498
THE SITUATION,
(23rd December.)
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE "TIMES " ON THE GERMAN OCCUPATION OF KIA QCHAU.
The situation in North China grows hourly more exciting. Germany having obtained her demands, settles down to occupy Kiao-
The Times is to be congratulated on the soundness of its views with reference to the
""
chau with a view to the ultimate adminis-German occupation of Kinochau, and on the tration of Shantung. Russia, having dis- application it makes of the incident in a avowed the Cassini Convention, and thus lost Instead of wasting time in making remons- consideration of our own policy in China. any locus standi from which to protest trances at Peking, which would assuredly against this move, has suddenly made a have been met as usual by the innumerable counter move and taken Port Arthur. The dilatory devices of Chinese diplomacy, the question remains, what is Great Britain now
Germans landed a force in Kinochau Bay. to do? It was reported that the British The experiment, says the Times, is one which Squadron had, as a counter move, occupied
we ourselves have tried on one or two oc- Talienwan Bay. This rumour is, we
casions, with results so excellent as com- trust, entirely unfounded. It could hardly pared with any obtainable by diplomatic fail to bring about unpleasant complications negotiation at Peking that there is reason and might even precipitate a war. At the same time it is quite impossible for to wonder why we do not always follow the more effectual method. After showing how Great Britain to look on impassively while anti-foreign outrages are fomented by the changes of such a startling character, affect- ing the distribution of naval power in the literary or official class, the article pro- ceerls :- Consequently it is the local East, are being effected. The British Go-
officials whom we ought always to hold vernment has always shown the greatest
responsible alike for actual outrage and reluctance to acquire territory in China,or to
"for the gross infringement of treaty rights assume new or increased responsibilities east
"which goes on continuously and persist- of India. At the same time they cannot
ently There is very little use in apply- afford to remain indifferent to the shiftinging to the central Government to enforce of the balance of power, because British trade.
responsibility. It has comparatively little in the Far East is preponderant, and they control of the local Governors, and that must protect and conserve that trade. What
"little it certainly will not waste on behalf then is to be done? Are we to say to Russia,
"of mere barbarians when its own demands "Conie further south at your peril ?”
We
"call for all its efforts." Referring to com- think not. China by the misgovernment mercial difficulties also the Times says:— of her officials has become an unwieldy
"The truth is that the central Government carcase, unable to either take care of her own interests or to carry
out the treaties which she has signed with the Powers. The time has arrived, therefore, when Great Britain, despite her reluctance, must assume fresh responsibilities, or drop behind in the race. She must, following the advice of the Times, ask for the restoration to her of the Chusan Islands, as it is clearly evident that the Peking Government are no longer to be relied upon to carry out the Treaty of the Bogue of 1846. For the safety of the colony of Hongkong, she must also demand the cession of whatever number of Kowloon and of the rocky islets to the south of Hongkong may be necessary to render the colony safer from outside attack. She ought also to insist upon full power to construct and work railways in Kwangtung, including a line to Wuchang on the Yangtsze; also to exploit and work in conjunction with natives the mineral resources of the Two
acres of barren hills in the hinterland of
Kwang and possibly the adjoining pro- vinces. These privileges secured and Bri- tish capital invested largely in Southern China, we should have given hostages to fortune, but at the same time we should have commenced the opening up of this great country in earnest. The mass of the population would thankfully welcome the advent of foreign capital and joyfully see the rule of the mandarin abolished. It is hopeless to look for any reform for China from within; it can only come from without. And it would be folly and worse than folly for Great Britain to hesitate to take up her
share of the task.
Dr. Rennie, on returning from a shooting trip up the West River a few days ago, learnt at Canton that the launch which had towed his boat up the river had been pirated on her way back, the coxswain and another member of the crew being murdered.
The doctor had paid the launchman $45 for his services and it was that the to secure possession of this money
Sowe well dressed crime was committed.
Chinamen hailed the launch and bargained for a passage by har. Having got on board they declared themselves in their true character, produced revolvers, and pirated the craft.
