September 3rd, 1921.]
Government is satisfied that it is મ bona-fide enterprise. "If it proves success- ful it will relieve Chinese and foreign shipping in South China from the serius handicap imposed by dependence on imported coal." What further im- pressed the Under Secretary of State is the fact that the " agreement has been negotiated with the provincial author- ities strictly in accordance with the Chinese Government's rule that the terms must be settled with the provincial authorities before ratification by the Central Government." There is opposi- tion of some sort to practically every agreement made in China, said Mr. HARMSWORTH, but "in this case there had not been any marked opposition other than that instigated for political pur- poses."
The Canton authorities will not admit, of course, that their opposi tion is instigated entirely for political purposes, but, all the same, they are making use of the incident to impress upon the British Foreign Office a clearer realisation of the present chaotic state of government in China.
Some such development as the CASSEL Syndicate contemplate would clearly give an enormous filip to industrial and trade enterprise in South China, and we trust it may still be possible to speedily reconcile the aims of the Syndicate with those of the Government at Canton. We hold no brief for the Syndicate but we think it is a thousand pities that the progress and development of the pro- vince on an important scale should be thwarted and arrested as it is by political strife.
WEDDING IN KOWLOON.
FORBES-SUMMERS,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
RANDOM REFLECTIONS.
The manifold sins and wickednesses of the Press are a perennial topic with the clergy and ministers of all denomi- nations. The reason is probably to be found in the fact that the Press is an institution which, conscious of its power, usually treats these attacks with the easy indulgence of the navvy, who, when asked why he allowed his little wife to scold him perpetually without and it doesn't hurt me.
rotest, replied: Well, it pleases her
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allowed to pass unheeded because it is a rule, too, the indictment is couched in such general terms that those newspapers-and they constitute the vast majority-which know themselves to be above reproach do not deem it worth while to offer any defence, while the others have no defence to offer. out any hesitation I should place the With-
To judge by its contents, the British Press of Hongkong in the first category. community would appear to be paragons of propriety, untouched by the breath of scandal and dividing their time judic- iously between commercial transactions, social gatherings, religious and philan thropic effort, and out-door sports. We Edwin Arnold's ideal that a newspaper have, in fact, nearly realised Sir
should be like a sun-dial and record only the bright hours of existence
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The Rev. J. Kirk Maconachie, how- ever, thinks otherwise. Glancing over a number of copies of our local journals, while on his way out to the Colony, he says, he gained the impression that main pre-occupation of the place must be Police-court cases. That was be- fore the war. Since then the contents have been rather more diversified, but, even so, he hopes that neither mentality nor judged a century hence by the seeming our morality will be proportion in which our and the public good. given to sport, crime, scandal, business our great
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The wedding was solemnised, on Sep- tember 1st, at the Rosary Church, Kow- loon, of Mr. R. F. Forbes (of Messrs. Mustard & Co.) and Miss Eva Margaret Summers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Summers (of the Hongkong and Kow-grandchildren take our Press as a whole they will form pretty just conception of us and our tastes, for the Press is a mirror as well as a mouthpiece, and if you don't like your reflection in it that is largely your own fault.
loon Wharf and Godown Co.).
The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Father Spada, Bishop Pozzoni, also. being present.
The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a gown of ivory charmeuse. with an overskirt of embroidered net and a long embroidered train, carried by the bride's little niece, Evelyn Summers. The bride's veil of old lace lent by one of her friends, was caught up with orange blossom. Her shower bouquet
was of white cadema d'amour tube roses and eucharist lilies.
The bridesmaid was Miss Ethel Mary Packham, who wore a dress of white net over pink crepe de Chine and a hat of pink georgette. She carried a bouquet of pink cadema d'amour.
The duties of "best man were dis. charged by Mr. J. H. Brister (of Messrs. Reiss & Co.).
After the ceremony
a reception was held at the residence of the bride's
parents. Later, the newly-wedded couple left for their honeymoon, the bride's going-away costume being of brown floral net over brown crepe de Chine and net, with brown lace hat to match.
