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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Chinkiang pass at that port receive and deliver it at Woosung, and this practice is being observed. It must be manifest, however, that dealing with the subject in this manner does not satisfactorily solve the difficulty, seeing that only a very triffing percentage of the vessels proceeding above Chinkiang derive any benefit, and those chiefly of the Russian flag No redress was proposed in connection with the large amount of tonnage, principally British, loading at Wahu to which detention is im mensely more serious than to vessels loading teas at Hankow, to accomplish which there is usually plenty of time.
It is submitted that the rule in question, which is obsolete and of no practical use, should be annulled, and that vessels proceeding up the Yangtze should be permitted simply to enter and clear at their port of destination.
Art. V., clause 2, provides that where import cargo is transhipped on board a river steamer at Shanghai it must first be cleared of all duties. It cannot seriously be contended that there remains any necessity for keeping this rule in force. The port of destination is naturally the place where duties should be paid, and it is also a disadvantage that valu- able cargo should necessarily be subject to examination en route when the consignee can- not be present. That agents of steamers should be called upon in Shanghai to advance the duties on the cargo carried is a distinct hard. ship, and it is submitted that every facility should be given to render the conveyance of With every merchandise simple and easy. prospect of a considerable increase in the im. portation of British manufactured goods into the valley of the Yangtsze, it is important that this matter should receive earnest consideration. Inland navigation.-Free right to traverse inland waters with steam power for the purpose of trade will at no distant date be of great advantage and it is suggested that the restric. tions in this connection should be modified or annulled.
[July 8, 1896.
goods in China must be kept in view. While tutelage of any other foreign-Power The it may not be unreasonable to seek some in, mên wriggled hard to escape the toils, but with orease in duties, guarantees should be forthout success! To the plea that China asiyet had coming that the subject of illegal charges should no navy, they were bluntly told to get the man be once and for all time finally settled, and not out in readiness; he would bellusóful st.Port alone in certain provinces, but throughout the Arthur or in the schools. They next played the 'card of professional étiquette, and stated the Empire. Without such guarantees, and of a very reliable character, experience teaches that impossibility of a British post-captain of almost the results would be disastrous, and to British flag rank admitting a liensenant of no standing trade in particular. Having regard to the factor seniority as a co-adjutor: Theta reply "All right, he will then that the syetem of squeezing is so very general, was practically: it is probably unnecessary to particularise cer- go as second to the Englishman, bathin tain articles, but reference to returns will show any case you have to take him;" and truly they that yarns, shirtings, and other piece-goods have had to take him: We understand the of form a prominent feature in the transit trade. ficer in question is now on his way outș successi In the case of goods brought from the inte- fully foisted on to the unborn service aan rior ander certificate, the charges exacted are ostensible Russian agent. somewhat higher, and such goods as hides, goats' hair, and straw braid may be mentioned. Consular representation. This matter, in- directly bearing on British trade, is approached by the Committee with some diffidence. It must neverthless be apparent that the subject is an important one. The Committee fully recognise the difficulties that H.M. Minister has to encounter, and would merely confine itself to suggesting, with all respect, that titular Consuls should be permitted, when possible, to remain in their posts undisturbed, as thus they can acquire a practical and in timate knowledge of local trade and the ad- vancement of British interests be promoted.
The Committee of the Chinkiang Chamberments. of Commerce.
E. STARKEY,
Chairman.
A. E. ALLEN,
Vice-Chairman.
E. G. BYRNE,
Member of Committee. F. GREGSON,
Hon. Secretary,
Chinkiang. 1st June, 1896.
RUSSIA AND THE NEW CHINESE NAVY.
