438
THE COLLAPSE OF CHINESE RE- SISTANCE IN FORMOSA.
Centn
After all the vauntings and the big word
have escaped the people of Southern China, and their ob- jurgations on the troops engaged in fighting the Japanese in Manchuria and Shantung, the sudden and complete collapse of the fiery patriots in Formosa is at once ludi- erous and pitiful. The first sight of the Japanese ships sufficed to throw the fire.
eaters under "President" TANG into con- fusion, and when the new owners of the
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[June 12, 1895.
fer in the steamer and then returning with trade. So oppressive are the exactions all speed to Shanghai, out of reach of any in- that goods not infrequently make long furiated Formosans. His Government have and costly detours in order to avoid a route acted in this matter in their usual perfidious on which squeeze stations are particularly manner. After ceding the territory they numerous, as in the case of the West River, intrigued to induce the Treaty Powers to and trade generally is hampered and dis intervene and prevent its occupation by the organised. Although the contention of the Japanese, and at the same time permitted foreign merchants is that the payment of im- tions to continue long after the conclusion of should clear goods of all further charges, reinforcements of men and supplies of inuni- port duty and transit duty, as fixed by treaty, the Treaty. Fortunately this exhibition of they would probably be willing to assent to bad faith will avail nothing owing to the payment of a higher transit duty if they utter incapacity and cowardice of their of could thereby entirely free the goods from ficials, but if Japan had been involved in the illegal exactions to which they are now extended military operations in consequence subjected. When it was proposed that the of this double dealing she would have had import duty and transit duty should be paid an undoubted claim upon the Peking Go-together on the landing of the goods it was island effected a landing almost unopposed vernment for all losses sustained through objected that this would simply mean in- the disorder was complete, the rout final.
their treachery. As it happens, their decreasing the import duty and that the old It appears to have been a case of saure qui signs are not likely to be realised: the pro- squeezes would continue to be levied on the peut, and the only idea of the valiant officials ject to rouse the whole population to arms goods on their way inland. The same ob- was how to get away, while that of the un- disciplined braves was to loot when they has failed miserably, and the Japanese have jection would no doubt be urged again were had the chance, and they fell to work on this been greeted as victors by the peaceable the proposition renewed. In the case of congenial occupation with all the ardour of portion of the population, who dread them opium the system of one fixed charge has less than they do the Chinese "braves," been found to work satisfactorily, but it born brigands. The rowdies from the Two
whose unruly character and penchant for would be difficult to keep the same close Kwang recruited by the leader of the Black plunder render them a terror wherever they watch
on the general trade that is Flags to guard Formosa against all comers
are quartered. The real difficulties ahead kept on the opium trade, and the slight- proved at least their ability to plunder and
of the Japanese Viceroy are the opium ques- est opportunity of squeezing would be destroy the lares and penates of their friends,
tion and the tendency of the Chinese popu- promptly taken advantage
of. It is however ill fitted they were to act as their
lation to smuggle and violate all laws by possible, however, that some change in the protectors. The experience of the people endeavouring to corrupt the officials. The present system may be shortly proposed. In of Manchuria has been that of the For-Chinese are not an easily absorbed race, and discussing the question of lekin in con mosans-they welcome the Japanese as they will not be allowed to remain in For- nection with the Shanghai Customs Report saviours from their Own countrymen. mosa without abjuring their nationality. It for 1894, the Mercury says:-"Now that the Probably in the whole history of military will be interesting to see after two years,Chinese Government has to make financial operations no such ignominious a collapse the term of orobation given, what proportion fledged Republic of Formosa, the Tiger with of the Chinese in Formosa will surrender
the queue and become Japanese subjects. a chicken's heart. It is believed that there were upwards of 80,000 so-called troops in the island; they possessed some strong forts &t the principal ports, with an immense store of arms and "ajumunition. It was also re- ported that they had armed the hilluen (Hak kas) and the aborigines, and they loudly proclaimed that they would fight to the death rather than allow the Japanese even to land on their shores, much less to take possession of the country.
