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The celebration of American "Independence Day" in the Philippines, produced articles in the Filipino papers inquiring when the Philip- pines will celebrate their independence day. "The Philippines," says one paper, "have already undergone ten years of apprenticeship, and now firmly ask the granting of immediate in. dependence."
A Chinese and Foreign Commission is at work in Tientsin endeavouring to find a remedy for the present unhealthy commercial conditions at that port. It has already held three meetings, but the death of Viceroy Yang, under whose auspices the commission was formed, has in the meantime checked its activity. It is believed. however, that the new Viceroy will forward the
work of the Commission.
Comparative tests made by the Bureau of Science, says a Manila contemporary, have proved that machine stripped hemp fibre is much stronger than the hand stripped variety. This fact should be a factor in rehabilitating the Manila hemp in the foreign market, where it has lost much of its former world-wide repota tion on account of the carelessness with which it was stripped and put up for shipment.
that
Messrs. Smith, Bell and Company, of Manila, have been awarded the contract for supplying 40,000 barrels of Portland cement to the Bureau of Supply. A Manila contemporary says after a test of twenty-eight days by the Bureau of Science of the several brands of cement offered the plum has fallen to Dragon Brand of Haiphong cement for the coming year. The above firm has lately received the award of the 6,000 barrels of Dragon Irand cement for the Quartermasters Department.
His Majesty the King has approved of the following decorations conferred upon the reci. pients by the Emperor of China, in recognition
of valuable services rendered by them:-Im- perial Chinese Order of the Double Dragon- First Class of the Third Division-Messrs. James Acheson, A. H. Harris, J. W. Innocent, J. C. Johnston, F. W. Maze, O. G. Ready, and F. J. Smith. Second Class of the Third Divi- sion-Messrs. F. W. Carey and J. H. Marcoun.
Third Class of the Third Division-Massrs. L. A. Byworth, T. B. J. Eldridge, J. H. May, R. O. Rutherford, H. D. Summers, and W. S. Wyles. Fourth Division - Messrs. J. Dalton, W. O. Pegge, and W. H. Williams.
Local stamp collectors will be interested to learn that a new set of British North Borneo
stamps has been issued. These stamps replace the old issue from 1 cent to 24 cents inclusive. The local Herald presumes that the step has been rendered necessary in consequence of the recent forgeries of North Borneo stamps. The new stamps bear the following designs-1 cent Tapir; 2 cents Travellers' palm; 3 cents View of part of Jesselton; 4 cents Meeting between H. H. the Sultan of Sulu and Mr. Cowie; 5 cents Elephant; 6 cents Rhinoceros; 8 cents Ploughing with buffalo; 10 cents Wild boar 12 cents Cockatoo; 16 cents Hornbill; 18 cents Tenbadan, and 24 cents Megapod.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
A highly interesting state of affairs, the Shanghai Mercury says, has arisen on account of the abandonment at the last moment of the visit of the American Pacific Squadron to Nanking. It had been arranged that the ships of the squadron were to arrive at Nanking about the 2nd or the 3rd inst., and it was gonerally understood that the sailors would have had ample opportunities of celebrating the "Fourth" on shore. This appealed to certain people with an eye to business in Shanghai, and quite a number proceeded to the Yangtsze port mostly with the object of catering to the need of the tars, and a few it is said for the purpose of engaging in gambling. Unfortunately for their hopes of bagging some of the sailors' wages, & transport carrying new crews and a collier ready to coal the vessels were at Shanghai, and to allow of the transference of the men and coaling operations it was resolved not to proceed to Nanking. It is reported that those who had made Nanking their rendezvous were forced to hire premises at enhanced rates, and some it is believed are still waiting there in the vain hope of recouping themselves. In this instance business keenness seems to have over-reached itself, and if the report be correct that persons with an eye to carrying on gambling were among the crowd the biter appears to have been bit.
AMERICAN POLICY IN CHINA.
(Daily Press, July 10th.) The news from New York during the past few weeks abundantly confirms the view that the Far Eastern policy of the TAFT Administration will mark a departure from the policy of laissez faire on which, until quite recently, Americau public opinion has insisted. We are told by the Times Cor- respondent that, as a Colonial administrator with experience of affairs in the Far East, PRESIDENT TAFT realises that in the Orient diplomacy and finance are closely related, and that a diplomatist whose nationals are engaged in great commercial ventures commands more respect than the repre- sentative of a Government whose people have only a minor share of the trade of the country to which he is accredited. It will not have been forgotten that in his inaugural message to Congress Mr. TAFT expressed similar sentiments with regard to the size of naval fleets-the biggest commands most respect; therefore the United States must increase her naval strength. But returning to the question of America's standing in China, those who are familiar with the history of the scramble of the Powers for politico-economic advantage in the last few years, will not need to be told that had the view of the position which Mr. TAFT is now presenting obtained at Washington half a dozen years ago, America might have been enjoying now an advantage, politically and commercially in China unexcelled by any other Power. But America neglected her opportunities.
