1
323
made the first beginning towards an im- proved position of affairs, and, we are will- ing to acknowledge, with every appearance of reality; still she has only as yet taken ber first almost infantile steps, and is yet far from having so far consolidated her institutions as to render a relapse impos- sible. Another curious feature about the affair is that Germany should appear as taking the lead in a movement having for its object the withdrawal of the Legation Doubtless Germany guards all round. takes to herself immense credit for magnan. imity in having been ready to withdraw a -portion of her garrison in Shantung, but the presence of her troops on Chinese territory stood on an altogether different basis from that of the Legation guards, and was only defensible in practice on absolute danger; or in case Chiua had refused or neglected to take the necessary steps to protect what was after all her own property, though doubtless under lien to Germany. At all events the withdrawal of the now unnecessary troops can hardly be said to form a basis for any special consideration from the other Powers; and, after all, the withdrawal of the troops seems to have been effected as much for Germany's own
|
THE HONGKONG WKEELY PRESS AND the empire. It cannot be alleged that she does this to subserve, any public interest, while the division of revenue tends to promote inefficiency all round. The Ger- man MINISTER's efforts would be more usefully employed in the general interest in getting rid of this anomaly than in seeking to do a disfavour to all alike by introducing another bone of contention in Peking.
|
|
RESUMPTION OF INSANITARY
AREAS.
(Daily Press, 9th November.) When His Excellency the Governor said in September last that the Government was fully alive to the necessity for a continuous policy in the matter of the resumption of insanitary property, we remarked thereon that the community would be interested to learn what that policy was to be. Yesterday there was issued an elaborate "report on insanitary property resumptions in the years 1894-1905," which lets us into the secret of how matters stand at present; although it does not appear to us to promise a policy entitled to be characterised as strictly “continuous”—not until the completion of the extensive water supply schemes at pre
But we take it sent in hand, at any rate. that no dissatisfaction will be expressed, so eminently reasonable are the lines as id down by HIS EXCELLENCY. The Trust recommended by Sir H. A. BLAKE is not to be established for some time; and probably will be finally abandoned; so that the information we asked for, concerning the manner of its formation, is not now expected. The superficially excellent idea that such an important work as the re-modelling of congested areas should be delegated to a special body, funded with the proceeds from land sales, does not commend itself to the GOVERNOR, who would rather "leave the tendering of advice as to the areas or buildings to be resumed and the utilization of the resumed areas to the members of the Government responsible for its sanitary measures and for the utilization to the best advantage of Crown lands." This opinion
occurs
convenience as in pursuit of any ideal con- sideration of international right on the part of China. We have suggested that the time for asking for the withdrawal was particularly inconvenient. While we are willing to acknowledge China's good faith, and that on the whole she is really desirous of entering into the comity of the nations, it is not altogether the case that China is quite out of her troubles, and is altogether a free agent. Rumours such as those which marked the beginning of 1900 have not been altogether absent, and there is still, it is not to be denied, con- siderable pressure
being brought to bear on the Government to force it to go back into the old groove. The recent bomb outrage, even if it were an isolated fact, is yet sufficient evidence to show that there is still a large and a powerful party averse to innovation, and the inability of the Government to trace it to its origin goes far to prove that it is by no means sure of its position. Still more is Germany's attitude in the affair not altogether clear. Circumstances, it is true, have led up to the removal of the garrisons, which had become practically useless since the cessation of hostilities between Russia and Japan, but they have not altogether led to the abandonment of Germany's policy of seeking to divide and weaken China. The most embarrassing of these is the maintenance of Post Offices all over China which can find no support on any principle of interua tional right or reason. If, as was at one time the case, China had taken no steps to form a post office of her own, or if, after having formed it, she were using it for improper purposes, the interference of Germany, so far as her own or her subjects' postal matters was concerned, might have| been called for as a matter of advisability or natural programme now suggested (ie. even necessity. England, at one time, in the Governor to suggest each year as large the absence of any postal arrangements a sum as he thinks can be conveniently whatever, did at the beginning, as a matter appropriated) would still be followed, but of sheer necessity, undertake the carriage under the gratuitous difficulties incidental of external postal matter, and its distribu- to the evasion of a cut-and-dried plan. tion at the open ports. As soon as China was in a position to undertake this, she at once commenced to withdraw gradually, and ut no time interfered with the local carriage or distribution of correspondence. Not so Germany; which not only keeps her post offices at the extremities of her ocean mail routes, but competes with China on her own soil, and receives correspondence and does general postal business all over
in a letter to the Hon. ALFRED LYTTELTON, Colonial Secretary, in the course of which, while entirely concurring with the view "that a considerable sum should be devoted each year to the resump- tion of insanitary property, and that this resumption should proceed on continuous lines," he expresses the opinion that it is not desirable to fix the amount to be set aside for the work. To introduce into the Estimates the principle of allocating special, receipts to special expenditures would, he points out, admit of various logical exten- sions; and if it were laid down that for so much money must be many years so allocated for resumptions, requests for suspensions of the order would be inevitable. This latter will hardly be denied by anyone who has followed the financial course of Hongkong.
