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THE HONGKON› WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[December 10, 1906,
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in point of number, were in view of the the high compliment of accepting its offers; | Chinese take up land wherever a collection supposed dynastic interests of the Empire, has so far as lay in her power remodelled of foreigners settles. The foreigner seems prepared to go even to so extreme a limit; her own institutions on lines directly copied flattered, if we say that his mere neighbour- and the disavowal of any such intention from the West. It has provided itself with hood is considered to afford protection from by the present Imperial Chancellor will armies and navies the details and organisa- official squeeze; but there are others who certainly be hailed with not less satisfaction of which to the minutest detail have explain it otherwise, who say they rush to tion in Germany itself than in Europe at been taken from Europe. Japan has closely take up the land to prevent the hated alien large. It is natural and proper that Ger- imitated in her political institutions the getting it. Both statements are probably many should watch with intense interest political systems of Europe, and China has a little too extreme.. It is not at all improb- the upheaval going on on her very fron- sent recently a high commission to British | able that the phenomenon is simply caused tiers, and should take every legitimate shores to learn the art of governing her by the quite natural and characteristic means of preventing the conflagration millions with greater profit to the empire, desire of the Chinaman to turo au honest spreading to her own territories; but and greater happiness to themselves, and tael or two. Another change, however, that one of the lessons most plainly to be read this commission was received with open the last decide has witnessed, is observable in the history of the past two centuries arms, and permitted to discover innermost in many towns where the foreigners consist is the folly, if not the wickedness, of secrets of policy. Britain has done all this, of only a missionary or two, for whose armed intervention between rulers and not in the hope of any private reward, but benefit it has certainly not come about. people, unless the interfering state be to promote the general interests of the This is in reference to the increase of prepared from the beginning to assume world at large, and with its share in those business indicated by the constant opening itself all the responsibilities of govern. interests it was content to wait for its own of new shops everywhere, and the remark ment. The mere propping up of a falling profit and advantage. Now it is curious to able additions to and variations in their edifice is of all architectural works the observe how one-sided the confidence has stock-in-trade. A few years ago, certainly most unsatisfactory to an able architect, been. For it all Britain has obtained not not more than a decade, the traveller would and few who have attained eminence in their trust, not friendship, but growing aliena- have hailed as a rare surprise the appearance profession will willingly undertake s tion and ill-feeling. Yet these people in Chinese shop of some obviously foreign damaging a responsibility. The propping who would now turn to Britain the cold articles. We are speaking, of course, of up of a decaying government is, if possible, shoulder, who by words and deeds daily inland towns and places, not of long a still more serious undertaking which has inform the British that in their heart of established treaty ports. The smell of proved in too many instances the grave of hearts they dislike them and if they could kerosene, or the sight of its homely can, political reputations. Europe will be would despise them, are the very people might have reminded him that the West pleased to hear of the good unger-
who have done them the unconscious was knocking at the door of the East, but standing existing between Germany and compliment of attempting without any he certainly could not then, as he may now, the Austro-Hungarian mouarchy; it would, pressure or persuasion to reform on the feast his eyes on foreign haberdashery, however, be better pleased to see this good models freely presented to them the whole clocks and watches, caps and hats, foreign understanding expressed in some more fabric of their institutions, and even their boots and shoes, and even "stick-up' tangible form than mere words. The spirit private lives. Since 1858, when Lord collars, to say nothing of socks and of BISMARCK still lingers unpleasantly near, ELGIN sailed on a friendly mission into the and though the recent revelations of Prince Gulf of Tokyo, Japan has entirely changed HOHENLOHE'S Memoirs have done something her institutions and her mode of guvern. in showing how dead in other respects is ment; convinced of the superiority of those the policy of that statesman, and though prevailing in the West she has undisguisedly Russia as a disturbing influence is, at all remodelled her own on similar lines, aud in events temporarily, eclipsed, all Europe the process without any reserve whatever would breathe more freely were it able to lay she has been helped on and encouraged. to rest its suspicions on this subject. But