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· HONGKONG AND THE OPIUM QUESTION,
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[July 5, 1909.
considerations than any other. Later when in conjunction with the United States Great Britain had mode it clear that she favoured the policy of maintaining China's Russia appeared likely to be
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND ments for tenders for the Opium Farm was already delayed a month or two beyond the usual time, and they urged that to call for tenders before the Bill embodying the new conditions had become law would create integrity, such doubts in the minds of the persons a menace to China, and forthwith that tendering that no reasonable tender would country was listened to more than any be obtained. We think it will be generally other Power, and was encouraged rather admitted that this contention was effectively than checked in a policy of aggression until answered by the unofficial members. It this was worked very ingeniously so as to does not seem to us that the passage of the menace Japan as well as China, and Russia Bill into law can have the slightest influ- and Japan were thus left to fight out the ence on the persons tendering. They, in question of China's independence between any cas', would submit tenders on definite them. This was indeed the avowed design and fixed terms. There is still thef LI HUNG-CHANG, who had more to do chance-remote though it may be--that the with the foreign policy of China than any Imperial Government, now that it has other official and who, it was discovered begun to realise the difficulties involved, after his death, by a letter he had written may see the necessity for modifying to some the subject, looked very calmly on extent their instructions to the Colonial the struggle between these two nations. Government. This is what the Colony will shrewdly estimated that whatever the result, continue to hope, and should that hope be it would be to the benefit of China. If realised the Colonial Government, in the Japan were worsted, a dangerous and tradi- matter of the tenders for the Opium Farm, tional rival would be checked, and would be would be in uo better position than if the made more likely in the future to work in unofficial members had stuck to their guns. with China; on the other hand, if, as the It was a mistake not to have voted against event proved, Russia came off worst, au end The third reading, but we hope the discussions would be put fr some time at least to the which have taken place in the Council will aggressive designs on the part of that Power, nevertheless receive at the hands of His against which the Chinese had for years Majesty's Government the prompt and been temporising. sympathetic consideration desired, aud it may, perhaps, not be too much to hope that the decision will be telegraphed before the new tender is accepted.
CHINESE FINESSE.
on
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(Daily Press, 26th June.) We cannot congratulate the unofficial members of the Legislative Council upon the result of their encounter with the Government on the Opium Bill on Thursday. They went to the Council, so the Hon. Mr. HEWETT said, with the intention of voting against the third reading of the Bill in order to again, emphasise their protest against unfair treatment on the part of the Home Government, and they ended by voting in its favour in deference to an appeal by H.E. the GOVERNOR. Though this was evidently done with the greatest reluctance, the out- standing fact is that they stultified the action they had very properly taken on the second reading and throughout the discussion on Thursday until the time came for the vote to be taken. HIS EXCEL- LENCY's speech does not appear to us to contain any adequate reason for whittling down the strength of the protest em- phasised by the amendment which the Hon. Mr. MURRAY STEWART bad proposed in an effective little speech which we are sure has the cordial endorsement of the com- munity. His suggestion to insert a suspensory clause would have served the excellent purpose of enabling the protest of last
It is more than probable that these week, on the occasion of the second
accepted tactics are just those which are reading of the Bill, to get Home. Moreover
being acted upon at the present time, and it would have given the Colony the remote
that any lening which China may show chance that some modifications might be
towards Germany may be easily accounted made, particularly now that Lord CREWE,
for on the very simple ground that knowing the Secretary of State for the Colonies, has
what is going on as to the augmentation of awakened to the fact that the Opium Ques-
the German Navy, China deems it well to tion is fraught with difficulty. Secondly,
(Daily Press, June 28th)
be on good terms with a nation whose power it would have left an opening for, perhaps, In the course of an article dealing with the abroad is so much on the increase. In this an even remoter chance the chance of a question of the loan for the construction of she is not to be blamed, so long as she keeps change of Government and a Conservative the Canton-Hankow Railway, which ap-good faith with other nations; but it would administration recognising the justice of peared in the London Morning Post, the be a great assumrtion to conclude that on proceeding more gradually with the reduc- writer after referring to the decline of this account China is at all likely to make tion of the divan licences. HIS EXCELLENCY British influence at Feking observes that "it any substantial political concessions to the GOVERNOR made the best defence
