November 22, 1909.]
stances in hospitals, some of them free, the Commissioners considered this fact "very significant.
They also reported that, "after carefully reviewing the evidence before us, and paying most careful attention to the statements of repre- sentatives of the local Anti-Opium Societies and others holding strong views adverse to the use of opium, we have come to the conclusion that the evils arising from the local form of indulgence in opium are not sufficiently acute or widespread as to justify legislative interference by way of prohibition, and we are further of opinion that the local state of feeling on the opium question has not yet reached the stage of rendering a policy of prohibition desirable or practicable." This equally represents public opinion in Hongkong. Had opium smoking been a serious evil in Hongkong, an evil a tenth part as shocking, for instance, as the alcohol evil in England, the Colonial Government would not have required per- emptory instructions from Downing Street to close down on it. But opium-smoking is not and never has been the terrible evil in Hongkong that one might suppose it to be from the misleading information published by the Anti-Opium Society. We are not aware that there is even an Anti-Opium Society in the Colony. Deny it
as much as Cabinet Ministers may, the fact remains that the Imperial Government in imposing on the Eastern Colonies its own ill-informed opinions on the subject of opium cannot escape the charge of imposing its own morality at other people's expense. All the best thought" at Home,, for instance, supports the view that the drink evil in England is a gigantic one. It certainly far exceeds anything that China is able to show from the use of opium. But does the Government dream of shutting down on the consumption of alcohol as it is shutting down on opium in the Colonies by closing the whole of the public houses? No; they have not the courage to pro- pose in England a policy which they have not hesitated to impose, willy-nilly, on the Crown Colonies at the dictation of a handful of fanatics among their supporters. They ignore the good old. maxim that
than example is better
precept. In the circumstances is it not sheer cant and hypocrisy to deny that this is not a question of "Our morals at other people's ex- pense"? Colonel SEELY based the Govern- ment's action on safer ground in his famous telegram to Hongkong eighteen months ago directing immediate steps to be taken to close the whole of the opium divans. (Now, by the way, we note that "nothing will be done in a hurry.") In effect the Secretary of State then said : "The Chi- nese Government has determined on the extermination of the opium habit, and having regard to the fact that Chinese subjects bulk so largely in the populations of our Crown Colonies of Hongkong and the Straits Settlements it is expedient that we should bring our policy in this matter into line with China's." Had Colonel SEELY confined himself to this defence at the Straits Settlements dinner he would have been less open to criticism and perhaps more convincing.
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As the New College for Chinese Classics is about to be opened in Peking the Foreign Ministers have approached the Chinese Govern- ment with the request that students of their English Minister has applied for two places, The the French three, American two and Japanese three, while the German, Russian, Italian, Austrian and Belgian Ministers have also sent in applications.
respective countries be admitted there.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT:
HONGKONG'S INTEREST IN WIRELE S TELEGRAPHY.
437
ships will be so provided. It was indeed suggested some short time ago to the President of the Board of Trade that in the (Daily Press, November 20th.)
