November 5, 1896:];
proved and the gentlemen who would now have us believe there was never a ghost of charge to be preferred and that the Japanese officers and troops were perfectly immaculate seem to be in as hopeless state of obfuscation as the gentleman who up to a few years ago used periodically to amuse the public by advancing arguments to prove that the world was flat and not round as generally supposed. The Kokumin, a Ja- panese paper, referring to the suspension of Lieut. Colonel MASUDA, says:- Now the steps that the Colonel took to clear the vicinity of Yun-lin of the Hakkas were strong and decisive; in fact he burned down houses and even killed law-abiding people. This proceeding furnished a good pretext to the Hakkas to say that, rather than be possibly murdered by the Japa- nese, they should, as they were to die anyhow, rise against the invaders and op- pose them to the death. It was this in- “discreet bloodshed that provoked some of “the natives to desperation, and has now led to the Colonel's suspension." The Japanese paper then goes on to say the Colonel was not without justification for the course he took, owing to the difficulty of discriminating between rebels and law-abiding persons. There a fair field of argument is opened up, but what we are now concerned with are the bare facts. Innocent people were killed, and these killings and the burning of villages have been termed atrocities by the correspondents. If the Japanese apologists confined themselves to disputing the correctness of the term atrocities they would be within their rights, but to attempt to deny the whole of the facts implies a wilful shutting of their eyes to the truth.
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The anonymous correspondent of the N. C. Daily News says:-" Referring to the statement of the correspondent to the Hongkong Daily Press, that seventeen villages have been burnt as reprisals for "the late rebellion, I am authorised, on "what seems to me to be the very best authority from both sides, to state that nothing of the sort has taken place, and "that on the contrary special efforts have "been made to confine the almost entirely "defensive operations of the troops within "the strictest limits compatible with their safety, and that of the country people around them, who are not the least back- "ward in soliciting aid against the insur- gents." We do not know what the correspondent may mean by "both sides," but in a letter of subsequent date to that in which mention was made of the burning of the seventeen villages, the correspondent of the Daily Press gave an account of a journey through the district, written by a foreigner connected with the camphor industry, who mentions several places that he saw in ruins. Amongst others he mentions " Taulak, a flourishing market town when I passed through it about two months ago. Now the place is in absolute ruin. Yet we are asked to believe, on the authority of another correspondent who has never been there, that neither Taulak nor any other place was burnt during the period men- tioned. The fact is that by trying to dis prove too much the foreign friends of the se are doing their cause much harm, The correspondents who originally the so-called atrocities will naturally continue to adduce evidence their statements when they find their word flatly contradicted, and thus the matter, is kept open indefinitely and bad blood engendered by the discussion. ent of the Daily Press The Japanese
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT, "Government have already shown their 'disapproval, in dismissing certain officials " and trying army officers by court martial. "It is only fair, therefore, to presume that they are exerting themselves to bring about peace." We think it would be well if the subject could be allowed to rest there.
RAILWAYS IN ASIA..
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namely, the Khorat Railway; and another project for a line running from Bangkok the direction of the Malay States in under discussion. And now news comes from Singapore that the Federated Malay States under British protection, where there are already two or three very successful local lines in operation, are about to raise a loan of half-a-million sterling to carry out railway works. In course of time the Malay system will be connected with those of Siam and Burmah and the network of railways will overspread Asia as it has done Europe, will not leave even China neglected.
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PROSPECTS OF THE COTTON INDUSTRY AT SHANGHAI.
