352
1
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[October 25, 1909.
make an attack against the property and the signals at the Peak have been handled, I own initiative and without reference to any- money interests of the nation, but among the but that is a local matter, and a very little one, and though two of the three accounts number were those who aspire to be leaders attention should ensure a correct interpret he had at the bank were earmarked as rail- of men.
According to Reuter, violentation of the typhoon warning. Seldom in- way accounts, they were under his sole con- speeches were delivered by Socialist members deed have the preparations to meet the stom trol. A man of his experience and occupying of Parliament and it is that, together been so complete. Afloat the big steamers the responsible position he did should have with the fact that so many unenlightened made ready to meet the gale by getting up known better than to have used any part of sympathisers with a would-be regicide and steam to keep them from dragging their the money intended for railway purposes to an unscrupulous political agitator attended moorings, and while A number felt finance private business of his own uncon- the demonstration, which gives an undesir-confident in their ability to weather nected with the railway, and even while we ble significance to the news, It shows it in the harbour itself, others sought an may credit him with having had no intention that even in Britain anarchy has gained anchorage at Kowloon Bay or at Stoncutters. of embezzling these funds, the fact that he many adherents. Few readers, we venture to The native craft blackened the waters of did actually use them for his own private think, will contemplate such a contingency Causeway Bay and Bowrington Canal, and enterprises was a criminal breach of trust, with equanimity. It is suggestive of not a single mishap among the hundreds which undoubtedly exposed him to the charge those who has been reported. Ashore householders of fraudulent misappropriation of which he have learned to appreciate the personal took the usual precautions, with the result was convicted by an impartial jury, and for security and the political liberty enjoyed by that nothing more serious than a few broken which he has been sentenced to two years' the British subject, and it is particularly windows or damaged jalousies is to be hard labour. He claimed that at the time regrettable that these privileges, or rather chronicled. Therefore it will be apparent of his arrest he was in a position to refund rights, should be abused in such a manner. from the information available yesterday the whole of the money he was charged with The student of events in Europe cannot that the typhoon was the least destructive having misappropriated, and he specified fail to be impressed with the wave which has passed over the Colony for years, the funds and the property belonging to of economic and political unrest which is
him. All that the presiding Judge in his passing over the Continent. The voice of
charge to the Jury was able to say on this discontent is always loud in Russia, Ger- THE CANTON RAILWAY FUNDS point was that no evidence had been adduc-
all that is obnoxious
to
many has had a constitutional struggle of some importance, the Balkans have again been the scenes of disturbances, France and
Sweden have been convulsed with strikes which almost paralysed the industry of each country, Spain and Portugal have attracted the eyes of Europe by the fierceness of their domestic troubles, and Greece is at present passing through a period of great anxiety Britain is no exception. While the anties
CASE.
(Daily Press, October 21st.)
The conviction of BUTLER WRIGHT on a
charge of misappropriation of railway funds is certain to receive a great deal of attention from the Chinese Press, more especially because of the somewhat acrid controversy which took place six months ago regarding the terms on which a German syndicate lent to China the capital for the construction of the Tientsin-Pukow line. British financers held that those terms did not insure the honest administration of the railway funds, and the Kowloon terms were represented as being the only terms on which money could with absolute safety be lent. The moral which will be drawn from the prosecution and conviction of BUTLER WRIGHT will, of bottom out of the contention in favour of course, be that it completely knocks the the superiority of the Kowloon terms as affording the only guarantee for the proper adminstration of the loan funds. We do not
ed to prove that the prisoner had got these ample means to pay the railway money back. If that consideration weighed greatly with the Judge, it is to be regretted that his Lordship did not invite the prisoner to substantiate the statement he had made by. the production of evidence, the bulk of which apparently would have been imme- diately available. The prisoner's defence certainly went far to reduce the gravity of his offence, and while he was undoubtedly guilty of what the law regards as fraudulent misappropriation, and therefore liable to punishment, we think the Chinese critics who cynically referred to the case while it was sub judice, expressing, as Dr. MORRISON cabled to the Times, their undisguised satisfaction that a British railway accountant had been arrested on such a charge, should note the fact that it was not clearly established at the trial that the railway funds so misappropriated would have been permanently lost, had WRIGHT
of the suffragettes have excited the con- tempt of onlookers at home and abroad, the speeches and actions of irresponsible members of Parliament belonging to the Socialist group have fomented sedition and created trouble, but what is infinitely worse is the truckling of the respon sible members of Government to the ignor ant masses, as is borne plundering proposals of the present Chan- out by the cellor of the Exchequer. The Budget is not merely an attack on the property and money interests of the country but it is an attack on the liberty of the subject, and ourselves adopt the view that the prosecu-been asked for an explanation before steps
as such it is to be deplored. It tends to set class against class, and so long as a
Government is allowed to pursue that policy so long will it be a recruiting agency for that state of lawlessness and political con- fusion represented by the term anarchy.
