February 3, 1908.]
ST
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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there was a repetition of the "cut and dried method, with which, by the way, when practicable, we do not quarrel. The German writes:
"We also do not olject to there being seven British councillors and one American and one German only as long as the seven British enjoy general confi leuc. Such however, is not the case with all the seven British candidates who have ben brought forward this time. There are no less than thres amongst their number who, we are informed, are anything but popular and considered suitable oran by their OND countrymen. We hear that there is further one candidate who does not wish to serve any
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for her corresponding responsibilities, and so when confronted with statesmen of the calibre of Sir HENRY POTTingee, or Lord ELGIN, she has invariably overshot the mirk, and brought about such a condition that in the end the knot in which she has become entangled has hal to be cut by exhibited in her present attitude in Tibet. means more or less violent.
This is being
Practically she owes to England the recovery of her lost influenca at Lhasa, which under the regime of the present Dalai Lama bad been practically efface 1. longer and who has merely been induced to Chinese rule in Tibst from any altruistic It is quite true that we did not restore sta on because another British candidate could be persuaded to come forward. Why not under
idea of the righteousness of China's rule, such circumstances look round amongst the
but for our own convenience, and to other nations and take a suitable man from avoid the necessity of advancing our own them? What does it matter, for instance, if Indian froutiers. But this very fact should there are two Germans on the Council, provided have impressed on China the advisability of they are good men? Does it mean that the
remembering that she held her post of Council will be germanized? Not at all, and any attempt of this kind would be downright protectress during good behaviour, and not in return for any benefit she had conferred ridiculous in the face of the largely predominant British vote which could easily throw out any
on 13. So far was this from being her view non-British candidate at any election even
of the case, that while almost ostentatiously without the assistance of the votes of those casting aside those engagements under 6,000 non British residents, for whom as you which her supremacy was restored, she has claim, the British are the natural trustees."
been complaining of our supp sed infractions We are glad to note this admission that of her imaginary rights, and from the very there is still a largely predorinant British beginning has been seeking for grounds vote, and hope it will be used as it ought to of remonstrance, while studiously aiming be. We hope there may be plenty of publicat repressing our commercial intercourse. spirited Britons to come forward in future as Lately she has gone a step further; she has candidates, and that they will be supported paid off on behalf of Tibet the balance of the irrespective of their personal popularity. Indemnity imposed for Tibet's infraction We have seen how larger issues may be of those very stipulations which made occupation nee ssary, and forgetting this fact, and continuing the infraction, she has the temerity to demand as a right the with- drawal of the British troops from the valley of Chumbi. Fortunately for Chin, as well as for British interests in the Far East, the British Foreign Office has awakened to the absurdity of the contention; and has refused to move the troops till China shows herself prepared to act up to her part of the agreement, and this instance of insistance is apparently causing much consternation at Peking, where the British custom has ever been to permit things to drift, rather than by compelling strict observance, tɔ block the door to future misunderstandings and quarrels.
CHINA AND TIBET.
(Daily Pires, 31st January )
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much less pretty if ever that " uno Ceя828 to be British. ing itself unable or indisposed to accept the responsibility of policing that always lawless and atraggling quarter, gladly agreed to incorporation with the larger and more central British Settlement. With his usual fatuous magnanimity, the John Bull of that period himself started the clay-footed idol of internationalism, being unable to see further than the length of his own nose,
and con- sequently blind to the difficulties that were bound to arise and that have now arisen. The Council of those early days, British to the backbone, and blind to the duty of holding its own, voluntarily and of its own accord invited ono Americum and one German to sit at its table. It thereby planted the seed of this very national issue which our contemporary now deprecates. There is, as the Ostasiatische Lloyd has admitted, no law to make that tradition binding, and we confess we would be glad to see the British electorate, while it still has the power, face the turmoil and trouble that would thereby come, and decide henceforth upon a purely British council. It would seem unjust; it would be called unjust; but no one, certainly no British subject, would claim that such a procedure could endanger the good government of the Settlement. The Consular Body would still be the obstructive and conservative force it has hitherto proved-a sort of upper House- and the other nationals would not suffer, except perhaps in their imp rial interest in the place, and that, as Britons, we could contemplate with equanimity. In face of what we have already written, it is obvious that we do not endorse our contemporary's claim that Shanghai elections have hitherto The TIMES has recently been drawing been conducted on issues of personality attention to the extremely astute manner rather than nationality. The very con- in which China has taken advantage of stitution of the Council, the presence of one the restoration by Japan and Great Brita u American and of one German representa respectively of Manchuria and Tibet, to tive, has been a standing reminder of th exploit those countries to her own advaut Dational issue threatened. It would be age, to the utter exclusion of any con- absurd after all these years of British sideration whatever for the wishes national as well as personal preponderance intentions of either of those countries, Its to persist in the claim that a national view conclusions on the subject, that in some way has not been taken; and it would be equally China in the affair has been guilty of foolish to suppose that the day must never national ingratit. le, are hardly born out come when the Americans and Germans, by the circumstances of the ease.
