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December 20, 1909.]
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CHINA QVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
that a system of limited partnerships in Indian defence system. He further sug. commandite would be of great use here and gested that India should take over the would readily be adopted, but after hearing maintenance of the Indian and China from the Straits Government, the Governor, Fleet units, and that these two squad- on the advice of the Attorney General (Mr. rons should be incorporated in one fleet POLLOCK at that time), decided that nothing with headquarters at Singapore. The idea further should be done" for the present" of the possible use of Singapore as a great Once more the Chamber of Commerce re-naval centre, naturally receives encourage- opened the question in 1900, and a Committee ment in the local Press. Hongkong, we are of Inquiry was appointed. This Committee told, is not in the right geographical unanimously decided, "though for different position. It is too far from Colombo," reasons," that it would be inadvisable to says the Straits Times, "and; too near one introduce the suggested legislation. This of the possible danger zones. In the event was. thought to be the last word on the of grave mternational unrest, when doubts subject for a generation to come, but might exist as to the ultimate grouping of successive Judges have not ceased to forces, it would be a almost impossible to comment on the need of some system of quarter a great battle fleet there, but in registration, and now we have the Chinese Singapore, at any part of the year, the biggest mercantile community and apparently the fleet in the world might rest snugly, and be Hongkong Law Society re-opening the in readiness to sail at a moment's notice to question. There has never been much any point where its service might be requir- difference of opinion as to the desirabilityed Our contemporary goes on to save of registration; the problem has been, as we have said, to evolve a practical scheme to overcome the difficulties arising from the difference between English and Chinese law without prejudicing the flow of capital from China into the business life of the Colony.
SINGAPORE AS, A NAVAL BASE,
Broadly speaking, we stand equidistant from our possessions in the Far East and the Middle East, and we are no vast distance. from Australia. We have open sea between us and Canada and the same between us and South Africa. A big fleet based at Singapore could not be bottled up if it had even twelve hours' warning. It would be in the best position for dealing with a Japanese attempt either on India or Australia, and it could intervene effectively if the dispute happen- ed to concern the Philippines. In the pre- sent position of politics, we have to consi- der, also, the possibility of Holland being absorbed by Germany, and the Dutch East Indies passing under the control of Berlin. It would be ridiculous, no doubt, to describe that as a fixed object of German policy, just as it would be ridiculous to say that Japan intends to attack Australia, or to fight America for possession of the Philppines. What we have to deal with are not fixed intentions, but possibilities, and it is not difficult to conceive of circumstances arising which would cause the German Government to look very seriously at a proposal already Lolly advocated by the well-known HERE HARDEN for German Empire of the Mildle East." But this list does not ex- hast the "possibilities" in this part of the world. All the considerations advanced doubtless point to the value of Singapore as a naval base, but it will be a long time yet, we fancy, before the headquarters of the China Squadron are removed to Singapore.
whose aim was virtually the destruction of competition; (4) because the exceptional registration of Chinese merchants would be injust; (5) any such espionage would have the effect of checking those combinations amongst the Chinese residing at Canton, Amoy and elsewhere, which are calculated to stimulate and strengthen their trade at Hongkong; and, finally, that any inter- ference whatever with the freedom of trade would be at variance with the general policy of the Government. Only three years later, namely, in 1878, the Chainber of Commerce represented to the Government that "the publication and registration of the members of Chinese hongs in this Colony is much called for. " The members composing foreign firms," wrote the Hon. Mr. W. KESWICK, as Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, “are made known, and it cannot be requiring too much of the Chinese mercantile community in this Colony to conform to a rule which is voluntarily followed by other nations, but which they decline to observe." As we have shown, the Chinese mercantile community had actually petitioned for such an ordinance four years previously. The Government sent to the Chamber of Commerce a statement of the objections recorded in 1875 by the local Government to such an Ordinance, and the matter appears to have been allowed to drop for a time. But it was revived in
(Daily Press, December 14th.) 1881 by the Governor of the day (Sir
