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268
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ex.
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MISSING EARTHQUAKEN.
(Daily Press, 25th April.)
Я
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[April 29, 1907. there seems some prospect of this being done hai Brauch of the Navy League came under | lack of spirit abont the stipulation as to the within a short time.
The cangue is certainly our notice. Though admiring its principles liquors to be sold that must bring a blush not to be recommended for Utopia; but in the and ambitions, we have never been able to to the true Nelsonic soul. The fate of the ideal state there is no need for physical punish realize what practical good the Navy Shanghai Branch of the Navy League ment, as there is unlimited revenue and prisoners
seems inglorious. Not theirs to sway public can be taken charge of by the Government and League people could reasonably expect to segregated from the community until they have accomplish, by founding branches in Far | opinios in favour of a Three Power Stan- been transformed into ideal citizens, In most Eastern ports. That it was an Admiralty |dard, to fight for naval increments, or for countries, however, the State cannot afford this, blunder to withdraw so many British ships the restoration of the prestige of the White Their the ideal, method of coping with crime. Here from the China station many people out Ensign in Far Eastern waters. in China we are unfortunately confronted with here were firmly convinced, and these enthusiasm has slipped into the funnel of a population which seems to understand the cin-
people would approve
when the local in difference, and comes out at the small end gue, but fails wholly to appreciate other mild forms of punishment. The greatest good of branches of the Navy League entered their with barely sufficient force to work a beer. the greatest number is, therefore, likely to be protests and warnings. But we suppose pull. The gross of absentees are either that. по people, not even The most greatly to be blamed, or why did they enrol advanced by a temporary return to the punish-
their names, and why do they continue to ment of the cangue, pending the elevation by enthusiastic of Navy Leaguers, ever
We pected results. There is the obvious retort | subscribe ? might proceed to gradual methods of China's criminal claves.
It is hard to kick against the pricks: to that if nothing he ever attempted, nothing | psychological auntysis of the motives that run with the hare and ride, with the hunt; will ever be done; but there are some sorts mako men join societies pro-this and anti-
that. we refer now, not to our esteemed contem- of attempts to which admirable that, but at the end of the discussion we to accept BOME porary, but to the sentimentalists, the aphorism scarcely applies. The zeal and should probably hire idealists, the Utopians, who forbid us to enthusiasm of body of holiday-makers hypothesis very like that of the sailor "cat" Hooligaus or flog seriously mishe.combining in a Society for the Encourage mentioned in the beginning of these having Rand coolies, or even to hang ment of Fair Wether would scarcely comments, and "spect it's their 'obby, callous murderers. If it were only all in justify, to the most sanguine temperament, | like." the divine name of Liberty, we could their incorporation; and the Navy League sympathise; but the same people are most strikes us, at any rate so far as its opera- prone to meddle with individual liberty in tious in the Far East are concerned, as one countless other ways. The communal of the supere.ogatory societies of that ilk. majority for its own peace and preservation At Shanghai we note that six gentlemen may not use repressive measures against composed the annual general meeting, the abnormal units who threaten it; but it and that the report and Acccounts
were taken as read. must pass its one day a week in a certain
The Committee inactive way out of respect for the had fully paid off an overdraft con- superstitions of the minority. It must be nected with a Recreation Ground fund, serumized so that it can't convey disease, by selling a portion of the land and but it mustn't be puuished so that it will overdrawing he League Working not carry
crime. Shanghailanders were account to the extent of $977 and cents recently so shocked by the way of a mau nineteen, A member said he had meant to
suggest. at with a wayward maid, that they were
the meeting that a sub- unable to be shocked by the way of his scription be opened to pav off this murdererd with a revolver; and the soft
sum; but the meagre attendance appa-
enterprise tears of pity and relief that fell when mercy rently ripped bis
in the prevailed then, seem to have left their bul. The Chairman told him the amount hearts harder and sterner for the time when would be repaid from next year's subscrip- there came a steady increase of petty tion. When suggestions with regard to crime." Ah, well! we do not expect, and the work of the League were invited, the do not plead for, consistency. Experience Chairman mentioned that there seemed as well as EMERSON taches us to loathe very little prospect of the ground being the consistent inan. But let us remember, used for recreation, as there was no navy as far as we can and as often as we can, at Shanghai and large men-of-war rarely that our lot is cast in a world of real flesh
came there. He might have added that on and blood, of thorns and roses, of crime and the rare occasious when they did, the shore. virtue; and strive to abandon first of all leave men had little time to spare for the that sickly sentimentalism which, as with recreation ground. There was some con-
The # work the anti-vivisection people, handicaps the solution however.