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[July 19, 1909.
ties in Chinâ meant a loss of prestige, and ho
citizen of the United States saw that more clearly than the elected Chief of the Execu- tive. It will be remembered how near this loan was to being entirely monopolised by Germany, and but for the timely protest of Great Britain and France the protracted negotiations which ensued, and PRESIDENT TAFT's clear perception of the need for a more aggressive policy in China, we may not have heard to this day of the formation of a powerful group of American financièrs pre- pared to furnish money for investment in China. What glory may come out of it all for the United States will be primarily to the credit of the new PRESIDENT. Once the start has been made we may expect to see further developments. Messrs. J. P. MORGAN & Co., Mesars. KUHN, LOEв & Co, the First National Bank, the National City Bank and other financial institutions are in the Syndi- cate, and the American papers tell us that the field the syndicate will cover will in- clude the bringing out of “Provincial State Loans, financing projected railways, and probably the establishment of banks.”
To aid the development of these economic interests PRESIDENT TAFT has been search- in-and is searching still apparently-for
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business man of the highest qualifica- tions to represent the United States at Peking. We are told that the President does not regard a knowledge of diplomacy as essential, but “he wants a man of large business experience who can see the trend of events, take advantage of every op. portunity that offers, and point out to Americans openings for the extension of their trade and commerce." As bearing upon this question, and in curious contrast to the views of PRESIDENT TAFT We may note that in a recently published and extremely in eresting work entitled "The English in China," by Mr. BROMLEY EAMES, the author advocates a divorce of the functions of Diplomat and Superintendent of Foreign Trade. Mr. EAMES suggests that an official
parate from the Minister should be ap- pinted to act as Superintendent of Trade Bis recommendation is that the Trade Superintendent should exercise no diplo matic function: his duty should be to vísit in turn the various Open Ports and study the needs of the residents, and to inform himself as to all questions of a commercial nature, so that he may be able to advise the Home Government as to what new de- velopments or modifications are necessary in our foreign policy for the advancement of our commercial interests in China. It seems to us that this need has been met by the British Government in the appointment of
Mr. EAMES is ap- a Commercial Attaché. prently not satisfied with this substitute for a Superintendent of Trade, but his book does not indicate what functions the Trade Superintendeut would perform which do not now come within the province of the Com. mercial Attaché. If the Minister is to r. main the sole channel or diplomatic inter course, as Mr. EAMES recognises must be
Nearly ten years ago American financiers ol tained the concession for the great trunk line of railway from Canton to Hankow, but, for reasons best known to themselves, they sold out, or were preparing to sell out, their interests to a Belgian syndicate, with probably a Russian backing. The result of this divorce of American economic and political interests was the redemption of the concession by the Chinese authorities, and a total loss to America of the great and potent advantages abe had acquired. Generally speaking American financiers would appear to have shown little confidence io China as a field for the remunerative employment of capital, and to this we think must be attributed the fact that America's share in the economic development of China with its consequent political prestige bas been "a minor one.' A State Department communiqué to the American Press last month confesses that in 1905 the British Ambassador informed the American Govern- ment that British capitalists were desirous of opening negotiations with reference to the assurances given by China the previous year that American and British capitalists would be given a prior right to supply the loan and construct the Hankow railway The American Government replied that American capitalists were ready at that time to co-operate," and, though nearly four years have since elapsed, nothing was heard of the formation of a syndicate in America until the British, French and German syndicates had com- pleted their protracted arrangements for pro- viding a loan to construct a line of railway from Hankow to Szechuan. Then came the
subjects that the Minister announcement through official channele of ust needs keep himself thoroughly in. an American financial formed on these questions, and so long the existence of group who claimed a share of the loan. as he is assisted by a competent investigator America's protegt to China against the rati.it does not seem to matter a row of pins fication of the agreement and her representa- whether he be called Superintendent of tions at London, Paris and Berlin, claiming | Trade or Commercial Attaché. It must the right to participate in the lonn, are to always be necessary to the success of his recent to require detailed reference. America diplomacy that the Ministerat Peking repre- had awakened suddenly to the fact that her seating a Power whose commercial interests, failure to take advantage of her opportuni. I present or potential, are great in the land
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the case, there does not seem much to be gained by appointing a Superintendent of Trade separate from the Minister; for diplomatic intercourse at Peking is so largely concerned with commercial and financial