When the Admiralty entered upon the JOHN POPE HENNESSY) in a speech in costly work of extending the Hongkong which he mentioned the proposal and said dockyard--a work which cost the nation a he declined to accede to it because sonic of sum of £1,563,400-it was doubtless believed the leading Chinese bankers and others to that in all probability in the coming years whom, acting on his "usual principle," he a much larger squadron would need to be. had mentioned it, pointed out that the retained in these waters than had hitherto Chinese system of trading would be been the case. But the rise of Japan as a completely upset by it-that there great world Power and her alliance with
extraordinary Inet
of Great Britain has altered world-strategy. investments in this Co ony, as in any British battleships were wholly withdrawn other community of Chinese, and that it from Eastern waters, and while the new would interfere seriously with Chinese Pacific Fleet about to be created may trade, and, in fact, tend to prevent the in-serve, as some writer suggested at the time flux of Chinese into the Colony." Yet in of the announcement, as a kind of naval the very next year we find the Chinese com- recantation of the late policy, we in the East munity presenting a petition signed by '68
sec in the scheme a probable further reduc- well-known Chinese and chopped by 104 tion of the units in the China Sea, and con- hongs calling attention to the evils" arising sequently less work for the new Admiralty there is a noticeable from the want of a system of registration of dock. Moreover, Chinese partners," and submitting certain tendency in discussions regarding schemes propósitions which they prayed might for a Pacific Fleet to discount the value receive legislative sanction. The Registrar of Hongkong as a naval base, or rather to General was .of opinion that both regard the Singapore position as the key of petitions in favour of registration our modern strategical problems. had been prepared in panic, the latest member that when the Times a few months arising from heavy losses in house specula- ago outlined an interesting scheme for an
(Daily Press, December 15th.) tion, and he suggested that it might be well Imperial cruiser squadron, a high value was
The London newspapers of the latter half- to let the over-speculation cure itself. set upon the Singapore position. Now, we Accordingly nothing more was heard of the notice, a member of the Indian Staff Corps of November devote considerable space to in an address before the Central Asian chronicling the doings of the members of subject till 1891, when it was once more brought up by the Chamber of Commerce, Society in London has outlined a scheme the Chinese Naval Commission in England in the form of a recommendation in connec- whereby India could maintain a Fleet in their reception on arrival in London, tion with a Bill to amend the law relating the Pacific provided and owned by their entertainment by the KING at Windsor, to Bankruptcy. They expressed the opinion the self-governing parts of the Empire. by Sir EDWARD GREY at the Foreign Office, on India in Imperial their visits to the Admiralty, the Royal Naval School at Greenwich and to the applicable to local requirements it should be Defence," preceded or supplemented by a Bill making MACAULAY, suggested that India's best various dockyards. The exceptional char- compulsory the registration of individual contribution to Imperial Defence would acter of the honours accorded is of course members of Chinese firms trading in the be a contribution to the British Navy, explained by the fact that a member of the of China beads the Colony. Nothing, however, appears to but he regarded it as neither practical Imperial Family have been done in this direction. The or expendient that India should start Mission. Prince TSAI HSUN appears to a fleet of have been delighted with his reception, and subject, however, had been engaging the building and maintaining attention of the Government of the her own. His suggestion was that the especially by the welcome accorded tɔ him Straits Settlements, and in 1894 the Govern- self-governing parts of the Empire should by the KING at Windsor. The "serious ment procured from the Straits a copy of consider the construction of four Dread business" of the Commission, in England, the Ordinance which had been drafted there, noughts to be handed over to the Indian according to Admiral SAH, was to spend together with copies of the printed papers Fleet. India's contribution he estimated at about three weeks visiting ports, arsenals, connected with the subject. Opinion was
2 to 2 millions a year, which represents dockyards, shipbuilding yards and training as much divided on the subject in the an insurance of only 1 per cent. o hier establishments, "carefully gathering and not- Captain MACAULAY ing all improvements applicable to our Navy Straits as in Hongkong, and the Bill did not ocean-borne trade. go beyond its second reading. Meanwhile suggested that India should take over the that may be suggested by what we see. the Acting Chief Justice of Hongkong had defence of Colombo and Singapore, the forces The Commission, which is now at Paris, goes on to Berlin, Rome, Vienna and St. been making representations to the Governor at these places being included in
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We re-
that to render this Bill more completely The paper was
and the author, Captain
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CHINA'S NAVAL PLANS.