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October 15, 1906.]
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT,
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BRITISH TRADE IN KOREA.
of promptly suggesting that things were astuteness. The foreign police long ago | not so bad as they were being painted; and found that in his case a stern chase was a it was only the attitude of the always well-long chase. The Chinese simply gave up advised China Association that could trying to catch him. Any Chinaman who have shaken our opinion that too much was persevered in an attempt to lay him by the being made of an unimportant incident, heels, returned, if he returned at all, minus We could not and cannot see that the his ears, or with some similar traditional | change was anything beyond a transfer disfigurement. But more often than not, from Tweedledum to Tweedledee; and those sent to catch him simply joined his we suspect that the members of the band. A high military officer deputed by China Association were acting on the Governor of Soochow to capture him, the prudent principle of looking the joined forces with his quarry only last year. stable door before the horse was stoleu. These events simply augmented Vah Ka- They have so often appealed to deaf ears DER's already well-furnished armament. that it must have been a welcome change to The last move in the game, by the native find a sympathetic reception awaiting their authorities, wus_pathetic, and typically warning. Curiously enough, while the Chinese. VAH KA-DER was invited to storm was at its height, the one man whose accept official rank, and re ieem his crimes opinion was most important, seeing how his by meritorious acts. He preferred his personality was dragged into the discussion, own more lucrative and powerful position. maintained silence. It was in a way his We still await positive news of his execu cause that was being championed, and yet tion, before rejoicing unduly, for the rascal all the time he enjoyed his holiday rest by is ns slippery as an sel, and he has much the sea, without confirming the allegations money and a large following. made on his behalf, and alinost in his name, and without denying them. Was Sir ROBERT HART superseded, or was he not? Only Sir ROBERT HART could tell us with sufficient conviction, and he said nothing. It is not difficult to realise the awkwardness of his position, and the cause of his silence. But now, if our information be correct, he has found & proper way to set all fears at rest. He does not believe there will be any undue interference-any more, that is, than during the regime of the Wai.wu-pu-and can say, with any hope of proving his words, that there was ever ikely to be any undue interference. Our own earliest comment was to give the Chinese credit for sufficient intelligence to realise that such interference would never be tolerated. It was so often referred to as the latest Chinese intrigue", but those who know anything of Chinese intrigue know that the cards are never spread on the table in that way. It is, however, sufficient in the case of a notorious sharper to make the slightest move, for him to be instantly suspected. The simpler and more innocent a step may appear, made at Peking, the more closely will it be scrutinised, and the more distrust will it engender. We suggest seriously that probably nobody was more surprised by the recent pother than were the Chinese authorities. However, there need be no more argument about it. Assuming that there Was some idea of regaining absolute control of the Customs by the Chinese-and we can readily accept it as a likely ambition-they made a very poor show of getting what they wanted, so poor, indeed, and so un-Chinese, that we are still inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt. But again assuming that their object was as stated, there can be no doubt that they have had their lesson. They will not be likely to want to stir up such a hornets' nest again in a hurry.
BOW no man
The capture of VAH KA-DER at or near Hangchow is an event which, we fancy, would eclipse all recent sensations at Shanghai, where the bandit's mere name 728 a household bogie, with which to frighten children. It also closes, we hope,
a
romance more thrilling and less creditable than that of the English ROBIN HOOD. For years this man has been the administra- tive head of a powerful association of Chinese criminals, who levied toll on the people and trade of the whole surrounding district. Frequently members of his gang were caught, and sometimes was captured some fine craft which proved to be a unit of the flotilla with which his men infested the creeks. These always served to confirm the stories of the man's power, wealth, and
pepper,
露露
247
American flour, and some fancy articles like table salt, kerosene oil, and
perfumes from the Continent, there is not in a Japanese establishment from end to a single staple of foreign trade to be found end of Korea. Osaka goods rule the roost. We cannot admit that this is any reflection on British traders, who of course have never enjoyed the banking facilities, the freight reductions, and other concessions that the paternal government of Japan sees are forthcoming to comfort and encourage its open to foreign trade", the Japanese official own enterprisers. Certainly Korea is
can honestly reply when asked. It is as open as the ballot, the only difference being that whereas Great Britain allows its con- stituents to walk to the polls, the Japanese rans its own voters there in motorcars. What British trade is done is in Chinese hands, and the Japanese were never fond of Chinese. There are only two foreign houses regularly represented in Korea, one British, the other German. No British steamer trades regularly with the coast. All, including even those that fly the Korean flag, are Japanese owned, we are told. Recently the Hamburg-America Linie steamers have begun to call fortnightly, on their run from Shanghai to Vladivostock. They secure the bulk of the non-Japanese trade, which seems significant. Moreover, their share is increasing. The British who are interested grumble that British shippers are afraid of "the bugbeur of Japanese competition", but of course to test the capabilities of the trade, British shippers would have to face bigger risks than the Japanese, unassisted, would ever dream of. One instauce will suffice to show how differently situated the two classes are. The manufacturers of Osaka, immediately upon the declaration of peace, for which they had been watching and waiting, shipped large quantities of goods to Chemulpo, so as to be ready on the first sign of any opening to place them on the spot. Man- churia, however, had been thrown into such a state of disorder by the war, that it was by no means prepared to take up the goods. These accordingly were soon piled up in increasing quantities until every building in Chemulpo that could boast a roof was full to overflowing.
