March 7, 1908.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
Lot
We must
mental growth that not long back favoured | carefully, perhaps more olearly than the stay us) we complacently assume to be more
at home; and, though not a commercial man, general than it is perhaps in reality. It I am deeply interested and, I need not add. I mast will do some of us no hariu to ask ourselves concer: ed in Great Britain's future.
confess the prospect almost makes me weep, in all sincerity, and faithfully and truly to
for I have seen our trade fast passing into, reply to our own queries, if it be not possible first, other European nations' bands, and now, that breadth of mind is compatible within the second place, into Asiatic hands, that staying at home, and, more important still, still more quickly, for practically already the if it is not just within the bounds of Japanese hve the cossling trade of the East possibility that a man who puts oceans
in their power, due to their smaller working between the scene of his career and the place expenses and their incessant industry.
Britishers not be deceived, but wake up to of his origin may not bring his narrowness
this warning, for the man in the street can with him and hold and retain it in spite of
see for himself, if he honestly takes the experience. This spasm of conscience, this trouble to consider it, that hint of the advisability of an occasional polish up introspective investigation, is prompted by some obiter dicta appearing in the London Standard, over the initials "F. I. B." We have not the faintest clue to the identity of the author, who mentions that he has been in China for thirty-one years, and we have no doubt that as a man of affairs in this part of the world he has deserved and establish ed a reputation for sapience, savvy, anding of social innovators. The remedy is so sincerity, more flattering to his character plain, and so very, very, un palatable. Longer hours at less pay," and with that, the saving reflection, so easily lost sight of, that what is good for the employer (e. longer hours at less pay) is good also for the employed.” The obiter dicts of a getleman who has been 31 years in China demand more reverential treatment than we feel able to give them. Therefore we had better stop right here.
than the collocation of initials over which he writes. We do venture to suggest, however, and trust that thereby we are not treading to heavily on some worshipful toes, that in our poor opinion he assesses the intelligence of the people at Home ou too low a level, and that by his writings we greatly fear he must have tempted Standard readers to return the compliment to our discredit. Whether our residence in China have been for 31 years or less, there are many of us who would shrink from letting our patriotic fear of Asiatic competition betray us into the truly amazing con- clusions of F. I. B." on labour questions as they affect the development and maiu- tenance of British commercial prestige. Foolishly as the British workmen seem to behave at times, we should not under-rate their intelligence. Some of them are far from being fools, and what they will say of "F. I. B.'s "solemn warninge we do not care to think. Ceriaiuly we dare not print its probable tenour in our decent pages. Talk ing of the industrious Chinese and Japanese workman, “F. I. B." goes on to say that it behoves the British workman, if he is to hold his own, not to quarrel with an increase in the hours of labour, or even with lessened pay, otherwise within 30 years this and many other trades will have completely passed out of our bands, unless I am mistaken. It simply means the survival of the fittest, longest, and hardest workers in the world, whoever they may prove to be, and of whatever nationality, who will secure the trade. Mark that-it may not be the Asiatic, but it must be the people who will bow to those conditions, and no other; and the sooner Britishers recognise that fact the better, aud then they will drop strikes, and trade unions, and the absurd-too absurd-notions of the Socialist, which are an impossibility.
Q
We have been brought up and nurtured in the faith that Britain's national life depends upon its trade, and it is as easy to make us shudder by pointing out any falling off as it was for the Fat Boy iu Pickwick" to make a certain dume's Hesh creep. The picture irresistibly called up in the foregoing quotation, however, of the British tuasses working for longer hours, working harder, and for less wages, in order to keep pace with the Asiatic labourer compels us to face the heretical poser, Would it really be worth while?" Survival at such a (1st would seem too dear; better strikes, trade unionism, age, and even silly socialistic experiments. But lest this mool lead us into extravagance, let us listen again to 'F. I. B," and try to sympathise with him as he weeps.
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Having been away from England for 31 years in China, I can see the future downfall of British trade, which I have watched
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(ur only weapons of defence, viz., harder work, "better" class of work, longer hours at less pay, and the necessity of remembering what seems quite to have been lost sight of that what is good for the employer is good also for the employed, and the necessity of pulling together to keep British trade out of the pitfalls that daily threaten it.
Almost he persuadeth us to join the red flag of Keir Hardie and his foolhardy follow-
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THE SOCIALISTS REGICIDE.