Enthusiastic crowds greeted the Prince of Wales on his arrival in Liverpool, last month. At the Cotton Exchange, Col. J. J. Shute, the president, in welcoming his Royal Highness, described him as "the greatest democrat of us all.”
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Personally I am more concerned about the world we live in than about the impression which will be formed of us a hundred years from now. Some of us are so comfortably placed that but for our newspapers we should know nothing of the temptations, trials and tribulations of our less fortunate fellowmen. publication of facts unpleasant in them selves enables those who live in a world apart from the toiling masses to realise the need that exists for the efforts of Ministers of the Gospel and philan- thropists, and often constitutes a greater terror to the evil-doer in high places than the punishment inflicted by the law. As the Rev. A. N. Rowland re- marked at Shanghai last month, long as we have our newspaper we shall never cease to be religious, for by the aid of its mirror our sins are kept ever
before us."
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SO
Mr. Maconachie, on the other hand, fears that the effect on the vast majority of the "distorted news ""
they read is bound to be in the direction of vitiating the mind and degrading the appetite. The minds that are so easily affected must. I fear, be already defiled and debilitated. I have never understood, for example, that our Judges and Magis- trates were an unusually depraved class. So far as the "lower orders" are con-
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cerned, it may be doubted if they read in the newspaper anything worse than the dramas they are compelled to see enacted before their eyes. The moral of even the worst criminal or divorce case is that If the masses, like most of us, are attract- the way of the transgressor is hard."
ed by
the human interest" there are invariably other less "objectionable" items provided for their personal and acceptance the powder concealed in the jam, as it were. The Einstein Theory, even though garnished with bright and vivacious missionary news, would "leave them cold," I fear, at present, just as
bourines, and hymns set to music-hall popularised it with red jerseys, tam- religion did till the Salvation Army
tunes to the horror of the staid and respectable.
space which the newspaper editors devote When Mr. Maconachie laments the
torted, he should derive comfort from the to the outré, the abnormal, and the dis-
such as the death of Queen Anne, which reflection that there are some things,
perly so. Imagine the consternation that are taken for granted, and quite would be caused if this journal appeared one morning with such announcements as the following:
pro-
Yesterday passed without an earth- quake.
Messrs. Ellis, Dee and Co are, our advices lead us to believe, still solvent.
The s.8. Typhoon, which left London last week with a full passenger list for Hongkong, is, we rejoice to learn, still afloat.
Mr.
Our esteemed fellow-townsman, Beer, was perfectly sober last night.
The Municipal Engineer did a good honest day's work yesterday.
The manager of the Cash Bank has not disappeared and is still at large.
Mr. Blank, our readers will be glad to know, was seen yesterday spending a ing boots for the baby, while his wife portion of his hard-earned wages in buy-
was heard singing cheerfully at the wash- tub.
The only difficulty about this sort of "news" lies in the possibility of somebody discovering an innuendo in it, and of anyone who should happen, by an over- sight, to be omitted from the review, regarding the omission as an oblique reflection on him. The Law of Libel robs the Press of much potential brightness.
In England it is the invariable prac- tice to hold an inquest upon the body of every person who comes to a violent end or dies suddenly without medical attention. In Hongkong there is no such rule, the matter being left entirely to the discretion of the coroners, who are also the magistrates. From most points of view the Home practice seems to be the better of the two, for, though the immediate cause of death may be per- fectly obvious, there are often surround- ing circumstances that call for investi- gation, and blame can be apportioned or sinister rumours silenced. By way of illustration let me recall the fatal accident which befell a European boy a week or two back when returning with his mother by the launch run, I believe, under the aegis of the Government to and from Stonecutter's for the conveni- ence of bathers. The published reports stated that the little fellow overbalanced and fell into the water, and that no trace of him could be found till next day, though the launch was stopped and several people dived in to rescue him. Rumours now in circulation are in direct conflict with this statement. What degree of credence is to be attached to them I do not know, owing to the absence of any sworn testimony, but it seems pertinent to ask, at least, how the boy