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great check, brought about far more by the unpopularity of the movement at home than by the prowess of Japan abroad, convinced her that her true interests lay in Europ- rather than in Asia, and this once more brought her in face of the Pan-Germanic movement, which in her Asiatic pre-occupae tions had been temporarily forgotten. An old story tells us that if we want to expel a fly from our ear, a very effective method will be to put in a hornet, and Europe doubtless for the moment feels very much easier for the departure of the Pan-Germanic fly. A all events, Germany has found it in her heart to congratulate France for the cor- rectness of her attitude in Morocco; and this, spite the fancy of certain statesmen that the rapprochment has been brought about by their superior knowledge of affairs, is undoubtedly due to the success of the efforts of Russia to initiate a Pan- Slavonic understanding by bringing about an alliance between Bulgaria and Servia. For Europe at large, the much wider question remains open as to the relative merits of Pan-Germanism or Pan-Slavism, or rather as to which of the two is fraught with the greater danger to the general body politic. As we pointed out the other day, the beginning of centuries are always like the dead-points in an ill-constructed machine; the vis inertia of the machine may carry it round without danger to itself or surround ings, but there is always the risk that some unforeseen accident may bring the whole to a sudden stop and cause the wreck of the entire structure on which the experts have been working for centuries. No one with knowledge could probably be found who would stake his reputation on the continu- ance of peace for any definite period; still the outlook is decidedly clearer than it has been at any time for the last twelve months.
HONGKONG'S TRADE WITH
INDO-CHINA AND JUNNAN,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND prosperity of the province of Yunnan, and we cannot doubt that in time that hope will be fulfilled, but for the present the commer- cial outlook can only be regarded as gloomy. Yunnan has been one of the principal opium- growing provinces of China, and now that the cultivation of the poppy has been strictly forbidden and measures are being taken by the authorities to see that their orders are strictly obeyed, a period of tradal depression How long it will continue it is has set in. impossible to predict. Yunnan is regarded as an agricultural country, and, to take the place of opium, encouragement is being given to the culture of silk and the increased production of tea, tobacco, cotton and cereals. Next to opium, rice, wheat, and pulse have been staple products, and as the harvests have been good during the last two or three years, and as, also, large sums of money have been brought into the province by the construction of the railway, it is hoped that these factors will enable the people to tide over the loss of opium until its place shall have been taken by silk, tobacco, tea and cotton. We note that to the British Consul at Mengtzu, these hopes "The true solution of the appear delusive.
a very
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[December 24, 1909. China, while in the contrary direction the bulk of the trade is in tin which comes from mines near Mongtse. A blow is aimed at the cotton yarn export from Hongkong by the recent increase of the preference on the rail- way for goods of French and Indo-Chinese origin, the intention doubtless being to foster the export trade of the Tonkin mills, but as the Treaty gives the French the privilege of charging preferential rates, the importers of yarn of British origin cannot object. Last year only 444 tons of Indo-Chinese manufacture went into Yunnan, while 4,832 tons went from Hongkong, but most of it probably goes by river, and as the develop- ment of freight traffic on the railway will probably be as slow as it has been in China it is doubtful if the British import will be materially affected, though if a freight traffic speedily develops on the railway, this item in the list of British imports seems destined to suffer.
RANDOM REFLECTIONS,
Christmas is coming and so are the appeals to our pockets. Circulars from merchants shower upon us, and the seductive claims of the jewellers and the toy dealers are not to be resisted when gifts have to be bought.
The Gazette this week announces six public holidays within a period of six weeks. There is New Year's Day and the Monday following; Christmas Day and the Monday following; Chinese New Year's Day (February 10th) and the day following. And in the very next week we have the Annual Race Meeting, which prac ically means adding three more days to the list. Times may be hard, but we do enjoy ourselves!
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Some-
The winter of our discontent "is a quotation Here our winter is a long spell of delightful which certainly does not apply to Hongkong. weather at any rate it is this season and the bracing atmosphere is enough to make the most depressed business man forget his cares. thing of the wild joy of living is understood when one breathes the pure air of our hills and dales, and it is not extravagant hyperbole to say that a ramble over the mountains these days is as exhilarating as wine.
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But there is one aspect of the present spell of fine weather which is gradually forcing itself on even the least observant. The long drought is telling severely on vegetation and gardeners are having an anxious time. Native shrubs and trees are suffering in a manner which surprises the oldest resident, and the turf on our tennis courts has acquired the tint of hay.
