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December 8, 188
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
world. I merely tell you what I have seen and | will do I do not know well I rather do I am st
sure you will bear me out that in my re- know. (Laughter and cheers.) You must re- marks I have said nothing discourteous, or member our neighbours in France are very nothing of a Jingoistic or spread-eagle charac- | much addicted to hinterland. (Laughter.) They ter, but merely a statement of facts as they took a very large amount of hinterland in presented themselves to my point of view, Africa, and, as far as I can make out, the hin- (Hear, hear.) I think the time has arrived when terlund, as applied to Africa, certainly means, yon should press upon the leaders of opinion the whole country except the port. (Laughter.) and the Government of the day that you are I referred just now to the position of the Chin- anxious that the rosition should be clearly defined, ese government, and, so far as we can see at why a similar state of circumstances should not present it is absolutely powerless to control the occur with regard to Peking, or right away people. I am not one of those who think they down the Yangtze valley. Therefore a hne
know everything about China because. I am should be drawn or some definite, clear, policy, here from Saturday to Monday (laughter), but which should be erfectly conrteous in its toue, I have formed an opinion of the people and it should be laid down as to what position we is based on what many of you have told me. - I hold in China and with regard to what has am assured that the word of the Chinese trader occurred in the North. I always believe in is as good as his bond, and from what I am told public men, as far as possible, endeavouring to I believe there is a great deal of good in China. suit their language to what is generally used. Then as to their being fighting men, I need and exhibited in the House of Commons, that only refer to Ikotanga, General Tso, Admiral is, a line of argument, a line of courtesy, and a Ting, and the Hongkong coolies who showed line opposed to strong spread-engle talk, mora what they could do on the scaling ladder at particularly where mentioning foreign coun Taku. You must not judge them by the Jap- tries. With regard to this question of diplo- auese war. Men have told me that they saw matio success and assurances, why should we coolies being given guns and rifles of every not believe that Russia will always do what she continental pattern, with any kind of ammuni- has done before? We can remember, such tion from muzzle-loading to pistol. What would events as occurred at Merv, Bokhara, Khiva, you do nader the circumstances? I myself Batoum, and the Black Sea treaty, and things should beat a masterly retreat to the rear. of that description, which were carried out (Laughter.) I am as certain as I stand here if after the assurances were given that they should the men were only regularly paid, properly fod no. be done. Again I say Russia invariably
and clothed, they would follow Europeans just wins when it comes to diplomatic action. There the same as we have seen in Egypt and else- has been another question brought up, which where. (Applause.) As to the mandarins, I is called the " sphere of influence policy. do not think any language could be too strong and when left home, to show you to apply to their system. But I want to know bow ignorant we are at home, I was under the what i should do if I were ordered to govern idea that we had some portion of China which fifty million people, keep them contented, and was within our sphere of influence, and i believed look after them in every way, being told that I that portion was called the Yangtze valley. I am to get no salary, but that I have to pay an bare been puzzled, however, to know what the enormous sum for being appointed to office. Yangtze ralley means, and nobody has been How on earth can I do anything else but squeeze? able to tell me. I asked the question on two Bat I believe if you could pay the mandarins occasious in the House of Commons, because I proper salaries and let them occupy their thought anyway we have got something we can places as long as they governed properly, with fall back upon, we have got a sphere of perhaps an odd threat that if they did not their influence. I wanted to know the latitude and heads would come off, I believe you would have longitude, but I got the usual official reply. a very good government in this country. My Still I was convinced we had a sphere of influence view of the future is that we should induce the until I came out here. When I examine the Chinese Government to allow British officers to Yangtze valley on the chart I am very much reorganise their army. I believe if their army puzzled, and it is most difficult to find out what were properly organised it would be an ample it means. Would it inciade Shensi and security for the prosperity of the country aud Yunnan? I cannot find out what the Yangtze a benefit to all nations. (Applause.) valley is, and when I come to the "sphere of more word as to the action of the Government influence' I am amazed to find that there at home. I can assure you that I do not be is no such thing whatever. What has taken lieve such a thing as the Kowshing case 'could in the British
public-it certainly took have happened to the American or German in your humble servant is the dispatch flag without that case being settled long ago. which was put before the House of Commons, That case should have been settled a long time dated the 11th of February, 1898. This dis- ago, and I shall make that case particularly my patch was from the Chinese Government in owu when I get home, and try and see why it answer to one from Sir Claude Macdonald. It is not settled. Then there is a case of a pilot ran: "The British Minister would be glad to cutter that was ran down by a steamer. The be in a position to communicate to their Majesty's steamer was so palpably in the wrong that I Government a definite assurance that China cannot understand why the case was given would never alienate any territory in the pro- against the cutter. That
