April 3, 1905.]
East, quite apart from the direct interests, commercial and other, which would be involved.
HANKOW AND FOREIGN SHIPPING.
(Daily Press 31st March.) The Shanghai correspondent of the Times sees in the decision of the Foreign Office to reserve for Britons the water frontage of the British concession at Hankow " a mani.
festation of Mr. CHAMBERLAIN'S policy," meaning, of course, the latest of his polici s. It appears that this British concession in the heart of our Yangtaze sphere of in fluence has been running acute danger of becoming anything but British, the Russians, French, Germans, and Japanese hemming us in on all sides, so that there has been
barely "elbow-room, 55
to say nothing of expansion. It was no doubt owing to the dilatoriness of British_enterprisers, referred to recently by Mr. BYRON BEENAN, and their reluctance to face the hard pioneer work of founding a new commercial centre, that caused the Municipal Council in 1864 to admit non-British persons to the right of owning land in the British settlement. This involved the admission of non-British voters. Now that the trade and shipping there has shown such marked development, the British firms who did face the heat and
C
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
213
but cui bono? The immediate and more own version of the incident to head- pressing question is whether the British quarters should any enquiry be made. Government should take steps to retain this On the other hand, whether they be one of her numerous, hardly gained out- naturalised as British or Japanese subjects, posts, as British in fact as in name. It is they never suffer conscription. In Japan suggested that the abolition of the existing the Chinaman can live cheaper and earn system of yearly leases, in favour of a thirty bigger interest on his money, and he knows or forty year lease granted to the highest that every dollar of it is safe from either (British) bidder, would meet the case, with unfair taxation or official extortion. Many out raising freights, the argument being foreigners are beginning to find this out, that the privileged British shippers could and there are some with moderate capital foreign rate plus the expense of sending reasons to those that used to cause English not raise the freight rate to more than the who permanently reside there for similar goods to and from the less convenient posi families in reduced circumstances to reside tions occupied by the foreign ships, for ob-on-the Continent. High taxatio: and the vious economic reasons. still leaves undecided the nationality of the what official corruption has done for China, This suggestion low value of money may yet do for England shipping company to which the N.Y.K. exiling its citizens who have made moderate stands in loco parentis. Another question competences. As for the "benefit or assis- left unsettled appears to be whether a tance of his country's Representative, the British trade community, thriving by the foreigner in Japan, Chinese or other, rarely help of cheaper foreign freight rates, or a mixed community, restricted to a purely sactious, the Japanese courts are as safe a needs it. Except in certain business trun- British shipping service, is most consistent refuge for the foreigner as for the native; with the upholding of "the collective and in the few wrong trade decisions, the interests of the nation,"
Minister or Consul can or does do nothing to put things right. With regard to China's present uneasiness about this exile of capital, it can never be allayed until there are domestic changes of a bigness and importance at present scarcely realized. Those who are, by this proclamation, put in the mind once more to set foot on their native heath will continue to do as numerous others in like circumstances have been doing; that is, to select Hongkong or Shanghai as the place in which to spend the incomes derived by their industry and thrift.
CHINESE ABROAD.
(Daily Press, 1st April.)
It is reported that the Chinese Minister in Tokyo has been pressing his Government at Peking to take steps to reduce the burden of the old days are beginning to feel steadily increasing number of Chinese who the pinch resulting from the early and are taking out naturalisation papers in short-sighted impatience of the Municipal Japan. He has been bold enough to inform Council to hasten the development of Peking that if it were not for the dread of the port.
