家
November 3, 1906.]
presents a picture of Russian authorities | everywhere at a loss for want of instruc- tions, suspicious and jealous of each other, and all without any patriotic Ropes. The neighbourhood of the Japanese (on the river Tumen, north-east frontier of Korea) and exaggerated rumours of their doings, produces a jumpy state of nerves, which helps to explain the recent extraordinary rumour that the Japanese were preparing to seize Vladivostock, in spite of its 76 forts and 38,000 wien. In the province of Primorsk, where 73,000 Russians have "settled ", practically no development work has been attempted-another indication of the prevailing Russian pessimism. If Mr. WEALE'S observations may be relied on, the free port of Vladivostock cannot have been making much difference to the trade of Manchuria, so far as the other entrance at Newchwang is concerned. He says:-
Imports to Manchuria viù Vladivostock are meagre, and since August most of the cargoes have been Russian and consumed in the Ussuri region. The railway business from Vladivostock is very brisk and the traffic is yielding a yearly profit of Rbls. 15,000,000. This is in contrast to what is happening on the Chinese Eastern Railway, which is showing an annual loss of Rbls. 30,000,000 The surveys of the Amur railway are beginning and all are hoping this
看求
line will be the ultimate saviour of the Russian Orient. Vladivostock and the other ports are suffering from over.confidence on the part of the traders who have over-estimated the con- sumptive demand; Nicolaevsk is, however, growing very rapidly."
It is doubtless this state of things which made Japan so keen to repeat in the North their post-bellum commercial crusade that has attracted so much notice in the South. Mr. WEALE tells us that, having gained the entry, the Japanese are pressing eagerly forward, although the Chinese are as yet not disposed to trade. He confinus the report that both Russia and Japan are doing their best to keep their engagements under the Treaty of Portsmouth.
"There remaiu 28,000 [Russian railway guards and fragments of the Third Siberian Corps. They will have their headquarters till April at arbin, where there are six infantry and two cavalry regiments with a brigade of artillery The balance are thinly distributed along the railway with an advance guard of cavalry at Kaanchentze. In spite of this, brigandage is at its worst and is paralyzing all trade. The Chinese are in a state of panic.
The position at Harbin is most curious. There are 70,000 Russiaus in the place, living on the enormous profits made in the war. Trade is dead but money is plentiful and the growth of the town is unbelievable. There are eighteen flour mills in and around the town capable of a daily output of three million pounds. They fed the entire army during the war but are now idle. Except the military authorities, all desire ardently the opening up of the country. East of Harbin, the railway s ttlements are prosperous owing to the lumber trade, but west there is nothing doing".
}
303
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
"neutral action ameliorates the situation, Without raising the quibble that Hong- the rivalry and animosity of the Powers will kong is not China, and that it is very unlike deepen and Manchuria will ultimately share those parts of China where the opium evil the fate of Psland". He is speaking of is said to be most apparent, we may point both north and south Manchuria, and we out that recollections dating fifty years back have yet to learn how the two Powers who do not always afford conclusive evidence of | are not neutral will regard any sch what is to-day. In 1906 we have a good proposals. With China still suspicious and miny very healthy chillren in Hongkong dilatory, they do not mike much progress ¦ who are certainly not being prescribed with their negotiations, and any further opium to avert malaria. We hope that Mr. intervention will have to be heroically | DONALD NORMAN REID will not write more determined if the arrival of equal oppor tunities is to be expedited. Evidently, on his own showing, Russia is not vet in a position to help on the desired settlement; China's attitude we know ; and Japan seems to have conceded about as much as she car.s or dares to do. The neutrals have a delicate task before then, if they really intend to try to urge matters to the conclusion desired.
It looks as though the Russian guards have not been so energetic against the Hunghutze as the Japanese have; and
shall probably
we
have
OPIUM CONTROVERSIALIS CS).
