November 24, 1897.]
which it may descend. The ratepayers have now to face the prospect, however unpleasant, of very heavy and most serious losses forced upon the colony by the perversity of the Co- lonial Government, in spite of the strenuous opposition of the majority of the unofficial members of the Legislative Council, borrow ing in gold instead of in silver, the latter be ing the currency in which the revenue of the colony is raised,
5. The Imperial Government annexes 17 per cent. of the colony's total gross revenue. excluding land sales, as a Military Contribu- tion, which is an arbitrary and a most unfair exaction and one which is considerably larger and heavier than any other colony in Her Majesty's dominious is required to pay. So far, the Imperial Government has given no sufficient reason for refusing to extend to this colony the same fair treatment in respect of Military Contribution as the sister colony at Singapore receives. Hongkong will also, no doubt, be required to contribute towards the cost of new barracks including the Mount Austin Hotel and the palatial quarters it cou- tains, as well as for alterations of the forts for improved ordnance.
6-The Home Government recently proposed to further exact a large increase in the colony's contribution towards the Imperial mail subsidy which, if carried out, would be unreasonable and manifestly unjust.
7.-I much regret my inability at present to recommend any increase of the expenditure, believing as I conscientiously do that the cir cumstances and the financial position and pros- pects of the colony are not such as to justify any addition thereto and as same has, in my opinion, largely outgrown the requirements of the colony and is a far greater burden than the ratepayers ought to be called upon to bear.
T H. WHITEHEAD. Hongkong, 9th August, 1897.
GERMANY AND CHINA.
ANNEXATION OF KIAOCHOW BAY.
[SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRE."|
SHANGHAI, 17th November.
It is reported that the German fleet has taken possession of Kiaochow Bay as a naval station and in reprisal for the murder of Germau pritses in Shantung.
was;
|
Shanghai, 17th November. Startling rumours of German occupation of various parts of the coast of China, ranging in popular report from Tongthu, the port north of Foochow where the Germans have recently been surveying, to Kiaochau Bay in Shantung, greatly exercised the public mind in Shanghai to-day, and set flying all sorts of speculations of an uneasy and uncanny kind. It was known that Messrs. Siemssen's steamer Loongmoon cleared the other day from this port, ostensibly for Japan, but in reality for a destination which was kept a secret. Upon her return to-day it leaked out that she had not been to Japan at all, but had been carrying despatches connected with important military and naval operations, and that her destination had been an unopened harbour in the North. It was very difficult to learn where she had been, or what she had done, or what her mission but we are glad to say we are in a position to give reliable information of her morements. These synchronise and coincide with the reports that the three German warships, Kaiser (flag- ship), Prinzess Wilhelm, and Arcona, which left Shanghai last week for the North, proceeded to Kiachau Bay, that admirable harbour in the south-east of Shantung. Their mission is in olose connection with the recent brutal massacre of two Roman Catholic members of Bishop Anser's Mission in Meridianal Shantung. We congratulate the German Government upon the very proper step it has taken in this matter, which will redound to the advantage not only of every missionary and foreigner of whatev. | nationality, whose calling or duties takes thew into the interior of China, and places them in the hands of such fanatical, foreign-hating ruffians as Li Ping-heug, the ex-Governor of Shantung, who has recently been promoted to the Viceroyalty of Szechuen. It was given out at the time of the murder of the two
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
of
*
has
99
to-morrow
403
The steamer Loongmoon, which had gone up with despatches from Shanghai, entered the harbour ou Monday morning, only to find every- thing perfectly peaceful. She returned hers to-day and leaves again to-morrow, with stores, food, stoves, cooking utensils, etc., and every- thing necessary for a prolonged occupation of Kiaochau by a large number of men. The Geriau gunboat Cormoran is also to leave here
for the scene of this highly interesting assertion of Germany's intention to assert the right of her people to live and do their life work under the treaties which she has solemnly and honestly made with China, who evidently thinks she is safe to play with German lives as she has found she can with British and French. When the Germans will leave Kiaochau is quite another story. We expect to see them there for many a long day, as the excuse for the occupation of this most desirable harbour, commanding a country magnificently rich in minerals, is one that may never come again.
Roman Catholio Missionaries in Yengtu, Shan- | peasants, stole back to see if they could not get
a
little chance to turn an honest few cash tung. that they bad fallen victims to a gang
from their new masters. bandits; but private information reached us, upon which we rely, that these so-called bandits were acting upon the nod, which is as good as a wink to a blind horse, given by Li Ping-Leug before his de- parture from Shantung, en route for Chengtn, the capital of Szechnen, as a parting shot at his hated enemies, the foreign devils." This view, we believe, is also taken by the German Government, whose able and fearless Minister. Baron von Heyking, took the matter of the massacre into such urgent consideration that
lo he cut short his
visit the Yangtsze, which was of the highest importance, and hastened back to Peking last week by the steamer Chungking, arriving probably at the But the instructions capital yesterday. for this decisive action from the Berlin Foreign Office were very likely awaiting him on his arrival. A formidable naval force has been landed at Kiaochau from the German warships. and is in cautonments and in the Chinese forts at the present moment, waiting instructions from the German Admiralty and the Minister in Peking. Such a strong step will strike terror into the anti-foreign mandarins of whom Li Ping-heng is the very embodiment, and we uguin congratulate our German friends upon the blow which they have struck for the freedom of foreign residents in China, and the upholding | of the Treaties, which other nations much more interested than Germany, have too often allowed the Chinese to break with impunity.
