March 4, 1899.] Sybil
Maid Marian
... 14 Payne
9 Princess 5
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Active Meteor
CORRESPONDENCE
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[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
CHINA, ANGLO-AMERICA, AND CORN.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
to see to it that the Hankow-Peking line was left to British control than to be trying to control railways either in the Russian or Ger. man spheres of influence.
BRITISHER.
Hongkong, 25th February, 1899.
TH BARBARITIES PRACTISED ON FATHER VICTORIN.
TO. THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
SIR.-Lu discussing this shoc ing case with a Chinaphobist he stated that this was quite au [TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS"] exceptional case and the mob was worked up to SIR,-Will you allow me a small space religious frenzy and therefore should be excused to comment upon the above article! With their actiom. His excuses do him no credit. reference to the scathing remarks upon Chinese but it is the way with these infatuated sino officials. 1 cannot say that I altogether agree logues. As the public who are little acquainted with them. The error lies in supposing that with China and the ways of the people, may they are much worse than others the world think this is an exceptional case it may be well over. The truth is that the peoplo are
to disillusion them. I know of similar cases oc- squeezed pretty well as much as they will curring in other parts of China, where portions stand everywhere, and in countries where of the bodies, such as the heart and liver, werd there is a strong backing force they are perhaps sold, and eagerly bought up. as medicine, the me. less able to resist oppression than in a country | dicinal property alleged being the promotion of where the Government is weak, as in China. courage in the eaters of these tit bits, as the The system of China differs from our own, but eating of portions of a tiger are supposed by these the ends. I opine, are much the same the world people to confer similar qualities. In the cases over. India is a fair example of this, and II allude to Chinese rebels were the victims. question very much whether the natives of China are taxed to the same extent as are those of the former country.
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But if we are going to grab China, whether for our own benefit or theirs, for goodness sake let us put aside cauf, and leave God aud Providence out of the question. Mahomet, Genghis, and a host of others have, in all ages, robbed, and slaughtered, and sayed in the name of God and of religiou, and it was only the other day that an American Admiral after
OLD CHINA HAND. Hongkong, 25th February, 1899.
TO THE
DITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS." SIR, With reference to the letter of " Old
China lland," I am inclined to think that his friend the "Chinaphobist" was probably right. The Chinese are not a boodthirsty race, and in fact would be much less easily stirred to action than our own uuder similar conditions. Doubt-
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187
ACCLIMATISATION OF KUROPEANS
IN TROP.CMI. LANDS.
In a leading article in the Daily Press of the 24th February reference was made to the opinions attributed to Dr. Man Bon on the subject of the acclimatisation of Europeans in the tropics and the contrast between those opinions and the views held by Dr. Manson when he was in Hongkong. We are indebted to a correspondent for a copy of the Geographical Journal for December, containing a full report of Dr. Sambon's paper read before the Royal Geographical Society and the discussion which followed.
Dr. Manson said:-"In former years, under pessimistic opinious then current about tropical the influence of early teaching, I shared in the colonisation by the white races. years, however, my views on this, subject have lu recent undergone a complete revolution. This re- germ theory of disease; it gathered force as, volution began with the establishment of the one after another, the great disease scourges of mankind, of beasts, aud of plants and it was complete when I had personally were proved to be caused by living organsims; convinced myself that Lavarau's immortal dis covery of the protozoal germ of malaria was indeed a fact.
I now firmly believe in the possibility of tropical colonisation by the white races. Dr. Mansou woul du to describe at length the germ theory of disease and in the course of his remarks said:--- Most iseases are caused by parasitus. Unfortunately, most parasites, when they have got below the surface ing the body or the epithelium lining the of the body, whether it be the epidermis cover- mucous tracts, are safe. We may, to some éx-- tent, by drugs and other means, hamper them a little when thus fairly lodged; in no instances,
putting many of his fellow creatures to a horrible less the details of the case are horrible enough. | however, can we under such' circumstances be
death called upon his men to witness that he believed in God Imighty. It seems to me that it would have been more appropriate if he had called upon them to witness that he believed in the Devil. It is high time that we got rid of this remnant of Judaic barbarism, of trying to reconcile our deeds with our creeds when the
former clash with the latter, by acknowledging that force rules the world and we take simply because we are the strongest. Rather let us atter the cry of Clovis of old: "What," cried he, as he gazed upon the rich fields beyond the Garonne, "Is it not a shame that villains who rofess a different cred to ours should own
р
B
uch lands? Onward! Let us take possession of their land ?"-I am, sir, yours truly,
PLAIN TRUTH.
Canton, 23rd February, 1899.
GERMANY AND THE NORTH CHINA RAILWAYS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
SIB, note that Germany is likely to obtain the control of the railways in North China and that great opposition is being raised by a cer- tain British section to the accomplishment of this intention of the German Government.