"has not the power, even if it had the will, "to make its promises effectual. The pro- "ceeds of the taxes which throttle British "trade do not go to Peking, and the officials "in each province simply go upon the prin- ciple of taking all they can get. It is "to these gentlemen that we must apply, "with arguments that they can appreciate. Among those arguments gunboats occupy an important place."
14
$4
[December 30, 1897. organised State after the European model and expresses n doubt whether the miscon- ception does not still linger in official minds. DR. DILLON, in a recent article in the Contemporary, referring to the course of events in the Far East, also says our Foreign Office was meanwhile oc- "cupied, like the Gol Baal when invoked by e "his worshippers, in talking, or pursuing,
or in a journey,' -an expression which very accurately hits off the attitude main- tained until recently by our officials, and especially by the Legation at Peking. It sould appear that there has recently been an awakening. Let us hope that drowsiness and-obliviousness to passing events may not again set in.
RUSSIA'S DEMAND FOR THE DISMISSAL OF ENGLISH ENGINEERS.
The Russian demand for the dismissal of all Englishmen connected with the Chinese railways is a piece of impertinence which we trust Lord SALISBURY will meet as it deserves. Up to the present England has neither claimed nor received any exclusive advantages in China, though she has had abundant opportunities of doing so had she been so disposed. It was on her that the task of establishing foreign intercourse with China devolved, but in so far as the country was opened up by her efforts it was opened to the world at large and not to British subjects exclusively. In return for this liberal policy we now find that attempts are being made to discriminate against her and to oust British subjects from all their positions in the Chinese public service, a step which, if allowed to pass, would in course of time be followed by attempts to exclude British trade by differential tariffs.
It is to be hoped, therefore, that the Government will take up a firm stand at once and effectually resist the attacks
While the existing decentralised system of government exists it is obviously at the
now being made on British seat of grievance that redress must be sought prestige and influence. In retaliation for if anything substantial is to be accomplished. Russia's attempt to oust British, subjects But, in view of recent events, the question Great Britain might demand, say, the dis- suggests itself whether the system of decen-missal of all Russian subjects from the tralisation can endure much longer. Will Customs Service; but we do not suppose not the Central Government be compelled that is exactly the course that will commend by considerations of simple self-preservation itself to Lord SALISBURY. The same to make its authority effective in the re-telegram that informs 118 of Russia's motest corner of the remotest province and demand for the dismissal of English en- to effect such a reform in the administration|gineers informs us also that the German as will knit the Empire together and make each portion contribute to the strength of the whole, instead of allowing the different provincial Governments such latitude As to endanger the whole State whenever a hot-headed official
magnate takes
or
local
it into his
military instructors in the Chinese service are to be replaced by Russians, a mutter in which Germany will probably have some- thing to say. We can hardly suppose. that Russia thinks she will be allowed to take the government of China entirely into her own hands or to eliminate from the adminis
tration all influence and advice but her own. Her recent demands may therefore be re- garded perhaps as an attempt to force on a demarcation of the particular spheres of influence of the respective Powers, and on that ground Great Britain might well meet her. It is now clear that whether China be territorially partitioned or not she must in various directions be subject to foreign con- trol, and as no one of the Powers can be al- lowed a monopoly of that control it becomes necessary that they should arrive at some understanding as to their respective rights. It may be a case of the European concert over again, which has not been conspicuously successful in Europe, but which seems to he better than having all the Powers working However independently at cross-purposes. that may be, no discrimination against Great Britain or British subjects can be allowed
head to foment anti-foreign disturbances? If the present system continues the Empire must fall to pieces from simple want of cohesion. While there was little outside pressure the slender ties between the provinces sufficed to hold them together, but they cannot suffice much longer unless they be strengthened by a general reform of the administration, the abolition of the squeeze system, and the centralisation of authority. In any other country reform might be anticipated, but in China it seems almost hopeless, and in view of impending changes, which will be none the less impor- tant if they are effected gradually instead of suddenly, it behoves the British Govern- ment to strengthen its position and be pre- pared for all emergencies that may threaten our commercial interests. The times says it took the Foreign Office a very long time to understand that China is not a highly-in China.
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