if So completely has she done this that were we are justified in looking with an enhanced a visitor from another world who had seen feeling of confidence on the Europenu ber in 1858 to re-enter now on the scene, borizon it is unfortunately the case that except in her language and a few of her when we turn our eyes eastwards the older temples, still remaining as records of prospect is by no means a clear, and here the past, he would fail to recognise that he we may note at the beginning we have no stood on the same ground. To the credit reflection whatever to cast on Germany, of Japan she has done this thoroughly, and whose interests we may add are identical apparently without a reserve. No country with our own. However we look at it there in the history of the world has ever effected is an unpleasant feeling in the magnetic such a change within the compass of a mere field, and a sense that it is overcharged half-century. And now Earpe, having with elements of repulsion. Great Britain done its missionary work, apparently has to has persistently urged on China the necessity face the outlook of most altruists. It feels of advance, did she desire to recover her much like a hen whose duckling brood is lost place amongst the nations; Britain has swimming off to independence. done more, for it has actively aided China in the process by material as well as moral assistance. It has hailed with pleasure Japan's entrance into the comity of nations, and has placed her in a position of eminence ¦ alongside itself. In none of these things! has Britain been actuated by any senti
• mental motives, nor has it attempted to pose as if impelled by any mere philan- thropic motives, or to raise itself on a pinnacle of goodness beyond other nations. Knowing how rare in the ordinary inter- course of nations is the feeling of gratitude or anything approaching to thankfulness it has not expected any return of this nature, and has been quite content to take things as they came. Britain did, however, expect that as a return for opening to the Far East the material benefits of its commerce and culture, and sharing with it its own home privileges without let or hindrance, it should be placed on similar terms, and that ELB it had broken down the last barriers to intercourse with the West, it should meet with a similar willingness on the part of the East to meet on equal terms. East Asia has done Britain
FOREIGN STOCK IN CHINESE SHOPS.
(Daily Press, December 6th.)
It is rarely safe to argue on the "in one see
all" adage, and particularly so with regard
to vast country like China. Some supe ficial observer in some corner of the Empire writes a glowing letter about the symptoms of what he regards as the civilization of the Chinese, and he has his imitators, and then back from Europe come the newspapers, full of comments able enough and sound enough if their foundation had been better. Still, there is a good deal of excuse for these somewhat premature trumpetings of the awakening of China, of the coming of the Oriental, and almost, we might say, of the apotheosis of the Asiatic, The so-called unchanging East is as mutable, humanly speaking, as any other contre of society; and there is a general opinion among residents of any standing that things to-day are scarcely reccguisable in the most truthful picture of ten years ago. One noticeable feature is the avidity with which
suspenders". A northern contemporary notes that comparatively few Chinese gentle. men wear Chines: socks, now that the foreign kinds are so accessible and cheap, and look - more showy. For such things it is easy to se a market, but if the new Chinese shops follow the example of their Japanese prototypes, we shall have to wonder what becomes of the importations. Only a few months after the opening of a certain Japanese town (Kofu, previously without railway connection) whole rows of semi- foreign shops, containing purely foreign goods, were to be seen and entered. The wonder naturally arises, whether all the sewing machines, and bedsteads, and bicycles, the shaving tackle and cooking utensils, and the felt hats of fashion Early Victorian are not still in stock, unsold and
In C..ina it sems safe to unsaleable. conclude, from experience, that there was a proper likelihood of a demand for these new supplies, before the shrewd man who. are opening these up country stores imported them. It is to be hoped they all go off well and give satisfaction.
UNPRINCIPLED ABBREVIATION.
(Daily Press, December 7th.) feature of daily life nowadays, even in the Abbreviation are such a recognizɔd
mot select journalistic circles, where men are proud to call themselves M J.I, and still more so among business men, that we were somewhat surprised recently when a critic, for whose opinion we have consider- able respect, suggested that it is a fault to refer constantly to an important department of the Colonial Government as the P.W,D, Our only defence at the time was that this abbreviated form was constantly employed officially, and we gave no further thought to This week the receipt of a copy the matter. of the Singapore Free Press with a long
од article the subject of abbreviations generally has suggested that perhaps it affords more interest than might be suppos. ad. According to our contemporary," the question of how far it is permissible to use abbreviations has vexed the minds of many