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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
LOCAL JAPANESE CELEBRATE A PRETTY STORY FROM MACAO.
THE SUCCESSES OF THEIR ARMS.
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To celebrate the brilliant successes attending their country's arms throughout the war, local Japanese on June 11th had an outing on the harbour and spent an afternoon on one of the adjacent islands where running, wrestling and jiujitsu competitions were held. Three launches gaily decorated with Japanese lanterns, and displaying the Union Jack and Japanese flag entwined carried the 350 pleasure seeking Japanese to their destination.
Ôn arrival, and before the sports began. Mr. KAKIGUCHI said he wished to say a few words. This outing, which had been promoted by mem- hers of the Japanese Club, was to celebrate the famous victories won by Japan. From the beginning. when Russia's grabbing maw first began to encroach upon Manchuria, the Japanese showed themselves eager to fight for justice The manner in which the Russians deceired the Coreans and took Manchuria led up to the present war, in which the Japanese had been successful both on land and sea. They never
win.
besieged a fortress which they did not take, and never fought a bit ttle which they did not Althongli the Russians had strongly defended Port Arthur. forts
on the Yalu. Mukden. Liaoyang, Chemulpo and other places. they one by one fell before the determined attacks of the Japan se. These victories greatly overjoyed the people, but when they heard of the mighty armada which
was to be des- patched. they again became serious. as they knew what it meant to Japan should
SECRECY OF THE CONFISSIONAL.
(June 17, 1905.
On June 12 No. 3 dock and the slips were unoccupied, and there were ho other ships at the Docks excepting the Portuguese warship Adamastor As far as could be seen, also,
Such is the caption of a
Is it a crime to be within a confessional "nothing was on hand in the ship-building line.
two-foolscap-page
Workmen were busy erecting machinery in the letter from Macao. Our answer is: it all
new shed on the west of the reading room. depends.
to
It appears that a Portuguese boy has just undergone three days' imprisonment for eaves- dropping while a lady confessed her sins and we are asked to publish a long explanation, to the effect that it was all a mistake, in order " vindicate the character of Master Februario d' Avrilio. (We have prudently paraphrased the corect name of the youthful sinner.
The explanation is that, on the morning of May 21st, the tired members of a juvenile dancing party left the house of a citizen (whose son's birthday was being celebrated and went to church. This particnlar youth, turning drowsy in the gloom of the church. and fearing to seem irreverent by nodding in open church, slipped into the empty confes. sional, and went to sleep.
A lady came, knelt, and began to confess her sins. The assurance is that the youth heard nothing but a buzzing sound. and that directly be awoke, and realized what was taking place. he got out and laughingly explained : "I
am not a priest, ma'am
It is not divulged whether the lady had con- fessed anything very dreadful or not; but she was naturally both embarrassed and annoyed
and told a Jesuit father what had occurred.
It is further stitel that the lad's father.
believing at first that his son had wilfully out raged the proprieties, visited the Bishop and
clergy, and apologised.
Five days later the Bishop instituted a prose ention. and on June 9th. the lid was tried and sentenced to undergo three days' imprison
ment in jail.
the Russian fl-ets be successful. How- ever. they were again the conquerors. the great armada was annihilated, and now. he hoped thore would be a long period of peace and prosperity in the Far East, during which Japan's studies in Western learning would
If all this happened as related. we suspect greatly increase. In conclusion. the speaker
that the eavesdropper was not so inaccent as Said that their continued successes were in at his friends suppose. We bare, however, sup- great measure due to Japan's alliance with pressed names and other details, our correspon England and the friendliness of the Americans.dent being of an age when imagination some. and in the peace overtures which must soon follow, Japan would be guided by the other nations (Cheers).
Russia
Mr. NAKAGAWA said that if Japan had not defeated the Russians they would have always been a menace to her in the Far East. If they opened up the Japanese history at a period 2.000 years ago, when the great warriors Jingokogo and Taiko Hideyoshi were invading China, they would find that at that early period the Japanese were ever victorious. The Mongolians once endeavoured to take Japan, but were driven back with great slaughter. The first civilized war of the Japanese was that in which they defeated China in 1894. Sines that war, great im provements have been going on in the Japanese navy and army, and they have proved to with the first European power whom they have been at war, that they Even in are fremen worthy of their steel. Europe, Russia with her immense resources and thousands of soldiers. has been looked upou as one of the world's greatest nations. But with all her resources and all her soldiers, she was unable to defeat the Japanese who were fight- ing for right. From the beginning of the fight. Japan ever observed and carried out the prin- ciples of international law. which the Russians scorned to recognise. All nations were inter ested as to whether the Balticers could defeat the Japanese, but they had shown the world that they could not. Many of their fleet lie at the bottom of the sea, others have been captured. and the remainder are unable to continue the fight. The naval battle of Tsushima, the most important during the war, and the most decisive in the history of the world. The once powerful Russia is crippled; she must now take a back seat, and, in her place as one of the world's nations steps Japan The speaker was very proud that his country had so risen. he was also sure that the men, women and children present were, and trusted that they would forthwith proceed to enjoy themselves.
times over-runs all other faculties.
