October 8, 1898.]
LORD CHARLES BERESFORD AT SINGAPORK,
Singapore papers contain reports of the speech delivered by Lord Charles Beres ford on the 24th September, during the stay of his steamer at that port. The speech was made at a publie meeting held at the Town Hall under the chairmanship of Mr. Stringer. We reproduce the Straits Times report :-
Rising amidst loud and prolonged applause, Lord Charles Beresford said that he considered that the gentlemen who composed the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and the Singapore Branch of the Straits Settlements Association, had paid him a great compliment in asking him to address a public meeting that night: and he also considered it a great honour to himself to address a meeting of that character, because he anderstood that a part of his audience consisted of the various Consuls representing the great European nations at home. (Cheers). did not think anything he had to say would be in any way misunderstood by them. He was of opinion, and he believed that most of those present would share that opinion with him, that
THE PRESENT POSITION OF AFFAIRS
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTING TRADE
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China was no longer a British trade
preserve.
NO ADEQUATE SECURITY What he meant by their trade and commerce for capital, and he thought that the Govern having been left to private enterprise was that ment should immediately take steps to induce the Government of their country had never the Chinese Government-he did not for a deemed it its duty in any way to assist trading moment suggest how they should be induced, and commercial enterprises. That was to say but "induce the Government had
was a very good word when nover assisted their you were more merchants in the way other countries had required care in language to give support or less on a mission that done. He would give them an instance in and adequate security by organising a pro- point. Quite. lately the Colonial Secretary, perly efficient military and police force Mr. Chamberlain, had taken a very strong along the rivers and in the interior of China line in connection with the Colonial Office, where British merchants might be induced to over which he presided. He recently gave Pen- invest their capital. That was the first and ang facilities for the improvement of the bar foremost thing; they could not support their bour accommodation, and also facilities for opening up railways in that country. In his police protection. His suggestion was that the commerce unless they had adequate military and opinion that was a line which he thought the troops and police should be officered by Europ- Government ought to take with regard to trade and trading interests. If, however, these im- (Laughter). At all events, something of that eans, with perhaps some Britishers among them. provements about to be carried out at Penang character would have to be done to give the were necessary now, they were also equally ne- merchants the security which he thought they Hecessary twenty years ago. In such a case, and had a perfect right to. They might turn to generally, it rested upon them to formulate what Egypt for an example; he believed that the they required as a definite, strong, and resolute great French nation had something like one policy. It then would rest with him, so far as hundred millions sterling invested in Egypt. he was able, to forward their views and the They knew that it was absolutely secure; as a views of the merchants in China, to the home capital sum it increased in value every year, and Government, with the idea of the home
on the first of every quarter the interest due from in China with regard to British trade and British
that sum was regularly paid. How, and why? interests, was a very critical one. He went so and commerce in the Far East. (Cheers.) Con- It was simply because the Egyptian Government, far as to say that he believed unless something cerning China, there was another point worthy with the aid of a few British officials (laughter), was done of a definite character, unless some of their consideration. Up to the present the had got the command of the military and police. policy of a resolute nature was undertaken in commercial and trading interests of their great | And with security all other nations were at this China, it might mean, more or less, the end of Empire had entirely depended upon the com- the British Empire in the near future.
moment investing their capital in Egypt
With He mand of the sea. By this he meant that in the the exception of Britain, because for some ex- would give them his reasons. British trade was event of a 'disagreeable" occurring between traordinary reason the British Government getting very circumscribed in all parts of the another country and themselves, their command persisted in telling everybody that they were world, because other nations were finding out of the sea would enable them to prevent other going out of Egypt, when they knew perfectly how beneficial trade was and were embarking in countries from landing troops or munitions ef well that they were going to remain there for it on their own account, not exactly to Britain's
war in our possessions to disturb them. So far ever. (Laughter and cheers). With regard to the detriment, but in some cases to the exclusion as China was concerned that circumstance, question of security, there was no question but of her trade. He did not blame these nations which had existed all these years, was that the British Government could aid the Chi- at all, but was of the opinion their governments entirely altered, and the question. regarding nese very materially-he did not mean by force were perfectly right in doing whatever they China would eventually become a military-both in money and in men who could conduct considered necessary for the advantage of their and not a naval question. This was a thing affairs for them. The Chinese Government people. But it was our business to see that what which would have to be thought out with had already had very good proof of was done did not injure our own trade and in-
great care in the near future. Another point terests. He had said that this was a very which he would call to their notice was that momentous issue for their trading interests in their position as an Empire had arrived more China, and he knew very well from conversations or less at a finality. The British Empire had he had had with our leading merchants and become so enormous, and so unwieldy that if financiers at home that there was a very uneasy they even had conscription at home, they could feeling as to the future of our prosperity, so far not possibly police it properly in the event of as trade went, in China. He was not, how-disturbances in their dominions or the threaten. ever, one of those people, whom he believed he was right in describing as Saturday to Monday tourists, who came out here
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now
ing appearance of European countries against them. He for one, therefore, and most of his countrymen with whom he had conversed on the subject, had it quite clear in their minds that they did not want to see any more of the chart marked red. They had got enough now, and more than they could efficiently manage if they had those "disagreeables" he referred to and if they had to encounter hostile action on the part of other European countries. Respect
TO PUT FORWARD A PLAN.
