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HONGKONG's defenceS,
[March 19,11898.
or
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
necessary to fortify the southern coast of the is vastly superior to the displaced native island of Hongkong, for the island must administration. Toukin and Cochin-China always continue the chief centre of wealth in French hands have been much better and population in the colony, no matter how outlets for British trade than they would much the colony may be extended. The have been had they remained under native garrison must at the same time be increased rule, and the same thing will be repented very largely. At present it is ludicrously in Manchuria. Had we any intention of insufficient for the purposes of defence, aunexing the province ourselves, and it should be maintained at a establishing a protectorate over it, there point in excess of those require- would be good reason for resisting Russian ments, considering the trend of events in encroachments, by force if necessary, but China, the absolute necessity of being pre- in the absence of any such intention we fail pared to conserve our commercial interests to see what purpose Great Britain can have in that country, and the great distance from to serve in supporting Chinese rule, a rule any point from which it may be recruited, too weak to support itself. Our interest is to India, the nearest base being some fourteen look to our own expansion and not att empt days' steaming hence. Many years ago Sir to interfere with the expansion of other GEORGE BOWEN was fond of styling Hong-nations unless our interests are directly
affected.
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At length we have had some official refer- ence to the unprotected condition of this Colony. The Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, evidently in reply to some interrogation in the House of Commons, is reported by Reuter's Agency to have stated that "steps required for the proper security "of Hongkong had been occupying the "Government for some time." Apparently Mr. CURZON did not volunteer any hint of the nature of the steps referred to. It is, however, no secret that the Government have for the past two years or more been aware of the insecure position of the port in case of foreign attack, owing to the greater range of modern projectiles and the possi- bility of the city of Victoria and the Kow-kong the Malta and Gibraltar of the East, loon docks being shelled from Mirs Bay and it has now become of certainly equal or the southern coast of Lamma Island. importance to those places from a strategic They have, for a much greater period, point of view and of vastly greater value also been aware of the open door to from a commercial standpoint. Yet al- invasion now presented by the undefended though this fact is generally recognised, both bays and inlets on the southern coast at the War Office and at the Admiralty, the of this island. Not only is the whole water Garrison is still maintained at only half the supply of the colony at the mercy of any number of those of the two Mediterranean invading force, but there is not a single stations. If Hongkong belonged to Russia fort, battery, or redoubt, nor solitary coign it would probably be garrisoned by of vantage in any way utilised on that side twenty thousand troops, and if Great of the colony. More than a year ago there| Britain is to speak with effect to pos- was much talk of fortifying the southern sible foes at her Eastern gate and to approaches, but nothing was done, and we reason profitably with China, she should doubt whether even the plans were de- maintain a potential force as garrison in signed. The harbour is sufficiently pro- Hongkong. That the Imperial Government tected, forts commanding both entrances, have rather tardily recognised its value as a which are also mined, so that an enemy Naval base we have proof in the extensive would indeed be bold to the verge of rash-additions contemplated, though apparently ness who would venture to try and force a way through Green Island passage or the Lyeemoon. But on the southern coast there is no obstacle to be overcome, and several deep and inviting inlets with secure and comfortable anchorage; also some useful docks at Aberdeen, which would promptly fall a prey to the enemy if he approached with sufficient caution. Clearly there is good reason for the exposed condition of this important coaling station occupying the attention of the Government. Indeed it ought at the present juncture of affairs to afford them ground for much well founded anxiety. We hope that this anxiety does exist and will continue until they bring their minds to a consideration of the proper steps to remove the causes thereof.
still far from commencemeut, at the Royal Naval Dockyard. It would be satisfactory to learn that its effective defence-by for- │tification of the southern approaches and the provision of a sufficient garrison-had been decided upon by the home Govern- ment.