appears that there is a strange disposition Germany. The Chinese Government may possible for the Imperial Government, on the part of the Chinese to regard with very possibly consider that German influence but we are constrained to point out suspicion the several Powers who have will be of use to counteract any strong ac- that the defence ignored an important pledged themselves to respect the independ- tion on the part of Japan, or any other fact on which the unofficial contention ence and integrity of the Empire. Germany nation with whom China might be brought largely rests. HIS EXCELLENCY said in is not one of these Powers, and it would be into opposition, and may find it convenient effect that no business man would have only natural for her to profit by the appre- to conciliate & Power which may be a undertaken to pay a proportion of a loss that hensions of the Chinese and to seek to gain iseful champion; but there 18 not could not be estimated, and the inference advantages by expressions of sympathy and sufficient reason to assume that these is that unofficial members made last week offers of assistance." It may be doubted advances have any more serious bear- an unbusinesslike suggestion. HIS EXCEL- whether the Chinese really feel so muching, as seems to be suggested by the writer LENCY's dictum can be admitted, but the uspicion with respect to the Powers who inference it suggests cannot, for the reason have guaranteed her integrity as is assumed, that prior to the debate on the second read but it can be easily understood that she ing it was by no means clear that the loss may be disposed to let them think that she could not be estimated roughly in the does not implicitly rely upon them, as other narrow sense, but, broadly speaking, near wise it would be, from a Chinese point of enough for practical purposes. So far from view, too much of an admission of depend-worth ber while to do. it being clear that the loss could not be
ence upon them. However this may be, estimated, it seemed reasonable to suppose there is a very simple explanation of the that it could, because H.E. THE GOVERNOR action of the Chinese authorities, if we bear referred on March 11th to an estimate of in mind the course which China has so $500,000 made, we presume, by the Opium often before adopted in similar circum- Farmer, and that reference contained no sug- stances. Her policy has always been to gestion whatever that this was mere guess- conciliate the particular foreign nation work. Naturally, the unofficial members who at a given moment happened to appear saw no reason why it might not have been the strongest. In the early days of our referred Home as a rough estimate, near diplomatic relations with China, other enough to carry the inquiry: "What pro- foreign nations were skilfully pitted against portion of an amount something like that is Great Britain, which was thought by the the Imperial Government prepared to ask Chinese (erroneously as events have proved) Parliament for? Surely this was not an to have ideas of territorial acquisition in impossible suggestion, from a business point China. No such designs were really "of view; in fact, business men made it, and so entertained by Great Britain, where far as we have been able to learn, the sugges-representatives and statesmen were well tion is one which is generally approved by business men in the Colony. The discussion on Thursday supplies no adequate excuse for "backing down" on the part of the unofficial members. The Government's strong card was that the issue of advertise-
aware of the serious responsibilities which any such step must entail. But it was not unnatural that the Chinese should imagine such designs existed after the war; and Great Britain being looked upon as a Power to be feared, was treated with more
in our London contemporary. It is not likely that Jermany would under any circum- stance identify herself with China further then exchanging courtesies and giving advice, or that China would in reality make any concessions to her that would make it
Finally, we cannot endorse the statement that Germany is not pledged to respect the independeuce and integrity of China. On the contrary, Great Britain and Germany were the first among the Powers to pledge themselves in this direction. By the Anglo- German Agreement of 1900, both Govern. ments agreed not to "make use of the present complication to obtain for themselves any territorial advantages in Chinese dominions, and will direct their policy towards maintaining undiminished the territorial condition of the Chinese Empire." This was, in fact, the first Agree. ment made of this nature, and its final clause was an undertaking to communicate the Agreement to the other Powers interested and "especially to Austria-Hungary, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States of America and [to] invite them to accept the principles recorded in it.” So far then from Germany not being one of the Powers- pledged to respect the independence and
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