TO TEACH THEM THEIR BUSINESS. The traders of China and the British traders know a great deal more about their business than he did or ever would know, What he did believe, however, was that he might be useful in this very important mission, which he had been asked to carry out by the Associated Chambers of Commerce at home, if he could ining China, he would like any way focus the views and opinions of British traders as to what was necessary to be done. Something had to be done, and the thing was to find out what that something was. The only merit that he possibly possessed was that of being a public man who had some sort of hearing with the people at home. Their trading and financial interests had been represented over and
over again by the different consuls abroad and by the trading associations; but he did not think those views had been brought before the British by any one single individual, and he believed that a single individual might focus those views. In that way he hoped to be of some use to his country- men in the Far East. (Cheers). There was no doubt that English trade and English interests were of far too important a character to be allowed to drift as they had been doing during the past, particularly as regarded China. He would like, if they would permit hin, to des- cribe in a few words the position of the British Empire as regarded their trade and commerce, or rather he should say the position which the Government at home had not held. This per- haps was not a very good expression, but they would understand what he meant. The whole of their trade and commerce had been left en- tiraly to
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
Especially was this the case with China; and it had been all right, possibly up till now, but
Most of his life he had been an agitator; but al- though an Irishman he was not an Irish agita. tor. (Laughter). He had been agitating for a very long time to get adequate security for their Empire, that was to say a proper navy, well organised, efficient, with a good reserve, and a definite plan of campaign if ever they had to do anything. He had invariably brought before his countrymen the necessity of posses sing a big fleet, because he held that the big fleet made for peace and not for war. As the greatest trading country i. the world peace was their greatest interest. He did not say that his was a good plan, but in the present condition of things, both at home or abroad, it was a good thing to put forward a plan at all; it promoted discussion, and in his capacity of agitator with regard to the navy, he had always put forward a plan of some sort. (Laughter and cheers). More than that, he had gone out of his way to ask chambers of commerce at different places, especially the London Chamber of Com- merce, if they would kindly listen to his arguments, because if they made up their minds that anything was necessary for the security of their trade, he did not care what Government was in, that Government would have to listen to those chambers of commerce. Regarding his suggestion respecting China, and the future investment of capital there, British merchants
were nervous because there was
WHAT: THE BRITISH COULD DO.
There was a man whom all the world respected, and he was proud to say that he was an Irish- man, namely Sir Robert Hart. He was a man who had worked most loyally for the Chinese, and Sir Robert Hart was in the proud position of having produced the only valuable asset in that enormous Empire at the present moment, Gordon, who really kept the present dynasty on They had also the much-to-be-deplored General
the throne of China. General Gordon when he undertook to work for the Chinese Government, worked loyally for them, and they were very grate- ful for what he did. There were other Britishers, and there were other countries who had countrymen serving under the Chinese Gov- ernment, and in every instance these Europeans had worked unquestionably for the benefit of the Chinese Empire. His first suggestion was that the British Government should induce
the Chinese to provide proper security in the interior and along the coasts by having pro- perly organised military and police. Another suggestion which he had to submit to them was that the British nation should enter into
A COMMERCIAL ALLIANCE.
with America, Germany, and Japan in what they called, at present, the British sphere of influence. believed in the cry that because other nations He was not one of those “ who
increased their commerce it was bad for British trade. He did not believe in that at all. He other nations tended to make for peace; and was of opinion that the increase in the trade of
unquestionably peace indirectly but enormously benefited the trade of the British Empire. (Applause). More than that, he believed that if they could obtain this security, which he thought was necessary, other nations would be inclined to invest their capital in that sphere of interest which he had referred to, and that that very fact would make for peace, because. other nations, even disliked any disturbance where their money more than themselves,
was invested and where their property lay.
He did not often agree with Sir William Harcourt, who sat on the opposite side of the House to himself, and with whom he occasionally exchanged a little badin- age, but he did agree with him on that point. When Sir William Harcourt was Chancellor of
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