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The total strength of these invading corps is 10,000, namely, 3,300 Japanese police-sergeants and constables; 8.500 native assistant constables, and 4,100 native privates. They carry the arms of soldiers but are under the ultimate control of the civil administration. The extent of front along which they operate is about 500 miles, so that there are some 20 men per
mile. We gather that the whole front of the unpacified zone-io other words, the length of the mountain range forming the backbone of the island-is a thousand miles, but in the southern half of it measures of conciliation alone are relied on, and the iron line of troops operating steadily northern section only. The invading bodies take care to keep in touch of each other con- stantly, but to do so does not appear to be always possible, for news occasionally arrives of successful attacks organized by the savages against 'isolated bands. The system seems, however, to be as nearly perfect as human ingenuity can make it, and there can be no question that the zone of resistance is being gradually and steadily narrowed. Force alone is not relied on. The two great necessities of the Seiban, salt and ammunition, are carefully excluded by the Japanese. It is not possible, however, to make this exclusion radical. Small quantities of the contraband articles are supplied by Chinese boats visiting the eastern coast and by the Jukuban in the south. Still the strictness of the blockade has raised the
eastward advances from the border of the
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND.
[May 28, 1906, JAPANESE SCHOOL TEACHERS IN | ALLEGED `BRITISH MISTAKES AT
CONFERENCE.
PURE ETHICS AND EDUCATION.
The teachers employed in elementary schools throughout the country are now sitting in con- ference in Tokyo. On May 7th Mr. Makino, Minister for Education, addressed the confer euce, and said that the opinion was held that the victory of Japan in the war was principally due to education. In regard to this contention, continued Mr. Makino, he had recently learned from a member of the General Staff that all men in the ranks thoroughly understood the com.. mands of their officers, and this enabled the com- mands of Marshal Oyama to be carried out | precisely, without any mistake. This state of things was strong evidenge of the general dissem- ination of education among the Japanese. They were very happy to have the Imperial Edict on education, which most distinctly and clearly laid down the code of ethics to be followed by divided into different schools, but in Japan the the people. In Europe and America ethics were duties of individuals towards their country and their position in society were distinctly defined in the Imperial Edict. While in Europe he had heard an educationist contend that the European system of ethics conduced immensely to the advance of civilisation in Europe, but their teaching chiefly referred to personal matters and not to the duty of the people price of salt to 1 yen per sho and that to the State. This continued Mr. Makino, of 3 cartridges to I yen. Application was
The Japanese teach made to the naval authorities to prevent smugging of ethics was brought into the fullest play ling over-see, but they declined, and small during two years of war, and this might form steamers are now to be armed for the service. the subject of serious study by Europeans. Thus the doom of these misguided people creeps
The Minister proceeds :- day by day, and ultimately the 7,5 square miles occupied by them will into Japanese hands. But the operation is not without loss as the following table shows :-
pass
-
LOSSES OF GORDON CORPS.
Killed. Wounded.
1902
1903
17 30
1
*
24....
1904
105
152
43
69
Total.
18
54
148
Totals
220 The Hochi justly observes that there are no Orders of the Golden Kite or Shokonsha festivals for the men who die in this service. They go down to the grave unwept, anbonoured and unsung.
3
DEPARTURE OF AUSTRO- HUNGARIAN CONSUL.
MR. N. POST'S SUCCES80E.
Mr. Nicholas Post, who has been the popular Consul for Austria-Hungary at Hongkong for nearly a decade, is going home on June 6th via America, on short leave. He will then take up his new appointment as Consul General at Rio in Brazil, Mrs. Post accompanies her husband. There are many friends to wish them a pleasant holiday and a prosperous career in Brazil.
Mr. Post's successor comes to Hongkong at the end of this month. He is Mr. B. Szentir- may von Drrasto, second vice-consul Shanghai,
THE “ROON" ASHORE.
at
Was
a serious defect.
of religious teaching has attracted attention in Lately the principle of ethics independent Europe and America. Moral teaching based on religious creeds is harmful to education. An international conference on ethics is to be held in London in September next, attended by those advocating common ethics independent of reigion. Members of this school admire the Japanese system as the best, without equal. If you succeed in carrying out into practice these excellent moral teachings, there can be no doubt of the prosperity of the Empire-that it will grow in magnitude, and all we aim at in life will be atlained."
A COREAN POSTMASTER.
A correspondent of a Seoul journal gives the following amusing little sketch of a village post office in Corea :-
BRUNEI
We have reported from time to time on Brunei affairs, since it came under a British Resident, and readers may remember a riot that took place a few weeks ago. Upon this some light is thrown by a letter to the Straits Times, which says:-"Before all this occurred; I had written to the Resident, warning him of the unrest likely to be caused by the implanting of Customs duties on foodstuffs, amongst others 10 cents per bunch of pisangs (sold formerly for 20), 1 cent on coconuts worth 2 each, 10 cents per bottle on esconut oil for calinary purposes (worth in Labasu 20/22 cents a bottle) or, say, 53 per cent, ad valorem. Now, you must under- staud, Brunei neither produces coconuts nor pisangs except in very insigificant quantities. The whole town of Brunei-the Venice of the East-is built over water; people can only get from house to house by sampan. Consequently, they have no land on which to grow things and the Pengerans of Royal birth, yet the The land is nearly all held by the Sultan Resident states he placed these protective duties to encourage the people to grow their own coconuts and pissngs, without giving them land to grow them, and doubtless forgetting that it takes seven years for a coconut to bear fruit |!!