case which vinces adjoining the Yangtze to any other should be probed to the l bottom, and I be Power." *To any other Power" would natu- lieve the steamer would have to pay. Then rally lead one to suppose that meant to any there is the case of the Bank of China and cther Power but Great Britain, and that we Japan in which certain shareholders, I believe were the Power to have such sphere of in- they were Chinese, agreed not only to the fluence, bat when I questioned Sir Claude articles of association but signed a separate Macdonald I tound that it is nothing of the agreement to be bound in any dispute by sort and that we are included in the other English law. I am afraid I am detaining Powers. So as matters are we have not got one you a long time, ("No, no.") I have con- single sod in China which belongs to us as a tinually been told that our policy has broken "sphere of influence," although the people at home down. I, however, respectfully disagree with think they have, barring the lease of Weihaiwei. that. We have had no policy to break down. and the addition to Hongkong at Mirs Bay. (Hear, hear.) What we want is a definite policy What is the position of other countries? I think which we and other nations may under- we may say, without exaggeration, Russia has stand. You must remember every diplomatio got a very extensive sphere of influence; I think defeat we suffer affects our trade in this we may say Germany has; but the Great British country more than it does in other countries nation, with 68 per cent, of the whole trade in because in the East we live undoubtedly
has suf its bands, has no sphere of influence, and so far by prestige and our prestige as the North is concerned there is no open door, fered to an alarming extent if it has not Is that the positon we are to remain in? I think gone altogether. I think you will agree with not. (Lond cheers.) There is no doubt, to my me that our efforts should be to restore that mind, what Russia has in her mind, and 1 again prestige. One more point. I hope I have not say she is quite right if she can do it she has been misunderstood in anything I have said as in her mind that her sphere of influence will hinking that we should mark any more of the shortly extend to Peking. On the other hand chart red; but we can assist the Chinese to get the French sp ere of influence comes in under their boase into order, to have an army properly a term which I could never understand called ed, policing the country, and protecting the the hinterland, and “he hinterland in the Sonth❘ trade of all nations. I belive that one of the
ing of these preparations, and he said it was necessary to protect the trade. I have taken the trouble to look up their trade and 1 was astounded to find that in two years the Russian trade proper has been carried by three steamers, and on examination to find what these steamers carried I found that all three carried sea-weed. (Laughter.) These three steamers paid the duty, but there were thirteen others which came in with railway material which paid nothing whatever. I asked my Russian friend, who was a charming person, if it took all these armed Cossacks to protect three cargoes of sea-weed, what would be the armed force required to pro- tect three millions of trade, as the value of our trade was last year in Newchwang. I need not tell you that I got no answer but a smile. (Laughter.)With regard to Newchwang, it is one of the most important places of British trade in this country, for two reasons, one is that it is the place where our trade is increasing in a larger degree than any other place out here, the other is that it is more possible for encroach ment by Russia because it is nearer to Russia than any other place. I also want to point out that it is all-important to us, because it is one only open port in that district at all. Talienwan and Port Arthur are distinctly closed. It is all very well to say they are going to open them by-and-by, but I am talk- ing of the present moment. By and-by there may be some difficulty in opening the door of Talienwan, because it will be found that the hinges of the door are so rusty that the door will not come open at all (Laughter, and hear, Lear.) I found that in one day in Newchwang there were twenty steamers carrying British trade, and I took the trouble to conat the junks on one side of the river and found there were 1,600 lying there. I do not object to Russia doing what she is doing if she thinks it is necessary for the benefit of her trade, but what I want to point out is that our trade in the future will depend upon the good will of Russia. That is a position to which we are not accus- tomed in this country (cheers) and without say ing anything of a disrespectful nature to Russia, I do say most emphatically that it is the business of our Government to see that there is something more in the nature of security behind our trade than mere diplomatic utter ances or assurances, or the mere good will that I have referred to. (Cheers.) Now, if I am not detaining you too long, (ories of Go ou ") I should like to touch on another question which appears to me of great moment. Our policy as declared by the Cabinet, approved of by the country, and I am perfectly sure by everyone in this room, is what is called the "
open door." (Hear, hear.) Ministers have raved with their hands over their heads, declaring that they will fight for the "open door." The Press and in- dividuals have made use of more or less strong language in favour of the "open door;" we have sent our fleets roving about in muddy waters for the sake of the "open door," but the extra- ordinary thing is that that door has been shut -absolutely shut. The idea that the door is kept open because there are no hostile tariffs or preferential rates is absolutely incorrect. The door can be firmly closed by the interfer. ence, ona.
ne country with the commercial enter- prises of another. You can see what occurred in connection with the Newchwang railway. A party at home had a contract made to be signed by the Chinese government. One clause in that contract was that security for the money should cover the whole of the railway to Newchwang. The Russian government, in their wisdom, and with the idea of benefiting their country. strongly objected to that clause. We, on the part of the people proposing the contract, gave an intimation that we would not tolerate any interference with the railways. But the Rus sian government pressed their point and gained it and at this moment the security that was t have been allowed on that portion of the railway from Shanhaikman to Newchwang does not exist. Now, therefore, I say the Cabinet have admitted the, right of the Russian govern inent to interfere in purely commercial enter- prises. That is my contention, and if s such things as this occurred in other open ports through the influence of England I think we should hear a very great deal more about it. I cannot conceive why these things go on in what is nominally a Chinese province and in a
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port that is open to the commerce of all the happens to border on Hongkong. How that first things our government should do is to
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