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July 10, 1895.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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there was a substantial trade carried on, tion, or by Japan yielding to force majeure, tion and robbery, that although the colony say of a value of half-a-million sterling per as in the case of the retrocession of the might be willing to make some dona- annum, to which should be added the earn-Liantung Peninsula
tion towards the cost of its defence it was ings of the steamers employed in carrying
Mr. MoWAT, the Judge of Her Majesty's
for the the merchandise. The proposed withdrawal Court for Japan. decide 1 when the case was
colony itself to determine the of the merchants would have meant the brought before him that the Inland Sea was the injustice of the present contribution lay extent of that donation, and, in short, that abandonment of this trade and Great Japanese territorial waters. The Supreme Britain is not accustomed to abandon any Court at Shanghai on appeal reversed this not only in its amount but in the fact that considerable ani well established trade judgment and decided that the Inland Sa Council against the votes of the unofficial the vote was forced through the Legislative because it is too much trouble or too dis- was the highway of nations, Sir N. J. agreeable for Her Majesty's fleet to afford HANNEN, the Chief Justice, remarking insistent with a support of the position taken members. This attitude appears incon- protection to it. As the merchants refused the course of His judgment that som› years to act upon the Admiral's advice, electing to ago when the entrance to the [ulaul S Committee, the bearing of which our con- up by the Imperial Federation (Defence) was stopped, the right to enter and pass temporary appears to have misunderstood. "through it was asserted by force of arms The Committee makes use of the case of "by England, France, Holland, and America, "and such right admitted by the Govern Singapore to show that the present system "ment of Japh." Probably if it were again works injustice, inasmuch as some colonies sought to stop the entrance to the Inland have to pay a great deal while others are Sea a similar result woull follow, but allowed to escape altogether, but its conten- the use of coercion does not necessarily but that other portions of the Empire tion is, not that Singapore should pay less, mean a denial of the sovereign rights of should also be called upon to pay a the nation exerced.
So long as Japan fair proportion. "If the
"Straits Settlements be a hard one.
remain at their posts at their own risk in- stead of running away, the Admiral has sent several of the ships back, from which it would appear that he recognises it as a duty to afford protection, his policy of attempting to remove the necessity for such protection not having succeeded. The original withdrawal of the ships and of the shore guard seeing to have been an error of judgment on the Admiral's part. The ships have now returned, and it would not be surprising at any time to hear that men have again been landed for duty on shore. We do not see how the mer. chants could well have acted otherwise than they have done, unless they were prepared to sacrifice their present business and future prospects. It must have required courage to remain when the guard left, but there was nothing foolhardly or unreasonably obstinate about it. What would have been their position had they retired?. It might have been mouths before they would have been able to return, they would then have found the Japanese in possession, the circum- stances would have been entirely altered, their connections would have been destroyed, and they would have had to afresh. The crisis is one at which it is most important for them to be on the spot to
commence
THE INLAND SEA JAPANESE TERRITORIAL WATERS.
is content to act according to reason | and
THE IMPERIAL FEDERATION (DE- FENCE) COMMITTEE AND MILI- TARY CONTRIBUTIONS.
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case of the.
the custom of nations her rights in re- says the Imperial Federation (Defence) spect of the Inland Sea are not likely to be again called in question. It follows, how-Committee, that of the United Kingdom is ever, from the judgment of the Privy infinitely harder," inasmuch as it has to Council that except in so far as the question Support the whole cost of the navy, and it is may be affected by existing treaties, which contended that the colonies should pay pro- portionately. The remark made by Lord will shortly expire, vessels passing through
RIPON in the Inland Sea will in future he subject to
one of his despatches, that "the people of this country (the United the Japanese Merchant Shipping Law and
Kingdom) are much more heavily taxed not to the ordinary Law Maritime. As Japan's Merchant Shipping law closely re-
than the people of the Straits Settle "¡ments, and sembles that of England the change in that
are only able to devote to civil purposes about 36 per cent. of respect will not ie of a very revolutionary
"their revenue, as against 80 per cent. or character.