A combination of three official" squeeze," and of being robbed of big companies agreed on freight rates, the fruits of their industry in a manner and steps were taken to acquire the available affording no redress, many Chinese mer- water frontage, with
an eye to ex- chants abroad would be glad to return to cluding foreign competition as much as to develop the British. Meanwhile the their acquired competences would naturally their native land, where the spending of Nippon Yusen Kaisha acquired the boats, benefit their own people. The Minister good-will, and (supposedly) the berthing thinks a good effect would be made by the rights of the late Mr. GEORGE Mc BAIN, a publication in Japan and other Chinese British subject. The competition, actual frequented places of a proclamation promis- and pot ntial, of such a progressive coming that their rights and property will be pany as the N.Y.K. was not to be lightly held [sacred if they return; and pointing faced; and the Foreign Office was approached out on the other hand the disadvantages on thestrength of a "non-transferable" clause entailed by staying away. For instance, a in the terms upon which water-frontage Chinaman naturalised as a Japanese is was leased to British subjects. The con- entitled to no benefit or assistance from tention was advanced that, whereas bona fide Chinese Ministers or Consuls; he is liable British concerns were already cramped for to be called on to fight for the country of room, there was the possibility-nay, the his adoption; and besides, he falls under certainty-that their already limited space the shame and stigma of being unpatriotic. would be effectually precluded from any We are told that the Chinese Board of extension by the fact that the neighbouring Commerce has acted upon these suggestions, sites would be in non-British hands." Then and sent intimations that are to be oireu the Foreign Office decided to apply what lated amongst all Chinese living abroad, the Times correspondent regards as Mr. notifying them that if they return to China, CHAMBERLAIN'S policy. The Foreign Office special passes will be given to them so that also remedied the early action of the their wealth will be duly protected." Municipal Council to a certain extent by Never did spider sing a more sweetly sound- depriving foreign land owners in the British ing invitation to the fly. Set to the tune concession of the right to vote on the merits of " Home, sweet home," this ditty may of rival British claimants to the now limited touch the hearts of numerous Chinese and valuable water frontage. The enter- abroad, but we see small probability of prising N.Y.K. met this by turning the touching their heads, which are quite business of the McBAIN ships into a British business-like enough to tell them any limited liability company registered at acceptance of the kind invitation would Hongkong, with, it is alleged, two of their involve the touching of their pockets. No clerks figuring as the principal share- doubt they all still share the Chinese holders. Bona-fide British shippers do not desire to lay their bones in Chinese soil; but like this, naturally, as it puts what they for that there is plenty of time. To such insist is essentially still a foreign firm on Chinese as are in a position to remember an equality with them; but the difficulty is the conditions existing in their native aggravated by the fact that the British country, the notification will be waste paper; importer and exporter is so constituted for they must know how little weight even that he thinks cheap freights as important an Imperial Edict carries in, say, Canton. to him as national prestige. "To them it In some place removed from immediate Im- perial observation, where a greedy Mandario covets the cash of Mr. Lt from Japan, what protection is a special pass? The usual charge is trumped up, the " squeeze" ex- torted, and the Mandarin forwards his
WBS a matter of indifference under what
flag they shipped so long as their goods were carried expeditiously and cheaply." The consideration of the immorality of sub- aidies seems to be prompted at this stage;
<<
Thus
Even such inducements as high official appointments fail to tempt them to do otherwise, for they well know on how enjoyed, under a system which encourages precarious a tenure the favour of Peking is
tale-bearing, as often false as true. they flock to Hongkong and Shanghai, in great numbers, those places doing for the East what London does for Europe, sheltering the oppressed, and offering asylum to those who have reason to fear oppression. Unfortunately, all these alien refugees are not in the happy position of those whom Peking is now trying to entice. As to Chinese who become naturalised subjects the patriotism of the
in other lands, it ill becomes the official class of China to throw the first stone at them. The patriotism of the class which has made China such a distressful country as never yet was seen " will not bear too close an examination.
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"L
THE COOLIE TRAFFIC.
15
(Daily Press, 3rd April.) – Those people at Home who made and have not yet ceased to make a dead-set against the importation of Chinese coolies into South Africa will doubtless be pleased when they hear that so far as Hongkong is concerned, the "slave traffic is about at an end. There were many and various arguments advanced at Home, where, in- deed, the anti-this-and-that people never lack for arguments-even if they have to make them--but the two chief principles of opposition were that it was so like the slave trade as to be contrary to British principles, and that in any case Great Britain had not been at the great expense of conquering the
Transvaal for the benefit of China.
These
two typical arguments are, of course, mutually exclusive; but in varicus forms, and with slightly different complexions and accretions, they were the lines on which the most vehement protestations were based, and, incidentally, some bye-elections lost to the Government party. The talk of slavery