AND
As we
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His
their
in Europe, and the greatest guarantee for the peace of the world. God save the King. There is not the remotest likelihood that any but a madman would dream of attack- His Britannic Majesty, and any ing pretended Anarchist, Terrorist, or Socialist who might be found planning such a crime would be summarily denounced by those very people whom many suspect of sym- pathising with this form of crime. Majesty and all his family owa personal safety, not only to their popularity among their subjects, (for as at Lisbon, it is usually aliens who act so madly) but also to the indulgent methods with which England treats and keeps in check the discontented creatures of the pether class. It is the velvet glove motbed that pacifics. The Portuguese bave been brought up for a long time in the strict faith of representi tive government and cons'itutionalism, aud the mere word dictatorship" must have had a very ugly look for them. Im igine how Englishmen would feel in 1908 over methods like Senhor FRANco's, and then it is easy to make allowances, not for the murderers, but for an excitable people mourning under a double sense of loss and of disgrace. It is not improbable, and some
the
indications have in fact been noted, that the criminals were not political discontents at all, but mercenaries supposed to have been hired by corrupt scoundrels whom dictatorship was intended to dispossess and suppre-9. Yet, according to the voluminous press comment received by the last mail, there was some suspicion that the late King We CARLOS had absolutist inclinations, append a typical comment:
Ho has carried out
(Daily Press, March 5th.)
King Carlos had come to the conclusion that It is entirely satisfactory to note how the statesman who seemed most likely to cops universal is the horror with which the successfully with the task of carrying on the regicidal crimes of Lisbon have been King's Government in Portugal was Senhor denounced, and while the geutler feelings of Franco, lately a member of the Ribeiro Cabinet, who had made himself conspicuous by the rigour human nature bave doubtless been outraged with which he demanded thorough reform in by the spectacle of the heart-stricken wife
every department of the State and the inagura- and mother, we are glad further to think
tion of a new regime of honesty and economy. that the general ex cration is as much due So the Cortes were abruptly dissolved on May to an intelligent recognition of the useless- 11 of last year, and no date was named for their ness of such coarsely brutal methods of reassembling, though it has recently ben redress ug grievances. We do not attach announced that the new elections would take much importance to the reported socialistic place in April. The Dictator at onos adopted the principle of Thorough." He replied to demonstrations in the Parliaments of Berlin
far we have only threatening
the violent denunciations of the politicians by and Paris, because 80
to suppress their newspapers. newspaper reports written evidently under
When they continued to attack him, he stress of indignation at the apparent bad fulfilled his threat, and the liberty of the taste of those who failed to join in the Press ceased to exist. He established the most vigorous censorship and Ruppressed expressions of public disapproval.
his cannot believe that the intelligent socialists public meetings. of the Reichstag approve of such useless administrative measures with unsparing vigour, but the work of actual constructive reform methods-murdering monarchs being on a
does uot 890m to have begun. Indeed, his par with resisting an incoming tide with a
enemies deride the suggestion of his being a Droom-though they may disapprove of reformer at all, and accuse him of playing the many features of monarchism, we do them traitor to the pɔpular causs by becoming the the justice of supposing that there was per-willing servant of a monarch inclined to absolut- The Republican writers describe Portu- haps some tactless reference to themselves
gal as a minature Russia of the West," and which annoyed them by suggesting sym-
all the politicians combine to denounce the man pathy on their part with crimes that they who has orashed them indiscriminately ander an impartial heel. On the other hand most probably hold as much in abhorrence as does the staunchest monarchist in the foreigners residing in Portugal express them. other parties. The Rev. R. J. CAMPBELL, solves in terms of praise of the Franquist an arowed Socialist, has shared the common Administration and ssy that the best hope of error of those who assume that the cri- | Portugal lies in a period of strong and resolute as though the minals were necessarily political mal government. It would som
He said at the City Temple that King and his Minister had underrated the forces "the misguided people who perpetrate opposed to them, though they probably oon- such crimes are not the true friends ofsidered that as long as the army remained loyal
they had little to fear. liberty, or progress, or of the toiling masses of the workers. The Kingdom of God will never be won by violence and bloodshed. Such a dastardly deed excites universal horror and detestation in a country in which not very long ago the King of Portugal was an bonoured guest." And he went on to make the quite unnecessary aldition, behoves us to pray for the safety of our own beloved Sovereign, the foremost statesman
contents.
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Very significant was the statemeat o'a wit- ness in the appeal osas now before their Lord- ships of the Supreme Court. This Chinens ssid that he had saat year rs written the books of the firm for 196, and when he asked the reason for this he was informed that it was necessary to do so in order not to show any payments to Government oficials. This is one of the first candid ooɑfessions of a practice that was generally suspected last year,