has ever been witnessed as that of the new
Yet what has happened? Count KA- BAYAMA can truly report, in the words used by JULIUS CÆSAR when he announced his victory over PHARNACES, "I came, I saw, I conquered! The very appearance of his squadron struck consternation to the hearts of the Chinese; his landing was effected with only a most trivial loss, and his march to Taipeh-fu was a peaceful procession. The ex-Governor and President, the boastful TANO, got away with his retainers and some two thousand troops with the utmost ex- pedition, leaving the rest of his forces to ra- vage, destroy, and pillage to their heart's content. The Japanese Viceroy now has the task of restoring order and clearing out the rabble miscalled soldiers. The task will probably not be a difficult one unless they retreat to the hills, but it may take some time to bring the whole island under comp lete subjection, The Chinese Government have done all that was possible to render the possession of the island a doubtful good to the Japanese. They have poured into it a vast number of the rowdiest and most un- ruly banditti with armas in their hands, in the hope that these men will maintain a guerilla warfare against the new possessors, and they have also endeavoured to poison the minds of the aborigines against them. Only the other day a cargo of munitions of war in the steamer Ningpo left Canton for Formosa, although about the very time of her sailing, LI CHING-FONG, the son of La HUNG-CHANG, was at Kelung to hand over possession of the island to Count KA- BAYAMA. We note that this very prudent mandarin insisted upon making the trans-
LEKIN.
arrangements for the payment to Japan of "the heavy war indemnity, it has become "apparent at Peking that the wasteful ad- "ministration of these provincial levies on
trade must be checked, if not extinguished. "At present there is a see-saw between the "Foreign Customs and the native tax collec "tors.
The statesmenlike course is na- turally to consolidate the whole. The mul "tiplicity of likin stations with which every "road and watercourse in the inland pro- "vinces is infested has no necessity in prac- 14 tice." When it was stated that Sir ROBERT HART was to be entrusted with the financing of the Japan indemnity it was believed that his jurisdiction would be extended to some to the native collectorates, both extent maritime and inland, and it was specially mentioned that the native Custom House at was to be transferred from the
In opposing the Japanese demand for the abolition of lekin LI HUNG-CHANG made effective use of the opinions expressed on Lord this subject by British authorities. ELGIN, Sir THOMAS WADE, and the Board' of Trade were all quoted by the Chinese representative as having recognised the injustice of compelling China to forego taxa. tion in this form. The Japanese yielded to the argument, and so lekin seems to have obtained a new lease of life, unless some provision in relation to it should be intro-Canton duced in the commercial treaty, which has Hoppo's administration to that of the foreign There seems some doubt. still to be negotiated. Sir THOMAS WADE Commissioner. is quoted as saying that, the likin tax "is not now whether Sir ROBERT HART is to be "in its nature more open to objection than allowed to inaugurate any reform in this "our income tax, nor, indeed, to any extra-direction. The native officials are too much
ordinary tax by which a state short of money may recruit its finances," aud that "it is hard enough on the Provincial Go- "veruments that they must give up their "tolls on goods that are foreign-owned, but it will be harder still if Chinese, armed "with foreigners' certificates, are to carry "Chinese-owned goods toll-free from one This "end of the Empire to the other."
When a reasoning cannot command assent. conventional tariff is arranged the rates fixed by the tariff should be adhered to and not be augmented by additional and inde. terminate taxes levied on the goods as they procee inland to their ultimate destination. Transit dues have been recognised by treaty and their amount fixed, but the Chinese claim the right, over and above that, to amount they levy further taxes, to any please, the moment the goods pass into the hauds of a native purchaser. The lekin system is a squeeze system and as such is in- defensible. Its most objectionable feature is there being no fixed its uncertainty, tariff, and the farmers being
out make what they can
to
allowed of the
wedded to the squeeze system to willingly see it abolished, for it is that which lines their pockets, and so the appointment of a Board has been secured to manage the loan business of the Government and find the wherewithal to meet the payments to Japan as they become due. It is conceivable that such a Board, seeing the straits to which the country has been reduced, might take steps to check the wastefulness of the squeeze i system, but what is much more probable is that an extra turn or two will be given to the screw to squeeze a little more out of the trado in foreign goods. As soon as the payment of an indemnity by China to Japan was fore- seen it was foretold that it was foreign trade that would have to pay it, and it seems only too probable that that opinion will prove to be correct, If the indemnity had led to the lekin and native Customs stations being häuded over to the control of Sir BOBBET HART it would have been a blessing both to China and to foreign traders, but if the amount required is to be raised by extra squeezes the outlook is anything but a plea- sant one.
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