Yunnan commercial problem," he says, "would seem to be in the development of the mining industry and improved means of Very likely the advent communication.” of the French railway to the provincial capital will lead to developments in both directions. Hongkong has already consider- able trade with Yunnan and naturally the expectation that railway indulges communication will assist its development. The development of the mining industry would probably benefit Hongkong to an ex- tent as great if not greater than agricultural development. It may surprise many readers to know that, even now, there is considerable export of tin from Yunnan to Hongkong. The trade appears to be grow ing steadily. Out of 4,589 tons exported from Indo-China last year, only 125 tone in were of local origin; the rest was transit from Yunnan to Hongkong.' The total value of this export to Hongkong last year was upwards of half a million pounds sterling. Now that railways are tapping provinces of unlimited mineral wealth in South and West China, it is well within the range of possibilities that among industrial developments at Kowloon in the years to come we shall see huge smelting works There receiving large quantities of the ore. is undoubtedly a great future before the Colony of Hongkong if full advantage is taken of the great possibilities which are opening up on all sides of it by the railway developments and by the mining enterprises which are certain to follow. While we naturally attach the greatest importance to the great trunk line from Hankow which will have its terminus at Kowloon, we do not overlook the benefit which the port should derive from the railway reaching | Haiphong into the heart of the province of Yunnan, The Colonial Government of Indo- China, it is true, by preferential imported duties ensures a preponderating demand in but Indo-China for goods of French manufac-doubts ture. France, therefore, secures practically a monopoly of the imports capable of being supplied by Europe; still this represents only 50 per cent. of the total imports, the remainder being mainly the natural products of the neighbouring countries which it is impossible for the Western nations to On the Yunnan railway a prefer supply. ence of 20 per cent is given to manu- factured goods of French or Indo-Chinese origin. Cotton yarn at present
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The rough weather experienced outside the harbour had an untoward effect on the local matrimonial market, which for two or three days last week was unduly depressed Eventually as the expected steamers approached, the market strengthened and ultimately closed with buyers, and brides strong in demand.
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It is rather a remarkable occurrence that two weddings fixed or Saturday had to be postponed owing to the belated arrival of the brides.
(Daily Press, December 24th.) Mr. CARLISLE, the British Consul for Indo- China, in his Report on the Trade of the French Colony for the year 1908 makes the observation that a not inconsiderable con- tribution to the commerce and prosperity of the British Colonies of Hongkong and Singapore is supplied by Indo-China. This is especially so in the case of Hongkong, We note that in the last few years the value of the imports into Indo-China from Hong- kong has been steadily increasing. The returns for 1907 showed an improvement to the extent of £750,000 on the returns of 1906, while those for 1908 are better by close upon a million pounds sterling than they were in 1906. The exports from Indo- China to Hongkong in 1907 were nearly two million pounds sterling higher than in 1906, due partly to an abnormal demand for rice, but in 1908 they fell off by a million pounds. Of the total trade of Indo-China, Hongkong and Singapore between them had in 1907 over 42 per cent. and in 1908 about 40 per cent. The total trade of Indo-China has been increasing in recent years,
are probably correct in sociating this result with the deve- lopment of railway enterprise. There are now upwards of eight hundred miles
Someone has been entertaining the British of railway completed and open to traffic in the Colony, and two or three hundred
public, with an article on the subject of the He declares that in the Far miles are under construction. All this goes
Chinese amah. East there is no servant problem. Probably there ain't, but if he ever ended a mothers to the opening of new markets and the development of foreign trade. By February
meeting in Hongkong height be led to think next the important line which will connect
that there was a servant problem, and a very the city of Yunnan with the coast at Hai-
forms serious one, too. I have heard it said that all phong will be completed. It is hoped that the principal item in the merchandise domestic peace is at end when an amab is the advent of the railway will increase the going from Hongkong to Yunnan, via Indo- introduced into a household.
and we
as-
from
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Clergymen out in the East usually find that not so highly appreciat- their labours are
as they would perhaps be at Home, if Bishop Awdry ever had any on the point they will be set at rest when he reads the flattering obituary notices inserted in the Eastern papers on the receipt of telegraphic news of his death, which happily turns out to be untrue.