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THE BURMO-CHINESE TREATY,
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS ANL
It is to be feared that any advantages gained by Burmah as the result of the new Burmo-Chinese Convention are more or less mythical or unsubstantial. It was generally understood that, as compensation for the territory illegally celed to France by the Chinese Government, the British Government had succeeded in obtaining some valuable concessions that fully made up for any loss on that frontier. The Mandalay correspondent of our Shanghai morning contemporary does not appear to rate these concessions very highly. The state of Kokang, which is ceded to England, contains, it is true, an area not less than that of the portions of Kianghung that were given to France in breach of the Con- vention of 1894. By this arrangement,' he says, "it will be seen that England only "takes back again a present which she had "made to Chinn a short time previously "and probably only made it because in “1893 North Thienni, of which Kokang was a part, was in a very disturbed con- dition and Ching was in a better position "to deal with that portion of it which “bordered on Yunnan. However, Kokang "is of importance as affording a route for "the Mandalay-Kuulon Railway, if it "should become desirable, either for com- "mercial or political reasons, Lo ad- yance it to the frontier of China." This territory is, nevertheless, of very minor importanee, we imagine, to a recti- fication of the boundaries of the Colony of Hongkong or the acquisition of Chusan as a coaling station nearer to the centre of China's const line and better situated to protect the large commercial interests that have grown up in Shanghai and the Yangisze ports. Even the acquisition of another little strip of territory on the Burmah frontier adjoining the Bhamd district, described by the same correspono ent as a triangular piece of land about six- teen miles long from apex to base and about eleven miles wide at the latter, on a perpetual lease, can hardly atone for the omission to ask for the concessions just re- ferred to as punishment for the outrages which culminated in the grievous massacre of innocent British subjects at Kucheng, and for which no expiation has been made beyond the putting to death of certain of the tools employed in the sanguinary tragedy. This last piece of land, about which some fuss would seem to have been made, is said by the Mandalay correspondent to be of extreme unimportance," but there is little doubt that Burmah has, of the two countries, the better right to it. Why, then, was China over left in possession of it? and how can it be regarded as a concession ? Why, too;
should it have been acquired on the terms of a perpetual lease when it might have been demanded as an unconditional transfer? Truly there does not seem very much to crow over in these concessions. Rather should they be re- garded as the very mildest settlement of a very considerable bill. Great Britain had strong cards to play, and should have been able to get anything she desired after the long successiout of murderous outrages on British life and property in China and the glaring violation of Treaty stipulations in volved in the cession of territory to France that had been ceded to China by Great Bri- tain. It is true we have induced, after almost interminable argument, the Chinese Government to open the West River to foreign trade, but this is a concession to not one but to all the Treaty Powers, and con- fers no exclusive or even special benefit on
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MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SHIP- PING
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[September 1, 1897.
Great Britain. We believe that the British be required to satisfy the doctor whether Government have been greatly restrained any of them were suffering from illness or in making demands on China: first, suspicious symptoms of such a character as because they did not like to be harsh to require their detention. In the case of when the Peking Government were in diffi-vessels arriving from ports affected by the culties-would not, in short, make China's plague the examination would naturally be extremity their opportunity-and, second- stricter, but seeing that under the law as it ly, on account of the attitude of the other stands immigration from plague inf.cted Powers, some of whom only waited the merest ports may be prohibited altogether it is pretext of an example, to launch demands difficult to understand how there can be for territory upon the mandarins. How far any objection on the part of shipping to the the circumstances justified the moderation less drastic course of examining passengers shown it is hard to say. No other Power on their arrival. It will be seen, then, that would have allowed the latter consideration foreign shipping has little delay or in- to weigh in the balances. Certain it is that convenience to fear from the establishment by this rather excessive consideration for of medical inspection. As to the junks, the China we have lost an opportunity that solicitude that has been expressed on their may not occur again for decades. Are we behalf is rather extraordinary. Hitherto always to condone assassination of our wo-it has been a frequent complaint that junks men and children, or accept the lives of were much more favourably dealt with in ignorant coolies, often innocent of the actual the matter of quarantine regulations than crime, as satisfaction in full for such gross foreign shipping, and that it was unfair that outrages? Surely not, and we think it while junks were allowed to import cases of would be only right for the Foreign Office sickness cpratically without let or hindrance to notify the Tsung li Yamen that England a foreign ship should be subjected to all the still claims to reecive proper satisfaction for inconvenience and loss attending the mea- the missionary murders in the Yangtsze sures taken in her respect if she imported a Valley and at Kucheng. It may be delayed, solitary case of smallpox. It is proposed but it should not be lost sight of, and ought now to treat all alike, and though at first to be exacted at no distant date.
