August 12, 1897.}-
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
exclude them from such an interest. They invariably happens, and the desired work are prepared to hypothecate the Customs is deferred for months or it may be for years. revenue and other sources of income for a When the little experimental railway was. period, but they will not hear of a foreigner first successfully laid-after some little holding shares in a railway or an industrial finessing it must be confessed-between concern in China. Hence it has been a Shanghai and Woosung there were few matter of some difficulty to finance the who doubted that it would so take hold of railways, and the Chinese officials, with few the imagination of the Chinese that they exceptions, have shown little eagerness to would speedily adopt the innovation and attempt the removal of the obstacles in the soon acquire a railway system of their own. way. CHANG CHIH-TUNG sought to over. That was in 1876, but having first purchased come the difficulty by making the material the line and rolling stock and torn up the himself, but after many years' delay and a rails, the Chinese Government would not vast outlay of money, His Excellency is for more than a decade listen to any propo still in no position to carry out his project. sals for the introduction of the iron horse, The importance of constructing a trunk line and while every other country in the world from north to south has, however, at was gradually adopting this means of com length sufficiently impressed itself on munication the Chinese Government would the Central Government to have brought have none of it, preferring to cling to the about an arrangement for a loan with ancient ways, although the mandarins had a foreign syndicate for the purpose. For tasted of the comforts of steamer travelling some time it appeared highly probable that when moving on the coast from one port to even this would fall through, but according another or going to and from the West on to a Shanghai contemporary, the convention diplomatic missions in the luxurious mail with the Belgain Syndicate for the con- vessels. But in those days there was the struction of the Lu-Han Railway-between a great squeeze question to negotiate, as well point near Peking and Hankow-has been as all the minor matters of prejudice, feng- signed and ratified, and the representatives shui, and suspected interference with trade to of the Syndicate left Shanghai for Brussels- consider, and, seeing how the officials in the on the 31st ult. There is consquently every Two Kwang have for upwards of twenty years probability of this the first section of the rendered one clause of the Treaties a dead grand Trunk Line of China being soon com-letter in spite of constant protests by the menced. It is believed that the work will representatives of the Powers, it is not per- be inaugurated in the spring of next year.haps so very surprising that the most con- Of course it will, under the most favourable conditions, take some years to complete, but at the rate CHANG CHIH-TUNG was progress ing the end of the twentieth century would still have found it unfinished.
servative nation in the world should have succeeded in excluding one of the most potent agents of change and progress.
THE KING OF SIAM'S VISIT TO EUROPE.
It will be interesting to learn what route the projected line will take. Probably it will run pretty nearly the course sketched It is sincerely to be hoped that the visit by Sir MACDONALD STEPHENSON, in his of His Majesty the King of SIAM to Europe sketch map accompanying his report on will have more than one good effect. Reuter “Railways" in China." Starting from Pe- has already informed us that the friendly king, that course touched first at Tientsin, reception of King CHULALONGKORN by the thence to Kingchow and Tongshan, follow- CZAR has resulted in the adjustment of the ing the course of the Grand or Imperial difficulties between France and Siam. We Canal until reaching Chinkiang, or a point are now told that His Siamese Majesty has on the opposite side of the river to that city, arrived in London and was escorted by the from whence it struck west to Hankow, Life Guards to Buckingham Palace. The calling at Nanking, Ngankin, Wuhu, and relations between the present ruler of Siam numerous other towns en route. From and Great Britain have always been excel- Hankow, or rather from Wuchang, on the lent, and the British Government evidently southern bank of the Yangtsze (for it is not intend to do His Majesty every honour. likely the Chinese will go to the enormous Siam is a comparatively poor and unim cost of bridging that great father of waters), portant state, but the King has ever since Sir MACDONALD STEPHENSON conducted his his accession, some twenty-nine years ago, line to Yochow, near the entrance of the evinced a genuine desire to promote reform Tung-ting Lake, then on to Changsha and progress in his dominions, and has the anti-foreign capital of Hunan- -on to always shown the most friendly feeling to Siangtan, Chao-chow, &c., to Canton, British residents. During the past twenty which was bis terminusa In the years many changes have been effected, modern scheme we believe, as Tient- roads and railways have been constructed, a sin is