1950-10-03 — Page 12

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Macao'a Municipal Market in the centre of the town.

Municipal Fire Brigade, on parade. The Loyal Sonate, Macao' Municipal

Council founded In 1582.

Fishing Junka, pro- viding livelihoods for many thousands.

have

"These three men would not been able to start their work in Canton which was open for commerce and no- thing more. Had it not been for the benefits which the Celestial Empire re- ceived from its trade with the East India Company, and later with the United States, even this means of communica- tion would have been prohibited, and China, with its population of 350,000,000 would have kept itself free from re- ligious and medical invasion from the West for at least another fifty years, But Macao provided a place where these men could stand while they were knock- Ing at the gate of China."

Writers have begun in recent years to admit the indebtedness of the West to Macao, for help given in many ways, and in this connection scholars are con- ceding that there was a great deal of tolerance at Macao, during an oge when the whole world was still moved by a vast degree of intolerance and self- interest.

BRITISH REFUGEES

When the disputes between the Chinese and the British at Canton broke out into conflict, Macao played an important role again. It was to Macao that all the British-traders, re- paired, with their wives and children. This brought upon Macao the anger of the Chinese officials, but refuge was not denied to the British. When as a precaution all British subjects were evacuated Into British ships. their homes were looked after by Portuguese friends.

When the British community moved to Hongkong, after the Sino-British conflict ended, "James Matheson, Esq., one of the most enterprising, able and liberal members of the foreign com- munity, about to leave China after a residence of many years, gave Gover- nor Pinto of Macao the sum of $5,000 (March 9, 1942), to be put to some per- manent purpose of public benevolence, as a testimony of his grateful sense of the protection afforded him and others by the Macao Government." as report- ed at the time in The Chinese Repository.

With the growth of the new British- colony, there were close ties between Britain's new possession, as it was then, and Macao. The majority of the British community were reluctant, for a long time, to set up their homes in Hongkong, and Macao continued, for many years, to be the homes of the British merchants and even of the off- cials, As a matter of færi, for many months the seat of Hongkong's govern- ment was centered at Macao, where the Hongkong Government Gazette was printed until 1842.

Hongkong provided the opportunity, however, for Portuguese youths to find scope for their activities. Some went to the new British colony as merchants, but the majority found employment in government service or on the staff of British and other firms in Hongkong- For a hundred years, Hongkong pro- vided work for many hundreds of Portuguese_from Maçao and their des- cendants. Thus it was that the Por- tuguese community of Hongkong was established and which has proved so useful in the British colony.

SINO-AMERICAN TREATY

It was at Macao that the first treaty between the United States and China was signed. The circumstances leading to the signing of this treaty show that Chinese officialdom was most anxious that the American plenipotentiary, Mr. Caleb Cushing, should not land' on Chinese soll, and the Temple of the Queen of Heaven at Macaö, known among the Chinese as Kwan Yin Tong.. at the village of Wanghia in Mocio, was chosen as the venue for the meet- ing of the Chinese, and American envoys. A special pavilion was built. and a porcelain balüstrade was made,