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MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S BIRMI. G-
HAM SPELCH.
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(18th May.)
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[May 21, 1898.
THE PROPOSED PACIFIC CABLE.
At
a Pacific cable trust should be created under
authority of the Parliaments interested in the scheme, with power to raise the necessary funds, and proceed to the work of laying the cable. The Times takes up the question warmly, and vigorously advocates the im mediate construction of this most necessary work, strongly maintaining that the need for a cable across the Pacific is every day more potent. It says:—
"The position, very briefly summarized, is as follows. Com- mercial civilization has been spreading eastward and westward from its more "active centres til at both extremities its << extension has reached the shores of the Pacific. It finds the largest ocean of the inhabited world as yet untraversed by a "single line of telegraphic communication. When the West wishes to communicate with the East or the East with the
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BERLAIN'S speech is the more extraordinary coming so soon as it does after Mr. BAL- FOUR's statement in the House of Conimous Very recently we referred at some length on the 5th April. Parliament meets again to the proposals for a Pacific cable to connect The summary of Mr. CHAMBERLAIN'S to-day and we may expect, shortly another Canada with Australasia, as part of a great speech at Birmingham given by Reu- debate on the China question, in which Mr. | scheme to unite the whole British Empire ter is of such an extraordinary nature CHAMBERLAIN will have the opportunity by telegraph laid through British waters as to suggest doubts as to the accuracy of | of more fully explaining himself. We may only, and gave an outline of the arguments the report. The speech naturally falls into possibly also have a statement as to whether addressed to Sir WILED LAURIER, the two divisious, the first dealing with foreign | LouD SALISBURY intends to continue in the Premier of the Dominion of Canada, by affairs in general, and the second with affairs office of Secretary of State for Foreign Sir SANDFORD FLEMING in favour of this in China in particular. The foreign situation, affairs. Can Mr. CHAMBERLAIN's speech at enterprise being taken in hand at once. Mr. CHAMBERLAIN said, was serious and Birmingham have been intended as a bid for the time Sir SANDFORD FLEMING wrote, critical, and as he went on to say that any the reversion of that office, an attempt to there appeared little prospect of the Austra- war would be cheaply purchased-a curi us inflame popular passion to the point lasian Colonies coming to a definite agree- expression, by the way, since war is a thing of demanding a warlike policy in regardment as to the share they would take in the to be avoided and not desired if it ended to the China question and the placing enterprise; but since then there would seem in an Anglo-Saxon alliance, it is to be pre-in the office of Foreign Secretary of the to have been a quickening influence at sumed that the seriousness of the situation chief exponent of that policy? We should work, for The Times of the 15th ult. turns chiefly on the complications that may be sorry to think so, but the suggestion states that the Australian Premiers in con- arise out of the present war between the presents itself with some forec. Speaking ference have agreed that if Great Britain United States and Spain. So far there is in the House of Commous Mr. BALPOUR and Canada will contribute two-thirds of little exception to be taken to Mr. CHAM- said he did not feel the need either of the cost of a Pacific cable, Australasia will BERLAIN'S expressions, for the situation apology or excuse for the policy the Govern. subscribe the other third. In Canada an undoubtedly is serious. The Continental
ment had pursued; it was a policy which influential deputation has waited on the Powers resent America's attack upon Spain, had already horne, as he thought, rich fruits 'remier and laid before him a proposal that fearing that it may mark the commeurement in the interests of British commerce, both of a further great expansion of Anglo-Saxon as regards our commercial interests and as influence which may dominate European regards our immediate political interests at politics. Great Britain is therefore vitally Peking. Ic confessed that the Govern- interested, for European intervention in the ment did not like the Russian acquisition of quarrel would range (reat Britain by the Port Authur, but, he said, by the acquisi- side of America and an almost world-wide tion of Weihaiwei we prevented the Gulf war might result.