It would
mean that the
Nothing big can be undertaken in any case until after the water supply is assured; the lines of the resumption scheme have already been sketched by Mr. O. CHAD- wick and Dr. J. W. SIMPSON; Board has dealt with minor details of the these things, His work; in view of EXCELLENCY does not support the Trust proposal, which was advocated by both Sir II. A. BLAKE and the Hon. Mr. May
[November 13, 1905,
(while administering the government). On general grounds it could be objected to, also; if the Legislative Council cannot be trusted with such an essentially vital part of its duty, it can be trusted with none; and we may as well have a bureaucratic system of Government at once, with many Trusts and Committees overlapping and clashing one with another. The Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. LYTTELTON, replies that he agrees generally with the GOVERNOR's views on the matter; and so, we presume, will most of those who were at one time tickled with the grandeur of the programme and liked the idea of a Trust to carry it out.
"TROPICAL FRENZY.”
(Daily Press 10th November).
Many of our readers will be interested by the extract from the Evening Standard which we reproduce in another part of this paper, under the caption "Tropical Frenzy." The writer in our London "contemporary seems to adopt au attitude of scepticism toward this " new disease"; no doubt plenty of dwellers in the Far East will smile in sympathy. with him; but we are sure that there will be a not inconsiderable number of folk who will read the reference to Professor PLEAN'S discovery and remark to themselves that "that explains it." Tropical Frenzy," we read, is “ disease from which so many German Colo- nial officials suffer, and which has been
11
"
11
a
tendered in extenuation of various acts of brutality committed by them. Dr. PLEEN did not say that it was a disease confined to German officials' '-we should think not, indeed-" but as far as is known it has been heard of only in connection with the African colonies of Germany." As to that, we should say it is the new diagnosis that has been heard of from those Colonies only ; the disease itself, if we admit its existence, being common wherever a tropical sun shines on white skins unused to it. JEROME K. JEROME, speaking of Thames barge men and their habit of profanity, opined that there must be something esoteric about their occupation, or in the air of the river to make the bargees use language which in their calmer moments they regretted. Dwellers in the Far East have long. been familiar with the man who, as SHAKESPEARE Says, is “rash and very sud- " and the irascibles them- den in choler; selves after an outburst sometimes recognise the weakness. It is usual to attribute it to local atmospheric conditions, fairly equable temperament at Home," he pleads, "it must be this expletival climate." And so in Japan, China, India, and other hot places, we find the climate being made the scapegoat for this particular sin of man. There But there has always been something unsatisfactory about that excuse. are a few men who share the climate with
"I had a
The angry men's us, and who do not choke with rage at the stupidity of the "boy." wives have pointed this out, not always with pacificatory results. Our and their sympa- thy must now be extended to our JOSEPH SEDLEYS, since the publication of Doctor PLEHN's hypothesis. The ancient and abandoned cory of the connection between
choler and cholera returns in more modern
Tropical Frenzy
+
and plausible shape. the Sanitary
are told, usually associated with is, we malaria, and in its features has much in common with progressive paralysis. Per- sons afflicted with it are not fully respon sible for their actions, and should be treated
ما
i