea's cumstances which one of themselves related unhappy lot was fully recognised is evident in the China-Japan treaty of 1885. Both with extraordinary callousness, were 'sen-
The Jury countries, while thus emphasising Corea's tenced to death yesterday. recommende them to mercy, a recom- moral right to absolute autonomy, foresaw mendation which the Judge acknowledged that unless Corea herself awoke to her with the customary formula that he could responsibilities, there would be more trouble. It Cole was in the position of the lunatic and hold out no hope to the convicted men. is our painful duty to speak of the recom- distracted person whose affairs must be administered by the community unless mendation in an unsympathetic manner. We all realise how distres-ing it must be injustice is to be done by reason of his for ordinary ci izeos to be called upon to incompetence. The way in which Corea, held responsible for the various cliques at headquarters, coquetted with Russia after the China-Japun war was evidence of pele-s incump tence, if of
return
a
verdict that involves,
in the
ordinary course of law, the death of the prisoners. In our opinion, allowance should b› made for this very natural feeling, and
who must
he