more so available at the Straits Settle- ments," is quoted as showing the hardship upon the United Kingdom. The Imperial Feleration (Defence) Committee may have a ̧ good case, but the colonies can hardly be. Our Singapore contemporaries have re-expected to show great eagerness to relieve adapt themselves to the changing conditions. cently reproduced a paper issued by the Great Britain of such proportion of its For them to leave their business at the pre-Imperial Federation (Defence) Committee, military expenditure as shall bring the ratio seut juncture would be much the same thing in which prominence is given to the Straits of military expenditure to revenue to the as for a skipper to leave his ship when a grievance in connection with the military same level throughout the Empire. That all typhoon was breaking..
contribution. The Free Press is jubilant portions of the Empire are equitably liable over the appearance of this pronouncement to contribute to the cost of Imperial defence and seems to fake some credit to itself for is a proposition which we think cannot be having been Instrumental in opening the disputed, but regard must be had' in each. eyes of people at home to the Imperial case to local circumstances and to ability to Although the judgment of the Privy aspects of the question. "Time after time," | pay, The matter cannot be settled by a com- Council in the Chishima-Ravenna case dis- says our contemporary, "during these years parison of percentages of military expendi poses only of a preliminary issue, that issue is, past-alone has this journal impressed ture to revenue, for some colonice may, he too to the Japanese Government, infinitely more upon the people of this colony that, how-poor even to pay the cost of their civil ad- important than the question of dainages, ever vital to us and to our finances the ministration, as Hongkong was in the earlier which still remains to be tried. An action was "extortion proved, it had an aspect of truly years of its existence, when it had to depend brought against the P. and O. Company to Imperial character, far outweighing its mere upon the assistance of a grant-in-aid from recover damages for the loss of the torpedo" primary character of a dispute between the Imperial Government. Now that the cruiser Chishima and the form the red- the colony and the Home Government colony can afford to do so it seems to us ings took enabled the Japanese to advance upon a matter of revenue and expenditure. not unreasonable that it should contribute the contention that the Inland Sea was "To our mind, and it added heavily to our to the cost of Timperial defence, but we can- not a part of the high seas, but Japanese" responsibilities that we were apparently not admit that we should be called upon to territorial waters. That contention has “left quite alone to appreciate and enforce pay in the same proportion as the United now been decided in their favour by the "this view, the grievance was capable, Kingdom, An Inter-Departmental Com- Privy Council and will therefore, as rightly handled, of not only obtaining mittee has recently been considering the international matter, be admitted by the "redress for ourselves, but of precipitating Straits contribution, and we hope its report British Government. The Japanese claim" that great re-adjustment of responsibilities will recommend some relief for our southern is similar to that advanced by the United between the United Kingdom and the neighbours and place the question as regards States with reference to the Behring Sea in "colonies at large that would sooner or all the contributing colonies on a more connection with the dispute with Great "later have to be made, if the resources of satisfactory basis. In the meantime, Britain as to the right of seal hunting. In "the Empire were to be turned to full ad- however, it may be well for the Free each case it. was claimed on the one
vantage for the Imperial defence, and their Press and the Straits Association to side that the sea in question was 8 "provision so allotted and distributed as to recognise that the Imperial Federation part of the territorial waters and on cause-due allowance being made for (Defence) Committee is not fighting for the the other that it belonged to the high seas. "circumstances a fair incidence of this interests of the colonies, but for the interests - The American claim was referred to interna-"essentially Imperial burden over all the of the home taxpayer, and there can be no tional arbitration and was disallowed; the political" units included within the Empire." joining of forces unless the colonies are Japanese claim has been carried to the Our reading of the Free Press hardly supprepared to
admit liabilities they have highest accessible British Court and has ports this claim. It is true that latterly hitherto denied and protested against. The been admitted. So far as Great Britain is there has been some casual recognition of Imperial Federation (Defence) Committec concerned that may be taken as settling the the Imperial aspects of the question, but advocates a policy of levelling up in the matter. Should the point ever be raised as from the beginning to the end the keynote matter of colonial military contributions, between Japan and any other nation it of our contemporary's contention has whereas the colonies object to be levelled up. could only be settled by war, or, like the been that buey taken from the colony In the particular case of the Straits Settle Behring Sea case, by international arbitra- | without the colony's consent was spolia.ments the colonists say they pay too much
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