on this subject ", if he feels obliged on such insecur) and in idequate grounds to postulate organized hypocrisy in all who are troubled with what is called (for what reason in this connection is undiscoverable) the Nonconformist conscience. Practical men of affairs, who bring commonsense to bear on most questions, and are not easily led away by every utopian crusade that idler brains originats, do not go so far. They recognise that most of the fad lists mean well, and if they oppose them with a timely douche of cold water, it is because they know whither the roal that is paved with good intentions often leads. The Times on the same question prefers not to admit that the recent Chinese opium edict had eveu this good intention; and certainly there have been many edicts whose results have not been sufficient to clear the Chinese authorities of suspicion of insincerity. Our London contemporary, after very sensibly outlining the difficulties to which we have previously called attention, goes on:
(Daily Press, November 1st.) We must admit that it will not be easy always to practise the tolerance we request d the other day for all the many champions of pros and cons who continue to assail our ears. Sometimes the arguments appear altogether too stupid to be received with any show of patience. It might be better if men were more amenable to logic. and less to feeling; but it is unlikely that human nature will ever be much changed from
There is some reason for doubting whether in what it is. The uninformed refuse to remain this matter the Government of China is Have the authors of dumb, and the half-informed are the most sincerely determined. vehement of all Some curious reflections the edict themselves any serious belief in its are offered for those able to take a detached effi acy or any determination to secure it a fair view of most modern controversies. They trial? The Chinese Government has every motive to make a fair show before European will observe with what inconsistence men
eyes. It is unnecessary therefore to be deeply rauge themselves into parties; how a man
concerned with the practical consequences of who is all for free tra le in one controversy
the edict until it is proved to be more than is an ardent protectionist in another. The
mers display of good intentions faddists who are most anxious to profilit unnecessary for the moment to discuss that side the alleged xins of other people often of the opium question with which people in this indignantly reseut it when the supposed country have been made most familiar by sinners turn round and attempt to reform Parliamentary discussion-the question, namely, them. A gentleman named
of the large exportation of the drug from Indi into China. NORMAN REID, giving an address in St. Mary's Square. W., has rushed into print in the Pall Mall Gazette to air his convictions We could with regard to the opium trade. have welcomed him as one alert to the dangers of listening to faddist theories to the extent of meddling with practic politics; but we cannot welcome his style of argument. As typical of the sort of thing which so often makes demands upon the patience of a weary world, we quote his letter in full:
DONALD
"Sir,-China is a malaria-stricken country, as will be seen by reading the following extract from Major-General Sir Alexander B. Tulloch's interesting book," Recollections of Forty Years' Service": We arrived at Hongkong the beginning of November (1858), and joined the 2nd Battalion, then quartered on board an old three-decker, the Princess Charlotte, until the shore barracks were vacated by the 59th, which wait a to
had been nine years at Hongkong, and in that long time before Peking does anything time had buried the regiment three times over. effective. While these brigands continue
The mortality in those days was appalling, as active, it is evident that the inhabitants we were soon to find out. The Royals landed will not be able to trade. All observers are in November, 1858, and by the same time next agreed as to their disturbing and destroving year they had lost from fever and dysentery, influence on peaceful commerce. What out of 800 men, no less than 235. There also Mr. WEALE means precisely by his advocacy died in the same time half the women and all of a policy of strengthening Chinese authority is not clear; nor does he show how the difficulties in the way of establishing Chinese customs are to be overcome. He has a pretty ideal of internationalizing all the Manchuria settlements, which would undoubtedly me... ? some difficulties; but
others would
16.
e arise. acres.
Who is going to bell the c a ton Unless ", he concludes,
the dre
the children'. The italics are mine. I really cannot write more at present on this subject without entering upon the question of the organized hypocrisy that is responsible for the campaign against'opiam; so in conola-ion I should like to tell the man who is troubled with a Nonconformist conscience that: ---
I think that saving a little child, And fotching him to his own, Is a derned sight better business Than loafing around the throne".
B
It is
The opium question in Eastern countries has. of course, many interesting points of analogy with the drink question in Western coaɑtries. In each case there has to be faced a settled habit of a larg part of the population, giving rise to social evils of the first magnitule, attacking alike health and character and industrial efficiency. In eich e18e proposals for reform rise the same difficulties. In what forms and subject to what conditions
extent is personal habits just? To what effective interferance feasible? What regard is to be paid to the interests of those directly concerned in the harmful bat legitimate traffic. pot as consumers but as vendors? There is, of course, a vast difference of degree between the effects of the two habits. One of the cardinal
interference with
features of the Temperance question in Eagland is the impracticability of proposals based on the thesis that all consumption of alcohol is in itself a sin.
From this cardinal fact follows the superiority of temperance over teetotal proposals. With opium the influence of the drug is stronger the breaking of the habit is accom. panied by suffering infinitely more acute than is to be expected in regard to alcohol. Absolute prohibition is all the more justifiable as the goal; it is all the less feasible in practice.
We will be charitable, and assume China's good intention in the matter; but we have practically no faith in her ability to perform. An opiumless China seems to us as far off as a beerless England or a warless world." Why, then, waste time in discussing the subject We may point out, perhaps, that we have not been re-opening the subject, but rather discussing the discussers. That is always interesting, and does nɔt tend mɔre to beat.