This outdoes Chamberlainism. To make matters worse; he has placed a tax on all sam pans. To those engaged in trading the policy is sound enough, but here you are taxing people to get from one house to another. The Chinese have large house boats all covered In, in which they have sufficient goods to stook any ordinary Chinese shop. These are the principal kedies, and go from one part of the town to another when markets are held one different days of the week. The tax on these is not in proportion to the small sampans. As I have heard different rates from different people, I do not give them.
Dalies carefully considered and equitably adjusted must, no doubt, be collected in Brunei in place of the former monopolies, but they must be introduced with tact and their object and reason carefully explained to the people, not blasteringly and imperiously crammed down the throsts of a race who have not yet had experi-
Once
of European methods of government. Brunei people are suspicious of Europesas and justly so, considering how they have been shame- lessly exploited and deceived in the past by un- scrupulous concession hunters. The British Government know this, or ought to have known it, and it was therefore incumbent on them to see their representative advance his changes with discretion and without haste.
Formerly there was no Custom House in Brunei, but monopolies on almost everything were farmed out, mainly to Chinese, who have reaped a rich harvest for years past. The Government are very properly now redeeming these monopolies and substituting customs duties, but they have gone further and taxed fresh food stuffs, which is a grave mistake.
For the Postmaster's sake we will not s'ate whence
we write. Your correspondent has posted letters several times from this place aud experience as a pleasure. It, Mr. Editor, you so be has no doubt in recommending the will-lend me your Kodak the next time I come this way, I will take a sap-shot of the Post Office for you. It is up & back alley behind the Court House, it has a humble door, and a brushwood fence around it with a place where a gate ought to be. The building itself leaves one
The principalre monopolist in Brunei, a in doubt whether it will stand the next storm. Chinaman, has already been bought out; it is The front-door is four feet two inches high. said, for $47,000-an extraordinarily liberal and while the interior measures about six and a half generous gift. Nobody was more surprised feet square; its walls are bagrimed with smoke than the Chinaman himself, who would have and no light is admitted except through the been liberally dealt with for one-tenth of this door. One bas learned to reverence a head that amount. The Chinaman has held these ́mono- bears the snow of many winters, so seeing an polies for a merely nominal sum from the old aged man squatting on the floor I bowed respect- sultan whom he has plucked for years past.. A fully, apologised for my intrusion and asked to Chinaman, so the story goes, which you may be directed to the Post Office. He drew a deep believe or not believe as you please, was wont to breath of surprise and after a pause of about advance, for instance, $5,000, to the Sultan to- two minutes replied: "This is the Post Office." | day on the security of his cension money payable
Kindly give me a three cent stamp" asked I, but, "where is your letter asked he haven't written it yet and for the persent only want a stamp." The old man shook his head and was pussled. Seeing no way out of the difficulty he said "I must see your letter before I know whether a three cent stamp will do." It took much patience, many words and above fifteen minutes to get the stamp. recent audience with the Empress Dowager of China Her Majesty took occasion to express to The N. D. L. s.8. Boon was successfully re- Sir Robert her regret that certain measures of floated at six o'clock p.m. on May 19th ; and | reform advocated by him more than thirty subsequently reached Nagasaki safely, escorted / years ago had not been carried out by the Gov. by HM.S. Hansa. .
A Kobe telegram to the Daily Press, dated May 18th, said: "The N.D.L. liner Roon ran on rocks near Moji on Wednesday night.
The passengers have been taken off the ship. The bows have been seriously damaged; salvage operations are now in progress.”
Messrs. Melchers and Co. received a cable- gram on Saturday morning stating that the Boon was still fast on the rocks, but that the Imperial cruiser Hansa bad left Nagasaki to assist in towing her off. The passengers had been safely landed, but the crew remained on board, and the chance of saving the steamer depended almost entirely on the weather.
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44
erament of China.
⠀
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by Sarawak and "British North Borneo Com- Ipany, and in six months time, when the half- yearly instalment was due, recover $100,000. A very nice business. This has been going on for years and noue of our Consuls have protected the Sultan. Between this Chinaman and a member of another nationality all the cession money due to the Sultan was thus dealt with.
The coconut oil monopolist, after being so liberally dealt with, must needs be further smisted by, as some think, arbitrary ways recover his $4, sad bring all this trouble. Resident's shoulders. The 84; debt, incurred during the Resident's what business' had he therefore