On Sun-
What happened, we believe, is this: day morning the three German warships-Kai ser, flagship, with the Admiral on board, the Prinzess Wilhelm and Arcona - entered the bay, and the Admiral sent word, on shore to the Ge- neral commanding the garrison, who held three forts, one on the south point, one in the middle, and one in the northern peninsula, that he had come to obtain satisfaction for the murder of the two German Missionuries of Bishop Anser's Roman Catholic Mission, which took place on the 1st inst. at Yengtu, in the South-east of the province, and that he intended landing a strong party of man and occupying the forts. The Chinese General in command sent back an era- sive answer, and tried to refer the matter to Peking, saying he had nothing to do with it. The Admiral returned a peremptory reply, saying he was landing his men in three hours. and would use force to carry out his orders, giving the Chinese garrison that time to evacuate the forts. One of the forts is armed with three old 6-inch guns, the other two with weapons of a more obsolete pattern. The rabble soldiery were composed of the usual coolie warriors, who were scared out of their wits when they saw the foreign devils' ships make ominous preparations for business by ruuning out their guns and lowering yards, while the boats were swung out, in readiness for landing men. In an hour's time those on board the German warships could plainly see that the garrison was on the move, having discovered urgent business elsewhere, and hundreds of braves were seen hurrying over the low hills, bearing their beds, bundles, bird- cages and the usual pomp and parapher- nalia of Chinese war far out of harm's way. Recognizing that the German Admiral meant business the cautious and astute Chinese General sent word on board the flagship that he yielded to superior force' aud meekly bowed his valiant head to inevitable. He begged to place his life and those of his wires and numerous family under German protection and was ready to obey the honoured commands of the German Admiral! Then about twenty boats from the German ships were lowered and some 600 men with six guns were landed with- out the slightest opposition and in admirable order at three points. each division mar- ching straight to the nearest fort, which they found tenantless. The Chinese flags were promptly hauled down and the German ensign run up to the top of the flag staff, whereupon the three warships fired a confusion whatever and the few country people in the neighbour. hood quickly recognized what had happened, and after they had recovered from their first phlegmatic surprise accepted the situation, while many of the warriors, with their martial attire replaced by the usual blue garb of the
salute.
no There was
Bishop Auser's Mission is a very influential body in Bavaria, which the Berlin Govern- ment is particularly anxious to conciliate, and we hope a lasting and severe lesson will be taught to all mandarins of the hateful type of Li Ping-heng before this matter is settled. The Chinese Government had apparently come to the conclusion that it can settle for the massacre of foreign missionaries by the pay- ment of a few thousand taels and the execution The Kucheng and of half-a-dozen gaol birds. Wnsuieh massacres were settled in a manner which is a disgrace to all concerned, and which has encouraged such gentry as Li Ping-heng in the belief that foreign govern-
set no store upon
the lives ments foreign missionaries, or at least, no store that cannot be settled by the execution of a few coolies or the payment of a few thousand taels blood-money. In the present instance they are likely to learn a different lesson, and one which every foreigner will be glad to see administered. No futher details are obtainable at the moment, as all the negotiations in the matter apparently have been conducted through Peking from Berlin direct; but we hope at an early date to place our readers in full possession of the highly interesting developments which are likely to arise out of the Shantung Massacre and the German occupation of Kiaochan.
18th November.
of
The publication of the full details of the German seizure of Kiaochau in these columns
All the
last night has created widespread excitement, and there is much speculation as to what is next to occur. We do not expect to receive much more news on the subject this week, as whatever is going on in the way of negociations between Berlin and Peking is conducted direct by tele- graph and will take some time to reach outsiders. We are able to officially confirm the news which we published last night. We are abfe also to state on the best authority that the German Admiral did not take this decisive step without duly in forming the Admirals of the other Powers, at least those of Great Britain, Russia, and France, of what his orders were and of his intention to occupy Kisochan forts and harbour. Admirals were duly notified before-hand. The British Admiral is cruising off the coast of Formosa, but word has been sent to hasten him up north again, and by the time these lines are published he will probably be on his way back. We have good reason to believe that the strong action of the Germans has only been taken after consultation and an exchange of views the Berlin and St. Petersburg between Foreign Offices, and that Germany is acting What turn with Russia's full concurrence. the seizure is likely to take, whether it is the prelude to formal annexation of a slice of Shan- tung, or is the forerunner of a general division of the territory of helpless Chins remains to be seen? Many people incline to the latter view and with much reason, but a short time will pro- bably suffice to show as how the great game on the new political chess-board is shaping. It is too soon to form any yery strong opinion and we prefer to wait before jumping to any conclusion. But one thing is certain, we believe: Germany means to hang ou where she has put herself with Russia's approval. The next news ought
i
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