CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 632

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secure any primary education. No power is so great as the dollar in stimulating individuals and races to develop industry, and, given a market that will offer ready cash to the producer, there would be little question of the rapid agricultural develop- ment of Manchuria. At present Manchuria's agricultural development is retarded by the lack of good transportation facilities.

Although the economic problems relating to the agriculture of Manchuria are more important at the present time than the problems of agricultural education and experimentation, much good can undoubtedly be accomplished along these lines by laying the foundations for future systems of agricultural education and experiment work that will be of benefit to the agricultural producers. An excellent field exists for the introduction and testing of improved varieties of wheat, maize, apples, plums, sugar-beets, &c., and a distribution of these varieties among the farmers. It would be quite possible to establish Government breeding farms wear some of the centres of trade on the Mongolian border, where native cattle could be bred to improved breeds of cattle, such as the Hereford or Shorthorn, and the resulting progeny could be seen by Mongol cattlemen, and eventually good bulls sent out in the Mongol breeding regions.

The Chinese character seems to lend itself to the adoption of new methods from demonstration rather than from reading or oral teaching, and thus, in formulating plans for improving conditions in Manchuria, the work of demonstration should have an important place. Government demonstration and experiment farms should be established in all the important regions of Manchuria, and efforts be made to interest the farmers in simple machines, such as ploughs and seed-drills, and in better methods of cultivation, in anticipation of the time when better markets for the surplus crops of Manchuria may develop. A good two-horse American plough can be put on the market here for 15 to 20 dollars (silver currency). Such machines are within the reach of the common people, and I am convinced that the people would be interested in such machines if they had the opportunity of witnessing their work.

The Government is already contemplating plans for assisting colonization in the north, and these plans are worthy and capable of great benefit to the country if properly carried out. In Hei-lung-chiang Province, for instance, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce has organized a plan of colonization for discharged soldiers of the Chinese army that is similar in a few respects to the Reclamation Act of the United States. A large tract of low-lying, black, alluvial soil in Mongolia (south-east of Tsitsihar) is to be set aside for the colonists-the Government bearing the initial cost of breaking the wild land, and also advancing sufficient funds to each colonist to enable him to live until the land is made produc tive. Mud houses have also been constructed by the Government for the shelter of the men.

The colonists will be given five years to reimburse the Government and to pay for the land at 50 cents (Hei-lung-chiang coin) per mau-about 1 dollar (gold) per acre.

Each colonist is allowed 100 mau (about 16 acres) of land. The Hei-lung-chiang Government has purchased two American steam-ploughs, 100 small German ploughs, and a large assortment of drills, grain separators, &c., from America for use in this project. If this project could have a competent American engineer to take charge of the machinery and supervise its use the plan would probably mature, and furnish a most interesting example of Government fostering of agriculture. Without the management of a good machinist its success is doubtful.

The potential wealth of Manchuria lies to a far greater extent in the soil than in either timber or minerals, and should Manchuria ever be developed to its full possi- bilities, its products both in quantity and quality would be as famous in the world's markets as the wheat of Canada and the cotton, corn, and beef of the United States. Manchuria is a country of tremendous agricultural possibilities.

It is quito probable that, as time passes, and we learn more of the agriculture of Manchuria, many statements in this letter will need revision. What I have written here is at best but an impression gathered from a short residence in the country.

Trusting that you may find the information herein written of some value, I beg, &c.

(Signed) EDWARD C. PARKER.

0

AFFAIRS OF CHINA,

CONFIDENTIAL.

[7106]

No. 1.

RECO

Rro 18 MAR 09

[February 22.]

SECTION 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received February 22.) (No. 52.) Sir,

Peking, February 3, 1909. IN continuation of my despatch No. 4 of the 4th ultimo, dealing with the anti- foreign agitation in Canton, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from the Acting British Consul-General at Cauton reporting that the Hong Kong Government have decided to withdraw the orders of banishment issued against certain members of the Self-government Society in Canton.

It would appear from Mr. Fox's despatch that the Japanese boycott is gradually dying a natural death, which may be materially hastened by the published statement of the leaders of the Society disavowing their alleged participation in the boycott move- ment as a stain on the reputation of their Committee.

I have, &c.

(No. 2.) Sir,

(Signed)

Inclosure in No. 1.

Acting Consul-General Fox to Sir J. Jordan.

J. N. JORDAN,

Canton, January 9, 1909. WITH reference to my despatch No. 69 of the 8th December last on the subject of the orders of banishment issued by the Hong Kong Government against certain members of the Self-government Society in Canton, I have the honour to report that the Government have now decided to withdraw these orders.

In a despatch received from the Governor of Hong Kong to-day I am requested to inform the persons concerned that the Proclamation issued under the Peace Preservation Ordinance having been withdrawn in consequence of the cessation of the Acts which gave rise to its enactment, his Excellency does not propose to take any further action in respect of the banishment orders issued under that Proclamation.

Dr. Lau Tze Wai and his friends did not adopt the Governor's suggestion, referred to in my previous despatch, that they should insert a notice in the newspapers dis- associating themselves from the boycott movement, but they did write a joint letter to the Colonial Secretary explaining that they had visited Hong Kong on the occasion when they are alleged to have attended " Japanese boycott meetings," as a Committee appointed to manage the Canton Floods Relief Fund, and while assuring the Colonial Secretary that they had not " meddled with any other affairs," they protested that the suspicion of having taken part in the boycott "marred the stainless reputation of their Committee."

It is quite possible that the Self-government Society, after this public statement (the letter to the Colonial Secretary was published in the Hong Kong press) regarding the attitude of four of its most influential members towards the "Japanese boycott," will cease to take that active part in the movement which they have done hitherto.

I am informed by the Japanese Consul that Japanese goods are now freely imported into Canton, and that for some time past be has received no complaints from Japanese shippers in Hong Kong of intimidation of their consignees in Canton.

The Self-government Society have ceased discussing the subject at their meetings, and the newspapers no longer chronicle the fines imposed on native merchants for dealing in Japanese goods. The Consul admitted that an anti-Japanese feeling still existed in Canton, and he instanced the fact that the majority of Cantonese going and The returning from Japan and America still avoid travelling by Japanese steamers. Canton newspapers, said the Consul, which publish daily lists of arrivals and departures of steamers at Hong Kong and Canton never include Japanese vessels in

their lists.

The businesses that have suffered most by the boycott, and still continue to suffer, are shipping and the various forms of insurance, fire and marine in particular.

I have, &c. (Signed) HARRY H. FOX.

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