there appeared to be some fear with regard to the junk trade opinion seems to be now coming round to the view that some sort of medical supervision should be exercised over the native craft frequenting the har- bour. As to the cost to the colony, when The publication of Dr. HARTIGAN's letter one considers the measures the principal · on the medical inspection of shipping ap- lines of steamers take quite voluntarily to pears to have exercised a considerable in- prevent disease finding its way on board fluence in bringing about a modification of their vessels, the inspections they have the views of those who originally opposed made, and the expense they incur, the adoption of such a measure.
It is now it is difficult to understand how they generally admitted that medical inspection can object to the colony taking mea- would be a good thing if it could be carried sures for its own protection and impos- out, and on examination the supposed diffi-ing medical inspection on the various classes culties are found to be not nearly so great of craft that do not provide a system of as imagination had painted them. It was medical inspection for themselves. urged, for instance, that the examination As to the practicability of the measure there would be of no use unless it was thorough, cau be no real dispute. The argument that that a mere face examination would not do, junks would go to Stanley or Aberdeen in and that the time and staff necessary for a order to escape the inspection to which they thorough examination rendered such a men- would be subject on entering the harbour sure quite impracticable, having regard to of Victoria does not carry any weight with it, the great number of passengers arriving in because the voyage to either of those places the colony every day. From the stress laid would occupy longer than the medical in- upon this objection it might almost have spection and they would not know what to been thought the objectors supposed that do with their cargo when they got there. nothing less than an examination as rigid as If, however, it was found that junks did in that for life insurance was in contemplation. fact go to Stanley or Aberdeen for the pur- As a matter of fact, in the case of the large pose of landing passengers without inspec- · number of vessels that carry surgeons no tion the practice could be immediately stop- examination by the Health Officer would be ped by a regulation either forbidding the required, the declaration of the ship's sur landing of passengers there or enforcing geon being accepted as sufficient. Of the such detention as would make it to the in- vessels that do not carry surgeons a
terest of boats to come direct into Victoria. siderable number do not carry passengers So also with regard to the foot traffic across either, and their examination would occupy the frontier; it has been urged that if people a very short time. With regard to vessels are allowed to cross the Kowloon frontier carrying passengers but not surgeons it is to without examination the protection afforded be presumed the examination would vary in by the examination of shipping will be its character according to circumstances. In nullified. The people who cross the frontier the case of a vessel arriving, say, from are, we believe, for the most part Singapore, after a voyage of six or seven market gardeners, who come in with their days, during which, according to the cap- produce in the morning and return after tain's report, no case of sickness had occurred disposing of it. That does not seem a class on board, we should say a mere face examina- from whom much danger of infection is to tion would be sufficient. If cases of vomiting be apprehended, the fact that most of them and purging had occurred the necessity for carry burdens all'ording in itself some guar- a more searching examination would be in-antee that they are not suffering from serious dicated. In the case of vessels arriving from illness. However, the origin of all cases of ports at which smallpox was known to be infectious disease that occur in the colony. prevalent, the examining officer would is now traced wherever possible and if it naturally keep his eyes open for indications should be found after further experience that of that disease, but speaking generally the Kowloon overland traffic is a serious we should say that with regard to passen-source of danger to the public health it gers arriving by ocean going steamers very would probably be decided to subject per- little more than a face examination would sous arriving by land to medical inspection
con-
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