last
2
THE TYPHOON.
(Daily Press, October 20th.)
us,
that WRIGHT
tion has weakened this contention; rather may the contrary be argued. It has struck as doubtless it has struck many others, as being rather singular that though it was the money of H.I.M. the EMPEROR OF CHINA was charged with having fraudulently misappropriated, the pro- secutors were not the Chinese Government, but the Corporation which lent the money to the Chinese Government. The Managing Writing before the typhoon has spent its Director, H. E. WE HAN, showed some force, it is impossible to speak with definite- reluctance to associate himself with the ness as to its effects, but up to a late hour prosecution and we think it may be regarded
night there feeling of optimism that the storm would have taken place had the decision was justification for as at least doubtful whether a prosecution had not been responsible for any ter- rested entirely with the Chinese authorities.. rible toll of human life, such as has been too The extremely plausible explanation which frequently associated with the dread visitant, WRIGHT offered in the witness-box was one or any great destruction of property. In which, it is not difficult to believe, would deed the feature of yesterday's typhoon was have been accepted by the Chinese authori- the practically complete absence of reports ties, if he had been called upon for explana- as to casualties or damage to property, tions of features in the accounts which Of course a few hours may bring forth seemed unsatisfactory and suspicious. accounts of fatalities by land and sea, but at Here, so far as the Court proceed- present there seems good reason for ings showed, was a highly capable giving vent to a feeling of satisfaction that all is as well as can be expected in the circumstances. This happy state of affairs is undoubtedly due to the timely warnings given, and, though various interests in the community may have occasionally felt aggrieved by what they considered the over- cautiousness displayed by the Observatory, the public have every reason to feel indebted to the institution for the service it has rendered on the present occasion. A corres- pondent complains of the manner in which
to prosecute were taken. While the prisoner was properly convicted of mis- appropriation, yet, in view of the deductions, which have been drawn by the Chinese Press, in order to establish the contention. that there is nothing to choose between foreign and Chinese control of the accounts, lay stress on the prisoner's disclaimer of any it seems desirable and necessary not only to intention to rob, but also on the fact that the case shows clearly enough the eagerness Corporation to protect the Chinese Govern-
is important that this aspect should not be ment from any possible loss through the dishonesty or negligence of a servant. It overlooked when there is so much talk of the case being a blow to British prestige in China.
of the British and Chinese
BRITISH EMIGRATION TO THE COLONIES.
(Daily Press, October 22nd) Among the many important matters which accountant with thirty-four years' experience, engaged the attention of the Congress of mostly in very responsible positions-a Empire Chambers of Commerce recently record which any Corporation or Govern- held in Sydney was that of British emigra- ment might have accepted as a guarantee
tion. Sir ALBERT SPICER, the President, that the man selected to fill a position of the moved a resolution of the London Chamber highest trust and responsibility was worthy in the following terms:-"That the settle- to enjoy the fullest confidence of his employment in adequate volum of the Anglo-Saxon ers. They, in fact, did place implicit trust in his integrity and honour, for he was entrusted with very large sums of railway money which he told the Court he had banked, for plausible reasons, in his own name, on his
race in British Dominions is deserving of the constant solicitude of the Home and Colonial Governments, who are hereby urged to consider what further or better steps than those at present existing can be taken to