The Hongkong Daily Press in a recent issue drew the attention of the public in general and of the British Admiralty in particular to the question of the forthcoming Chinese navy. On the grounds that a fleet is necessary for police duty, and that it is the Peking trump card for the suppression of rebellion on the littoral and in the Yangtze valley, our contem- porary thinks the speedy reconstruction of a navy inevitable, notwithstanding the fact that the wisest officials clearly understand that its
fate may ultimate
be to fall into the The Daily hands of some foreign aggressor. Press advocates that the British Admiralty should no longer sulk in its tente hugging of the Lang incident, but the memory should come forward in the spirit of amity to help the Chinese; that we ought to allow our officers to enter the Chinese service, that we should again receive educational missions, and give the old facilities to young Celestials to study at Greenwich, pass through the Excellent and Vernon, and serve a commission or two in our sea-going squadrons. It fears that the only result of standing aloof will be to throw the Chinese navy into the hands of our rivals, an issue which it deprecates on the ground that a well-found fleet, if strengthened by the presence of a few skilled foreign officers and gunners, would probably turn the scale in a naval war
Purchase of land by foreigners.--British sub- jects meet with almost insurmountable diffi culties in their endeavour to acquire land. In cases where owners have been quite willing to sell the officials have interfered, threatening punishment and imprisonment. Near the Wachoushan bungalow, some seven miles from Chinkiang, a stone tablet was erected some years ago, and it is still standing, proclaiming at the instance of the Chinkiang magistrate that the people must not sell land to foreigners. In view of the continued growth of this port and the increased necessity for foreigners find. ing residences on the hills adjoining, it is essen- tial that official interference in the legitimate acquirement of land should be firmly dealt with. Foreign merchandise provided with transit certificate.-It is claimed that the transit pass system has flourished more successfully in Shinkiang than in any other port in China. Inaugurated nearly thirty years ago, the trade has steadily progressed till in 1895 the Customs returns show that almost one-third of the entire collection under this heading was made at Chinkiang. That the port will continue to be A very large distributing centre is undoubted. During the first nine or ten years, between 1868 and 1878, the transit certificate appears to have been very generally respected, but at various subsequently illegal demands barriers in this and adjacent provinces commenced to be made, and these, in order to avoid detention, have usually been paid. |
In endorsing our contemporary's views we con- In flagrant cases, however, on the representa- tion of H.M. Consuly, the Taotai has inter-gratulate it on its prescience. The contingency vened and procured the release of goods de- it feared has, since it wrote, become an accom- Our rivals are taking and have tained, but it is apparent that the power of plished fact. this official is necessarily limited, and appeals taken active measures to prevent the new navy to the Viceroy are fruitless. It is contended being formed under exclusively British, or com that the squeezes are paid to ensure a speedy bined British and German auspices. We have examination and passage of the boats, and it on indubitable authority from Peking that Count Cassini has in his recently assumed herein appears to lie the chief difficulty, as
masterful_manner forced on the Chinese the obstruction and delay in the connection would be'serious. On the whole, it is not apparent services of a Danish officer who comes con- that the exactions have any marked effect on fessedly to safeguard His Imperial Majesty the Czar's interests in China's naval develop- trade, but this surmise might be an erroneous
ment. His Excellency, with Bismarckian In dealing with this subject, the im-
the Tsungli portance of the announcement that H.E. frankness, plainly stated to Li Hung-chang will endeavour, while visit Yamen that the friendly and intimate relations now existing between China and Russia rendered ing the Courts of Treaty Powers, to obtain an increase of from five to eight per cent. ad it impossible for the Czar to contemplate the valorem of the import duties levied on foreign formation of a new pavy under the exclusive
one.
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!
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From a professional point of view the thing is a farce; "the Danish naval officer, though as well educated as any in Europe, suffers one insuperable handicap he has no fleet in which to practise evolutions and tactics. Notwith standing Count Cassini's assurances to the Yamên that Denmark is a naval power, aṛser- vice which contains less than four dozen more or less obsolete ships and about thirteen hundred officers and men is not the most likely source of good practical Commanding officers Naval science does not exist in China, nor do the complete means of acquiring it. Chinese officers have to learn it through the medium of foreign teachers, a foreign tongue, and foreign instru-
English has been chosen as the lan- guage of instruction, and for this reason aloné it would be preposterous to select a foreigner of other than British and American nationality as professional adviser. The officers China already has know English and no other Western lan. guage; the text books, charts, etc., are all English and confusion worse confounded will result if anyattempt be made to introduce diversity of tongues or methods. Count Cassini, however, is too frank in his procedure to warrant the opinion that he would perpetrate such a folly. The new appointment is entirely political and not educational: we shall probably not have to wait long ere we see a similar policy inaugti rated in the Chinese army. The moment that this force assumes the character of anything but a rabble, and approximates even to the semblance of a fighting character, we shall see the existing German monopoly invaded.
*
We'regard the new departure as the inevit- able result of Russia's interference of 1895, and from the Russian point of view it may be con- fessed that it is moderation in extremis. China is bound increasingly to bear the inevitable penalty of calling in the bear as a protector from the wolf, and must be prepared to find the ursine claw quite as disagreeable as the lupine. tooth. We are more concerned in the British view of the new appointment. We hope our own officials in Peking are alive to the situation and will take prompt steps to inform the Ad- miralty of the significance and future bearings The Admiralty of the last Russian move. might with advantage unbend a little from its attitude of hauteur, and recognise that thing's have changed and that we must change with
Gavo them.-N. C. Daily News.
-
In reference to the above the Mercury says We have ascertained from a well-informed source the following facts, which hardly bear out the conclusion of the altogether insigni- The facts of the ficant incident commented on by the North
forcing China Daily News.
Chinese Government the on the services of a Danish officer who comes "con- fessedly to safeguard His Imperial Majesty the Czar's interests in China's naval development" are simply these. A young. Danish naval lieutenant, anxious to see something of the world and at the same time desirous probably of obtaining more remunerative employment than obtainable in the Danish navy, asked the Danish Minister in Peking, Count Cassini, for his assistance in obtaining an engagement with the Chinese Government suitable to hi
not to da
rank and age, an assistance which Count Cassini may or may not have giv far as is known here at present, say young officer's friends, he has not. I been engaged, and it is, of course, childish to suppose that the Russian would abuse his power with the Tɛungli Yam in favour of a Danish sub-lieutenant.
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