It was increasing in uumbers, would begin to most assuredly not from any philanthropic This Tibetan insist ince of the seemingly think themselves entitled, by a process of feelings towards China that Japan under- incurable habit of Peking of seeing but one national sympathy, to larger representation. to the task of recovering Manchuria from side, and that her own, to any international This, indeed, is obviously just what has Russia, but from the assured feeling that agreement, is not solitary; and the reaction- happened, and just what we have been the supremacy of Russia in these districts ary party have been seeking to fan into a expecting to happen every year of late, implied her own eventual extinction as a
Him just such another in the case of the We rejoiced over our contemporary's internation: and England's march to Lhassa Ningp-Soochow Railway loan. The Pe- vention, even while doubting some of the was equally the outcome of the quiet king Government had made with the Anglo- logic of its position, and we certainly agree indifference with which China ha 1 regarded Chinese Sylicate a very profitable (from with it in our dislike of the manner in which Russia's barefaced intrigues with the Tibe- the Chinese point of view) arrangement to the coup d'etal has been attempted. We tan hierarchy. Doubtless in both cases
have this, one of the most important main do not quarrel with the American tactics, Russia's success would have implied the railway lines in China, made by the however. They have their own shrewd overthrow of China as an independent Syn-licat, the Empire taking all the ways of playing the political game, and that Power, and have rendered her for the future profits, after paying interest at
A very trick of springing the new nominations as
a humble dependent on the Muscovite; but moderate rate, while the risks fell on the a surprise at the latest possible hour was nothing was further from the intentions of Syndicate. いや a word was said against the only way likely to achieve success. If either Japan or England thin any quixotic the teams while negotiations were passing. the N.C. Daily News had not been alert, effort to restore the lost prestige of China. P. king was especially well pleased, as it might easily have succeeded. There is This, of course, was all the while as evidenth arrange nent practically took contro another reason why any moral indignation to China as to the worl¦ at large, so that out of the hands of the provincials. about it would seem excessive and rather of it is hardly logical or reasonable to try to! As soon as the arrangement, which had the nature of humbug. That is the well. found any claim to international gratitude, been enter.d into after considerable known fact that these elections have in one case or the other. But, though w always been conducted in a "cut and must acquit China of the crime of in dried way. So far as the "
personality gratitude, it by no means follows that it argument is concerned, previous councils would be safe or expedient in her own! for many years may almost he said to interests to permit her to place her owu have been electel en bloc.
Except on interpreta'im on the terms under which she of China
i odd occasions, the electors have been was permitted to resume bar authority over apathetic, and when there did happen to these countries. Tos is, however, the be an issue tending to popular excitement, traditional policy of Peking as soon as she it often fizzled out at the annual meeting in
thinks she cau do so with impunity. Chios, a fusilade of laughter and cheere. This in fact, has a lively sense of the engagements; year, according to a German correspondent, I of others towards herself, but little respect
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or
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discussion and with practically open doors, the reactionary party found its oppor- tunity of stepping in. The agreement WAS to be denounced, because, forsooth, it interfered with the "
sovereign rights
་་
to make-or mar-her OWD railways! Young China, at the mo- ment intent on this new shibboleth, was readily persuaded by the reactionaries that the ew agreement in some maysterious way contravened its rights. The instigators of the movement, who for a time kept them-