It seems to me that the natural sequence to the course of events (that is to say. Germany marking out North China as her sphere of in- fluence) is that the control of the Northern railways should be left to German enterprise, the British obtaining guarantees, ‹n their part, that no differential rates should be levied on the transport of goods.
British interests are largely involved in rail- ways in North China, but surely some adjust. ment of those interests to the inevitable contr of that portion of the Chinese Empire by Germany can be arrived at. Germany in return for British complaisance to German control there ought to arrange for concessions to Britain elsewhere, say in Africa, where a strip of terri. tory between British Nyassaland and British East Africa is required for the continuation of the railway from South Africa to Egypt. Ger- many has set her heart on the control of North China and it will prove a far more profitable solony for her than all her others put together. She can well afford to make sacrifices for such a fine prize.
England, on the other hand, should met German aspiratious in this direction in a friendly spirit, and it would be far more sensible for her
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though probably exaggerated. as all these things mostly are; but w must not fall into
Larasites, from their very nature and in order sure of killing them outright. But these saine the error of condemning the race because of a few. There are devils in all lands.
that their respective species may keep in exis Even our own glorious civilization produces them. It was
tence by spreading from one bust to 1- only recently that I read of one who was tried
other, must at some time or another leave the in France and confessed to having killed eleven they have perforce to live for a longer or
human body.
Thus it comes about that persons within fifteen mouths. "He killed the their bodies, or rather the debris, and said beingly helpless and eminently vulnerable. Herein, victims rapidly, ripped them open, and violated
shorter space in outer nature. During this necessary extra-corporeal state they are exceed- was compelled to commit his horrors by an over. powering influence. And if the accounts of
what is going on in Manila just now are only half true we have not much to be proud of and should hesitate before raising too great a hne and cry against our neighbour. The truth is that whether East or West, if you only scratch skindeep you will find the savage, which is over ready to break forth. But so far as China goes, we have it upon uo less an authority than the gifted author of "Chinese Characteristics that Human life is safer in a Chinese city than in an American city; safer in Peking than in New York. We believe it to be safer for a foreigner to traverse the interior of China than for a Chinaman to traverse the interior of the United States."—I am. Sir, Yours truly,
+
ANTI-PREJUDICE.
Canton, 27th February, 1899.
THE CHINESE CUSTOMS.
10 THE EDITOR OF THE
DAILY PRESS.
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SIR-In your issue of Saturday last, you say.
in reference to the Germans having per- mitted a Chinese Custom-house t be established at Kiaochow, We cannot but think that Ger- many has made a mistake." etc., eto. What about the Chinese Custom-bhouse in the Queou's Road, Hongkong? Has not Hongkong also Imade a mistake? getting ourselves into the belief that black is What earthly use is it, in white? The Government should be asked if this establishment is to be moved back at the same time as the Customs stations. With the usual apologies, etc.—I remain, your obedient servant,
Hongkong, 1st March, 1899.
B.
The Directors of the Shanghai Sumatra Tobacco Co. have decided to pay a final divid- end of 15 per cent. on account of the crop of 1897, making 40 per cent. for the year, and to ' put about Tis, 36,000 to reserve.
lies our opportunity. To kill them then is sim. pay a matter of knowledge and the application of this knowledge-sanitary science and sanitation
in fact.
He proceeded to illustrate this by the case of elephantiasis, and went on to say: 1 wish I could indicate with precision this weak point for the malaria parasite, that germ which, places so deadly, and which is, in fact, par excellence, renders the tropics in many the main obstacle to the successful colonis- ation of the tropics by white races. There are signs, however, that the day of deliveri from this worst curse of mankind is at hand. Fact after fact is coming to light about the malaria germ, and step by step, we are approaching that complete knowledge if its life history which alone will enable us to crush out this terrible parasite, or, at all events, to protect ourselves from its attacks."
ance
Sir Harry Johnston said he thought the theory which had beeu advanced must not be pushed too far, and that though he would be tropical countries a European race might take averse to opposing the idea that eventually in
root he thought it would be au inferior face. natives in the labour market as an obstacle to He referred also to the competition of the Europeau colonisation in the tropics and said:
What we do want is the knowledge of how a limited number of Europeans may rule the tropical races that there scarcely remains a tropics, because so inferior are all indigenous single tropical coautry which is independent politically or whose independence is not more
or less threatened.”
An American Ball was given at Kobe on the 22nd February in celebration of Washington's birthday.
All the musicians of the Shangbai Band bave resigned owing to a dispute as to the terms of their agreements and the Settlement is in danger of being left with a Bandmaster and Assistant Bandmaster but no Band.
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