of Pechili from falling under the undisputed It is when we come to the special refer maritime control of any one Power. As to ence to affairs in. China that we find Mr. the emmercial expansion of Russia in China CHAMBERLAIN's speech so extraordinary. | Mr. BALFOUR spake in the most friendly He says that" Great Britain was unable to tone. If he said, he had to choose whether "declare war against Russia without an
he would leave any region of China wholly ally" and that "unless the fate of undeveloped or whether he would have it "China was to be decided without Eug developed by railways, hampered though "land the latter must 102 reject those railways might be by differential alliauces." It is incorrect to say that duties, he would say, so far as our commerce England is unable to declare war against was concerned, altogether apart from our Russia without an ally. She could de- rights, he would far rather have the rail- clare war to-morrow and feel well assured ways and the duties than neither railways of victory. Even if our weakness were as nor duties; and he did not believe that any
West across the dividing water the great as Mr. CHAMBERLAIN represents it body who had studied the course of message has to be sent backwards round to be it would be undesirable to proclaim it international trade with an impartial eye!
two hemispheres. Yet swift communica- from the house-tops. But if we were wholly would deny that in holding that view
"tion is the soul of commerce, and dependent upon alliances for the protection | he had, at all events, got a case which it commerce is the soul of every flourish- ofour just rights the Empire would very soon
would be pretty easy to defend by statistical"ing urdern community established on the have to shut up shop." When Mr. arguments. Manchura, however, has been i shores of the Pacific." The great London CHAMBERLAIN says, in connection with the retained as an open market, and we are to daily then goes on to point out that the China question, that England must not have the railways to which Mr. BALFOUR, Anglo-Saxon communities on the shores reject alliances, the reference is obviously referred without differential duties. What washed by the Pacific and in the East Indies to Japan. Now, while it is England's has happened within the last month to bring are in their nature industrial before all policy to cultivate the good-will of Japan about the great change in the political things. "Japan," it adds, "has passed and to conrand her respect and confidence, situation of the Far East which Mr. CHAM- a permanent and formal alliance with that
BERLAIN'S speech would seem to indiente? Power is not in itself a thing to be desired. Russia is reported to have asked for a lease Japan is fickle in her character and still | of Kinehow, but surely that is nothing subject to waves of anti-foreign feeling. If to declare war about. The whole of Man- she entered into an alliance with Gretchuria must inevitably come under Russian" Britain she would expect to derive great influence, but so long as the trade is left advantages from it herself and if her expec- | open on equal terms to all comers tations were disappointed there would be a danger of her resentment being directed against her ally; while on the other hand it is doubtful if her friendship would stand the strain of a demand for great sacrifices. A temporary alliance for the attainment of a specific and well defined end comes in a different category, but countries between which there is no racial affinity cannot be depended upon to maintain an alliance, of a permanent character which the course of events may at any time render prejudicial to the interests of one of them for the time being.
Mr. CHAMBERLAIN said the situation in China was extremely unsatisfactory. The telegram does not tell us whether he ex- plained in what respect the situation was un- satisfactory, or why Great Britain should wish to make war upon Russia. Mr. CHAM-
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we fail to see that Great Britain is called upon to interfere. We are afrail Mr. CHAMBER- Lars's speech has been characterised by a great deal of in discretion. When the full report is received, however, it will probably be found that the China question occupied but a subsidiary place in it, and that atten- tion was chiefly directed to the Spanish- American complication. It is in that direc tion, and not là China, that Great Britain is at present in danger of being embroiled.
The Raub mixing report deutions the dis- covery of another extensive gold lode in the Raub Hole, at a great depth. It promises to be quite as good as the old lode, hitherto worked
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through an industrial second birth. "sia is pushing industrial enterprise on the
orthern Asiatic consts. France has not "shrunk from heavy cost to establish a com- "mercial footing in the south. Germany has made her latest move, we are asked to believe, in the interests of commerce. Thus north and south and cast and west, "the ocean is surrounded by rival nation- "alities. In presence of these waiting
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Powers, indications are given that the im- mense commercial field of China is about to be thrown open. Instantly the waters "of the Pacific are alive. The military and political movements which have taken place are but the forerunners of other in- tercourse." This cannot be doubted; an enormous impetus will be given to trade when the preparatory work of opening up the country, now about to commence, has got well in hand.
Our London contemporary,like Sir SAND- FORD FLEMING, is properly anxious that the opportunity now offered for British
there, which bas yielded several thousands of / terprise to lead the van and provided ens
ounces of gold. In fact, it is stated that this find is equivalent to the discovery of a fresh mine.
needed telegraphic communication across the bosom of the broad Pacific shall not neglected until too late, when a foreign
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