already connected with Peking, postal and telegraph system established, it is intended to take the line first to merchant vessels built, the adumbration of Paoting-fu, an important city, and thence to a navy acquired, a subsidiary coinage put Kingchow. This would open up some fresh into circulation, education fostered, and country, and would not entail much more various reforms attempted. That more expense. The real southern terminus of substantial progress has not been ac- this line, whenever constructed, will un-complished is due, not to the King's doubtedly prove Kowloon, and a line from indisposition to carry out reforms, but the City of Rams to the opposite peninsula received the Imperial sanction some years ago. Whether the scheme will be included in the Government programme or be left to private enterprise subsequently we are un able to predict, but that it will be not the least important section in the railway we are as confident as that night must follow the day. But let no one delude himself that this undertaking is within measurable distance of being commenced. Nothing in the Chinese Empire is so absolutely certain as delay. When everything looks in fair trim for progress something unexpected
probably to the enervating influences of an Oriental Court and the moist heat of the depressing climate, which naturally reduces fall vital energy to a very low ebb. The King's appreciation of the advantages of Western education has been amply proved by the despatch at various times of Siamese princes and nobles to England to be educated. Two of the Royal Princes were educated at Oxford, and some of the King's. nephew have graduated at Cambridge. The Crown Prince is also at the present time being educated in England. It will be readily understood therefore that His Majesty will
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take a keen pleasure in visiting a country of which he has heard so much and with which Siam has maintained friendly inter- course without interruption. He will receive not only a warm welcome from the QUEEN and Government but also from the English people. Much sympathy was felt in England with Siam during the recent trouble with France, and in Great Britain much satisfac- tion will be felt at the settlement said to have been brought about by the interven- tion of the CZAR. The trouble was entirely the result of interference by French agents in Indo-China; the French Government probably knew little of the beginnings of the dispute, and had no wish to be involved in a quarrel with a friendly neighbour.. There are some ambitious Frenchmen no doubt who would like to see Siam annexed to Indo-China, but the French Government know too well the difficulties in the way of developing the territories already acquired to wish to take over the humid and malarious delta of the Menam, however fertile a rice field it may be. Tonkin may be made into a really valuable colony, and if any Frenchmen suffer from excess of vital energy they can expend some of it in the exhausting and malarious climate of Cochin-China, which very closely resembles that of Bangkok. But our French neigh- bours prefer temperate climes, and would not emigrate to Siam if they could annex it to morrow. President FAURE, good sensible man that he is, will no doubt heartily welcome King CHULALONGKORN in Paris next month, the time arranged for his visit, and probably give His Majesty sincere assurances of French support and friendship. It should be the mission of the French Republic to aid and. sustain any country struggling to advance in civilization and not to hamper it by seeking causes of quarrel for aggressive pur- poses. Siam has, alone of all Indo-Chinese countries, shown a capacity for improve- ment, and deserves assistance in the effort to take a place among Asiatic Powers. The French people are too generous to knowingly enter upon a course of aggres sion against a State that should rather engage sympathy than invite hostility. The Siamese have shown neither the anti- pathy to foreigners nor the contempt of West- ern civilization which have distinguished the Chinese; nor have they given proof of the hopeless impotence and irritating treachery common to the Aunamites and Cambodians. We trust therefore that the outcome of the visit of King CHULALONG- KORN to Europe will be a better understand- ing all round and a full recognition by France of Siamese independence.
very
THE SHANGHAI CONSULAR TRADE
REPORT.
The Shanghai Consular trade report for 1896 is written by Sir NICHOLAS J. HANNEN, the Consul-General, and is an interesting and instructive document. For some years past the report has been written by Mr. JAMIESON, the Ceusul, who is now absent on leave. Mr. JAMIESON, as is well known, is a pronounced bimetallist. The Consul- General is more reserved as to the advantages of the silver standard, and, in fact, does not commit himself to an expression of his own opinion on the subject, though he notes the fact that the majority of commercial men at Shanghai believe that a silver-using country has an advantage. If there is my
y such advantage China, he says, or the enterprising men of other nations who have made her their field of labour, is going to try and
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