In reference to the conclusion of the com- mercial treaty between China and Japan, we read in the Japan Mail's "Spirit of "the Vernacular Press" that "even with regard to the cotton-spinning industry, which appears to be the most profitable of all "the enterprises that can be undertaken by Japanese in the interior of China, such a high authority as Mr. MASUDA TAKASHI, "of the Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, has arrived "at a very unfavourable conclusion after "thorough research into the subject. He "has decided that it would be an extremely "doubtful business for the comparatively
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poor capitalists of Japan to enter into "competition with the far wealthier capital- "ists of Europe and America, and that the
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It is not improbable that before the next century has grown very old the resident of Hongkong may be able to reach London by rail, with the exception of the short sea passage across the English Channel and the ferry across Hongkong harbour, and even these may by that time be obviated by the execution of the Channel tunnel scheme and the construction of a suspension bridge across Lyemoon Pass. And not only may the passenger go all the way by land if he prefere a three weeks' jolting in the train to a five weeks' comfortable journey by a well equipped steamship, but he may also have the choice of alternative routes. The Siberian Railway will by that time be linked with a Chinese line running from Kowloon to Canton, thence via Hankow to Peking, and on to Shanhaikwan. The alternative line will run from Canton through the provinces of Kwangtung, Kwangsi, and Yunnan, and will connect with the Burmese railway at Kunlon Ferry-or wherever the terminus may at that time be--and so on through India and by the projected Euphrates Valley Railway to
privilege of manufacturing goods in China Europe. All this appears in nubibus at pre-
"would prove beneficial to the latter alone." sent, but we believe we are on the eve of a We cannot think that the difficulty of period of great activity in railway construc- raising sufficient capital is the only tion in Asia. It seems almost absurd to
reason for the Japanese desisting from speak of activity in connection with such engaging in the cotton industry in China. an inert mass as China, but as the banyan During the last few years enormous tree inserts its tendrils in the joints of a sums have been subscribed in Japan for stone wall and gradually throws it out of joint stock enterprises of various descrip plumb, so the railway tendrils are stretching tions, and we see no reason to doubt that out towards the wall of Chinese exclusive any amount of capital required for establish- ness and will in course of time run through ing a cotton company in China would have the country. Whether the present somewhat been readily subscribed by the Japanese doubtful project associated with SHENG's had a prospectus been issued under favour name, for a trunk line from Canton to able auspices. But it was hinted some Peking, will materialise or not remains time ago that the Japanese Government to be seen, but if it falls through had formed an unfavourable opinion of the it means only a short delay, for the same or prospects of the industry and had communi- some similar project will have to be under-cated to capitalists its reasons, which seem taken before long, though perhaps under other and more favourable auspices. It has been said that when China is opened it will be by a process like the cracking of an eggshell, and that may be so, but whatever the political developments it is certain that this rich country cannot much longer re- main cut off from railway communication with her neighbours. In the CASSINI Con- vention, the text of which appeared in our columns yesterday (and for the publication of which the public is indebted to the enter prise of the A. C. Daily News), the scheme by which railways are to be constructed in Manchuria by Russia will be found set out, and it may be taken for granted that, in view of the political and stategical consider ations involved, Russia will not let the grass grow under her feet before carrying the scheme into execution. At the same time work on the proposed railway from Mandalay to Kunlon Ferry has already been commenced. The French are also busy in the South and a line will before long penetrate into Kwangsi from Tonkin. In neighbouring countries, too, the work of railway contruction is going on. Siam has already one short line in successful opera- tion; another much more ambitious project has been partially carried through, though work upon it is now unfortunately suspended owing to disputes with the contractor,
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to have proved sufficiently convincing. Those reasons, we may suppose, were that although the cotton industry in China might prove remunerative it would, having regard to possible taxation and squeezing, be less so than the same industry in Japan, and that it would therefore be better to keep the capital at home and employ home labour than to send it to China and em- ploy Chinese labour. That at all events seems a reasonable view to take. Some o the Japan cotton companies pay phenomenal dividends and there are no very special advantages in China that would be likely to lead to an increase in their earnings were the industry carried on in that country instead of at home. The only special advantage to be secured at Shanghai or elsewhere along the Yangtsze as compared with Japan is proximity cotton producing districts, and against this must be set the advantage the Japs possess by working in their own Capital will not usually go abroad if it be employed equally profitably at, home, and hence it is easy to understand Japanese capitalists have not been eager embark in the cotton spinning ind China, where the mount that to be paid in taxation and uncertain quantity.” The
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