of the fighter with disease, hinders the repressin League was not in pril, for "the land (not suppression) of crime, and makes the
was a good investment, and they could sell; gardener's tack Sisyphean by insisting ou it at considerable profit in the future." Is too much consideration for the weeds. land speculation, therefore, the “work of Finally, it seems inevitable that in arguing the League?" We do not think so, after against one thing we should over-emphasise reading ou. Another member suggested its opposite. Tolerance is good, and mercy that it might be better to sell the land and is good but this sentimentalism that "establish a Sailors' Rest in Shanghai, threatens to drown us all like a second Helso thought that the men might be Deluge is frightful. If our Ark should ; allowed beer at the Rest, but spirits should
So the "work appear somewhat harsh in its outline, it is; not be sold."
of the nevertheless necessary to enter it, till the League is to add to the drinking places of flood abates, and the Dove can be set Shanghai-which are no
at -a-wing cnce more.
Hongkong-and to run a p∙eudo temperance canteen? There is more warrant for this assumption, as the Chairman, while pointing
NAVY LEAGUE AT SHANGHAI.
(Daily Press, April 24th.) Two British bluejackets were talking in one of Hongkong's numerous drinkshops. Some one had mentioned the Formosan headhunters, apropos just what the historian ignores as irrelevant. "Wonder wot mykes o'llect 'eads," one sailorman said. "Eads aint no adjectival use to nobody." His companion, ufter a suitable interval for reflection," gulped remaining contents of his glass, and advanced au hypothesis. Spect it's their
'eal
"
the
.
obby. like," he remarked. We were reminded of this conversation when the report of the last annual general meeting of the Shang-
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i
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of
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Still after
It is characteristic of the perfection to which seismographic instruments have been carried that the recent series of great earthquakes which have shaken so much of the earth's surface have been marked by the instruments at all the chief seismogical observatories of the world. In some cases information of earthquakes bas thus been obtained before the news has been obtained in other ways, and hý calculation of the distances and intensity of the shocks fairly approximate ilens have been formed of the actual localities of occurrence. all the seismograph, like wireless telegraphy, lacks the power of indicating direction, so that these guesses, as they still must be denominated, though interesting, are to the smologist intensely teasing, and afford him no real information that he can utilise. People, even geologists who ought to know better, are always apt to forget that some three quarters of the surface of our globe is covered by the ocean, and there is no reason to suppose that the fact of any particular portion of our globe being converted by water renders it immune from seismic disturbance. It is of course the fact that the great majority of earth quakes occur along the fringes of the great moun. tain chains where the lost supported by the interior of the mais forming the nucleus of our earth beco es unequal and unler the action of gravity seeks pa equilibrium. Although here and there the ocean floor sinks into abyssal depths, and along the edges soundings rapidly increase, the even
pre sure of the water about decreases measurably the unequal strain, and it is probably safe to assume that for equal areas the ocean floor is les subj-ot to seismic vibrations of gre magnitude than the continental lands. Still the great recognised lines of seismic weakness plunge in part under the waters of ocean, and we membership of 150 was not sufficiently have many reports from passing ships, that representative to deride 80 momento happened to he over the aren of disturbance matter, went on to say that the Committee comtemporaneously, of the occurrence of Another "had something of the sort in view; the great submarine earthquakes. question had been touchet on."
very curious and marked feature in the recall the patriotic speeches at the time of distribution of land and sen is that, if we the inauguration of the Shanghai branch, describe a great circle approximately about the note of bigh endeavour that dominated England for a centre, we shall and that the "Britons-never-never-shall-be-slaves " wheras on the bome hemisphere the extent melody, wo confess to a mild feeling of of ocean only exce that of land by about sympathetic regret that the proceedings of one-eleventh, if we take the other hemisp
*
fewer than
out that an attendance of six out of a
Wbeu we
more stable
bere, with a centre not far from Now
1907 should partake so largely of the nature of anti-climax. Here we seem to bare, Zealand, we shall find that the stretch of instead of a dauntless Blue Water school, a
ocean is, actually, more than eleven times discouraged Small Beer School-there is a the area of the land; the latter moreover