H.M.S. "HUMBER" SOLD.
On the 14th June Messrs Hughes and for sale by Hough. auctioneers, put up auction H.M.S. Humber with all fittings 10 tons of coal, anchors stores, about and cable On board. A steam launch couvered iutending purchasers and others to the vessel, which has been open for inspection for seven days prior to the sale, conditions of which were that every bidder had to siga his name and nationality and a declarations that was no purchased for re-sale to any sho foreign power, or power now at war. and the sale would only be completed after the Com. modore, or his deputy. was satisfied that the conditions had been carried out.
Bidding commenced at $20.00, and rose by bids of $1,000 each to $800 when the bids dropped to $500 each until 849,500 was reached, a which price the vessel was knocked down to Mr. F. P. Musso.
KOWLOON DOCKS.
There are at present two large jobs on hand at Kowloon Docks, repairing the United States Quartermaster Department s.s. Buford, and repairing the British sailing ship Travancore.
The Buford is in (No. 1 dock having some forty to fifty bottom plates attended to, the vessel having recently been ashore near Manila. The repairs will not be completed till about the end of the month.
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"MR. B. HARRIS, JF HONGKONG."
CONFIDENCE TRICK AT KOBK.
The Japan Chronicle of June 6th reports:- An incident occurred in Kobe a few weeks ago to which it is worth directing attention by way of warning.
A man presented himself at the Kobe office of the Chartered Bank, and stating that his name was B. Harris and that he bad an account in the Bank at Hongkong, asked to be permitted to draw the sum of two hundred yen. Naturally he was told that he could not be per- mitted to do this unless his draft were endorsed by some
one in Kobe. "Harris" replied that unfortunately he only knew Captain Devenish in Kobe, and that Captain Devenish was away. Would the signature of Mrs. Devenish do The Bank officials replied that the lady's signature would be sufficient. Harris then called upon Mrs. Derenish and represented that he was a friend of her husband's and owed him a matter of two hundred yen. He found, however, that Captain Devenish was away from Kobe, and therefore he would ask her to sign two papers, which he would leave at the Chartered Bank, where her husband must apply on his return for the money due. By this clever ruse the man secured Mrs Devenish's
signature, and immediately presented the endorsed draft at the bank. where it was
duly cashed. As was to be expected, the document
was returned from Hongkong marked no effects," and application has been made by the Bank, to Mrs. Devenish for repay. ment of the two hundred yen paid "Harris." Into the legality of the claim made we cannot enter here, though it appears that neither Captain nor Mrs! Devenish has any account at the Chartered Bank, and Mrs Devenish's signature is not known to any of the Bank officials. Still, it must be admitted that a Bank which made too strict a'rule in this matter would probably be critic sed rather unfavourab ly. Our chief object, however, is to warn the public against a repetition of is trick either in Kobe or in any other port of the Far East. No document presented by a stranger should be endorsed unless there is good evidence of identity.
HONGKONG CIVIL SERVICE CRICKET CLUB.
PRESENTATION OF PRIZES.
The following is a list of the prize winners to whom the Hou. Dr. Clark distributed prizes en Whit Monday.
Batting Average: Cup won by R. Witchell. Bowling Average: Cup won by W. L. Weaser. Quoits (Double): Won by Messrs. A. Brown and F. T. Robins. Lawn Bowls, May Compe.. tition. 1st prize. R. Fenton 2nd prize, W
Brand. Lawn Bowls. Ladies and Gentlemen. won by Mrs. Robson and Mr. Fincher. Lawn Bowls, Whit Monday Competition: (23 Entries) 1st prize. D. J. McKenzie; 2nd prize. W. H. Woolley; 3rd prize, F. Howell: 4th prize. P. T. Lamble. Lawn Bowls. Ladies' Double. won by Mrs. W. H. E. Smith and Mrs. Wheal.
SHANGHAI ELECTRIC WORKS,
After reading an explanatory editorial in the N-C. Daily News of June 7th, we do not see that our recent comments were at all unjust to the average Shanghai voter.
The three-masted full rigged Travancore is
The momentous vote of about 295 to fire in in No. 2 dock. The condition of the vessel's hull indicates that she had her starboard broad. favour of the Municipal Council retaining the side on to the beach and bumped heavily. Two Electric Department is thus explained by our rows of plates are buc led in more or less almost contemporary:-"No doubt the love of fair the whole length of the ship. The severest play had much to do, as we have said, with this bruise of all is on the starboard quarter extend-result, a result which does credit to the com- monsense and right sporting instincts of the community."
The sports programme was then entered uponing over a breadth of five plates. The port side, and lasted the greater part of the afternoon,
At its conclusion the Japanese national anthem was sung by all present, and cheers fol- lowed for the Emperor and Empress of Japan. and for the King and Queen of England.
however, is little amiss. From seventy to eighty plates will have to be removed, the job probably lasting for two months. It is understood that there will be no Board of Trade enquiry into
the disaster; there has been no loss of life.
That is to say, a popular impression that Messrs. Bruce, Peebles & Co. (the almost successful tenderers for the tramway scheme) had not been fairly dealt with resulted in a