(Daily Press, October 10th.) The Powers withdrew their Legations from Seoul because Russia was compelled, and Great Britain was quite willing, to recognise that Japan's national safety demanded that Japan's influence in Kore must be a preponderating one. There is no getting over that, and the only fair question arising is whether Japsu's notion of what constitutes preponderating influence stays within the limits assigned by other people. It is fairly evident by now that Japan would never be content with the nebulous advantages of what is called a sphere of influence. There are many truly patriotic Britons who think that British statesmen might well be as virile without overdoing things. In Korea we now know that there is small band of British whose patriotis takes them even further, to the extent of joining in certain American criticisms, and we bave good reason to fear that if the Japanese in Korea do not regard them with the feelings appropriate to the Alliance, it is because they have had their backs put up by too sweeping criticisms. What they have been calling the Japanese "pretence" of recognis ing Korea's sovereignty, might just as easily have been attributed to the Japanese perception of what pleases the decadent race whose country and interests they have taken over. If the Koreans are happy with she shadow, Japan may well enjoy the tubstance. The passenger who now lands at a Korean port must have his baggage examined by a Japanese tidewaiter; he must give his name, address, and business to aJapanese policeman; and, if he buys a s rip of property, he must get the deeds sealed by a Japanese authority. If the Japanese were colonising Korea before, and we ke w that they were, they are certainly doing so now. All skilled labour is Japanese; but that was only to be expected. Having regard to the comparatively short period that has elapsed since the Powers gave Japan a free hand in the country, Korea is now, in fact, practically a bit of Japan, so far as the visitor Cal see. Society is cared for and watched over with the same grandmotherly and irritating supervision that it is in Japan. How the Koreans like it does not matter now; the day is gone for wasting sympathy on them. The point is that the foreigners do not like it, and here is the source of much trouble and of all the criticism. The foreigner who has not yet made up his mind to accept the inevitable, feels bad when he notes that with the exception of a few articles of necessary consumption, such as white!
Bankruptcy stared the speculators in the face. The Japanese government came to their rescue, took up
on the easiest of terms the bills of the shippers, and granted a practically umlimited extension of time. It also made arrange- ments for Japanese goods being carried at half freight. If the British Government were prepared to go and do likewise-but who is sufficiently optimistic to expert anything of the sort?
THE ENGLISHMAN'S MANNERS.
(Daily Press, 11th October.) There is a good deal of nonsense talked. from time to time about the manners of the Englishman abroad. Lately we notice that Mr. HAROLD SPENDER, a diligent and on the whole scccessful journalist, has been summing up in the colamas of the Daily Chronicle in favour of the apparently obvious verdict. Continental prejudice has often been ascribed to the travelling Englishman's insular ways; and Mr. SPENDER, who frequently runs over to Paris, and knows all about the custom of using the same knife and fork throughout a meal, has rashly confirmed the theory. We say rashly. because it does seem that there should be more serious grounds for the “foreigners” dislike of JOHN BULL than mere tricks of demeanour. It is decidedly insular of Mr. SPENDER to imply that our German and