interests of the safety of the travelling Six years ago, in view of the great possi public, the installation of wireless telegraphy bilities and potentialities of wireless tele-on passenger liners should be made.com- graphy, the Colonial Government deemed it pulsory. Mr. CHURCHILL did not then wise to have legislative power to place an give the suggestion much encouragement : installation here, and an Ordinance was he apparently takes the view that the time accordingly passed enabling the Governor is not ripe for such action. Self-interest, to issue licences for the installation of however, is likely to be a sufficiently power, wireless telegraphy should it be deemed ful incentive to shipowners. Ocean-going expedient, subject to such conditions as may ships fitted with wireless telegraphy will from time to time be found desirable in the stand the better chance of attracting the public interest. Wireless telegraphy was travelling public, who are always more or then in its infancy. We in the East learnt less nervous about undertaking sea voyages, all we knew about it from the newspapers and the recent incidents in which the White and magazines. There was not at that time, Star liner Republic and the Blue Anchor we believe, a single installation in the Far liner Waratah have figured, doubtless East. To-day the installations in the Far left impressions likely to influence the choice East are to be counted probably by the of ships by intending passengers. The score. Nearly every warship, to what-Republic, and her company of valuable lives ever nation it belongs, is equipped with some were saved by means of the magic “C.Q.D.” system of wireless telegraphy, and the past flashed swiftly over the ocean to be picked twelve months have witnessed extension of the system to the passenger liners fortune might have happened to the a notable up by another ship, and the same good which pass in and out of the harbour of Waratah had she possessed an installation. Hongkong. The Chinese authorities at She left Durban last July intending to call Canton established wireless stations two at Capetown, but mysteriously disappeared years ago; they have also placed wireless with her human freight, and no trace telegraph apparatus patrol gunboats
on the four new of the missing ship has been discovered. built in Hongkong When we think of the value of an for the suppression of piracy in the installation at Hongkong we recall delta; and they have established a Wire- the promise of the Philippine Govern- less School. Shanghai last year was provided by private enterprise with
ment to place a wireless installation on the installation, but this being deemed an in- ing meteorological data which will be of an Batangas Islands for the purpose of furnish- fringement of sovereign rights, it has great service both to Hongkong and the passed into the hands of the Chinese Philippine Islands in the typhoon season. Government. Hongkong, though it recog- And having regard to the interest which nised six years ago the possibilities and the Chinese Government at Canton is potentialities of the system, and put on its taking in wireless telegraphy, Statute Book an Ordinance enabling the that the Colonial Government may still Governor-in-Council to issue licences for an hope to see an installation on the Pratas installation, is still without one. We have Islands. These remarks have been prompted been content to rely upon the never-failing by correspondence in the minutes of the courtesy of the Naval authorities, and on Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce more than one occasion the shipping com- which we publish to-day An American munity has been much indebted for valu- Company is seeking a licence to establish and able services rendered in this connection by operate a commercial wireless telegraph British warships in the harbour. We need business here; the Government has sought only recall the incident which occurred a an expression of opinion from the Chamber few weeks ago when, through the courtesy of of Commerce, and the Company has appealed the Commodore and the Commander of to the Chamber to support the application, H.M.S. Kent, the wireless installation on the but does not state what, if any, advantages cruiser was made use of to divert H.M.S. to commerce are expected to accrue from the Flora from her course up the China Sea to proceed to the rescue of a crew of a Nor- cables. We understand that the company.
use of wireless in preference to submarine wegian vessel wrecked a week previously is seeking similar privileges in Manila and on the Paracels.
Singapore, and would therefore be competing with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Co. for local traffic. Public interest in the matter is thus stimulated by a prospective cheapen- ing of rates and the decision of the Govern- ment will be awaited with considerable interest.
So long as the mail and passenger steamers neglected to make use of wireless telegraphy, and so long as we could depend on a warship equipped with the apparatus being always in port, the provision of a wireless installation in the Colony was not a matter of great urgency. But we are not aware that the Government has any guarantee that the Colony may not be left for weeks or months in the typhoon season without a warship so equipped, and, with the squadron still further reduced under the new scheme of reorganisation, that may more frequently happen in the future than in the past. So the time would seem now to have arrived when the Government might well take into consideration the advis- ability of providing the Colony with an installation, especially when regard is had to the number of ocean-going steamers which now possess this valuable means of communication. Among the vessels already Pacific Railway Co., the Toyo Kisen Kaisha, equipped are the steamers of the Canadian and some of the liners of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and there is little doubt that before long the majority of ocean-going passenger
we feel
RANDOM REFLECTIONS.
It is a rare occurrence to have two transports in the harbour at one time.
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picturesqueness of our streets, and
The kilted lads are now adding to the when the football matches are arranged they expect will add to the animation at the Happy Valley.
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The three Netherlands cruisers have returned to Hongkong after a tour in the North. When they were last here the hope was expressed that we should see the jolly Dutchmen playing football, a game which has become almost as great a craze in Holland as in Britain. Were
here to assist them, and an interesting game could call upon one or two of their nationals an international contest arranged the visitors
should result.
Shades of the past! only about a dozen people took the floor for the strathspey and reel at the