THE DISRUPTION OF CHINA AND THE POLICY OF GREAT
BRITAIN,
The Times compares the temper the of British people at the present time with that which prevailed at the time of the Crimean war. But it is now generally recognised that the Crimean war was a mistake, and that all the blood and treasure it cost were It is necessary, and we believe the expended for nothing. To go to war about necessity is generally admitted by all Port Arthur would be an even greater authorities on the subject, that, in order mistake. It is the destiny of Manchuria to give the Squadron perfect freedom to fall under Russian domination. Great to pursue its natural role of protect Britain may be able to pospone the ing British commerce afloat, this colony fulfilment of that destiny for an uncer- should be self-protecting. To this end its tain period, but nothing can be more borders should first be extended to the certain in the future of the political world boundaries proposed, viz., to include the than that Manchuria will ultimately become Kowloon hinterland as far North as Starla Russian province. It is the duty of ing Inlet in Mirs Bay on the East, and to Lamkas Bay and Ty Shan Bay on the West, and southwards to include all the islands down to Gap Rock, including the Lema Islands on the East and the Ladrones on the West. This would enable the military authorities to provide against a descent over the passes down on to the Kowloon peninsula and the Naval authorities to close Mirs Bay to hostile crinsers, while the possession of the islands would give us the opportunity of sighting the approach of any Kostile vessels and preventing their making any of these places into a base of attack. There would also then be no need to feel anxious as to the water supply, for this would be practically unlimited on the Kowloon aide. The mere rectification of the frontiers alone would not, however, suffice to relieve all anxieties. It would still be just as
British statesmen to keep the province open to British trade if they can, and so long as we do the trade we need not mind very much who administers the country, except that the better the administration the more likely is trade to flourish and expand. And Manchuria under Russian administration and opened up by railways would constitute a much better market for British goods than it does under Chinese administration. True there is the danger of a hostile tariff being imposed, but even so the change in the administration would probably leave a balance of advantage in our favour. The illiberal fiscal policy of Frauce and Russia naturally makes us look with coldness upon the territorial expansion of those countries, but if we think their policy inferior to our own we must at the same time recognise that their administration
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Seeing that the disruption of China is plainly approaching it would be better policy to secure at once what we require for ourselves and let the rest go than to lose the whole by attempting to resist the inevitable. The writer of an unsigned article in the Contemporary Review" for February on "The Problem in the Fur East says the other Powers that have aggressive designs on China imagined that England would follow "their lead and commit the grave error of appropriating some part of Chinese terri- tory as a material set-off to the places they had seized or contemplated seizing. Had we done so We should have played their game and lent our sanction "and assistance to the work of cutting up "China." Elsewhere, in the same article the writer says that "the real China, the China of the Yangtsze Valley, of the strip of thickly peopled provinces from Shanghai to Hankow, and from Hankow "to Szechuen, has not been touched. There "lies the wealth and the true source of 'strength in China. This region constitutes "the kernal of China, and the barren 'plains of Shantung and Pechili are in comparison but the husk." Let us then secure the kernal for ourselves and let those who want the husk have it. If that is playing their game we may well be con- tent to play it. The true policy of Great Britain would be to resume possession of Chusan as a naval station and from that point dominate the Yangtsze Valley,``as" we dominate the valley of the West River from Hongkong. In course of time the capital of China will have to be removed from Peking to Nanking or some other town on the Yangtsze, and over the smaller but more homogenous and stronger empire that will then replace the present unwieldy and heterogeneous collection of semi-inde- pendent provinces Great Britain might well claim to exercise an effective protectorate, which would be advantageous alike to our- selves, to China, and to the world at large. But to try to preserve the China of to-day intact for ever is a hopeless task. It may not be our policy to hasten the inevitable disruption, but neither is it worth our while to make large sacrifices in order to defer it. The disruption must come sooner or later, and Great Britain must be ready to protect her interests when the day arrives. It is on the "kernal of China" that we must keep our eyes fived, and Chusan is the point from which influence in that direction can be most effectively exercised.
A receiving order has been made at Shanghai. against Messrs. Bennertz & Co. on the petition of one of their creditors, but this, the N. C, Daily News says, is by no means the end of the claims of the firm against the Kiangnan · authorities, as it merely transfers to the Official Receiver the task of pressing them.
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