886
ITALY'S CHINËSË POLICY.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
(Daily Press,,6th May.) Reuter's message nunouncing the resigna- tion of the Italian Ministry in consequence of a division of opinion on the Chinese policy of the Government is interesting, but it leaves us in some doubt as to what were the points of difference between the Gov- ernment and the opposition. The Govern- ment were, we believe, pledged to seek the acquisiton of a port in China, over which the flag of Italy was to fly and a sphere of influence be thereby secured for Italian enterprise. The port of Sanmun on the coast of Chekiang was selected, and a de- mand for its lease duly formulated by the Italian Minister in Peking. In this demand Italy was to receive the passive (if not active) support of Great Britain; but, as our readers are aware, the Taungli Yamen at once became bold and refused to lease any territory to Italy, and the Italian Minister, misinterpreting his instructions, proceeded to issue an ultimatum, which ended in his recall. Meantime a squadron | had been ordered out to Chiua to back up Italian demands, and sundry warships have arrived in China waters, while others are said to be en route. But the whole hing was mismanaged, and the Chinese Gov- ernment, probably moved thereto by certain of the Foreign Ministers, have taken up (for such an invertebrate corpus) quite à determined attitude. The fact that Den- mark, Belgium, and Austria-Hungary were credited with ambitions for settlements on the coast of Chiua also no doubt helped to stiffen the backs of the mandarins, and at any rate eonfirmed them in opposition to the demands of Italy.
other demands. Only the other day the Premier speaking in the Hungarian Diet said that there was no present intention on the part of Austria-Hungary of acquiring territory in China, and nothing further has been heard of Belgian desire to secure a port in China. No doubt Austria- Hungary, like Italy, is only biding her time, as the moment does not seem pro pitious for urging day claim, but for the present the Chinese Government have staved off what they conceive to be a difficulty Whether that respite will prove long or short will depend probably on their own course of conduct, but the trend of politics recently has been distinctly favourable for China. Great Britain and Germany, Great Britain and France, and last, but certainly not least in importance, Great Britain and Russia have arrived at agreements, which will at least have a tendency to preserve peace and prevent aggression. At the same time it will be well for the Tsungli Yamen to take heed that they do not attempt to break faith with any of the Western Powers or seek to neutralise. the concessions made, for the Powers will be less minded than ever to brook violations of the Treaties. Instead of being able to play off the Powers one against the other, as was so successfully done of late, the Chinese Ministers will find them more or less united in insisting upon the Treaties being observed and reparation being promptly made for injuries or losses sustained.
[May 13, 1899.
Post
and consequently the message has to b written. Nor is it an easy mintter to make a chair coolie understand that he is not to give up a letter intended for registration until he has obtained a receipt for the same, as those who have tried the experiment know to their cost. The coolie, with his limited intelligence, cannot conceive of any higher form of receipt than the Post Office "chop" ou his chit book or chit-paper, and with that he will return to his employer with a happy consciousness of duty fuith- fully performed, no matter what detailed instructions may have been given him as to getting a receipt in proper form. The consequence is that letters sent for registration and so marked are posted as ordinary correspondence, he only re- ceipt the sender obtains being Office stamp on the chit-book, which signes simply that the coolie has handed a letter in. The messages requesting registration, we are officially informed, "generally.
escape attention;" but the word "
regis "tered" written across the letter would not be likely to escape attention should the letter happen to fall into the hands of a dishonest postman, in which case it would costitute a direct uncentive to theft. We are told in one paragraph of the Postal Guide that the Post Office declines all responsibility for unregistered letters con- taining bank notes or jewellery and where registration has been neglected will make no enquiries into alleged losses of such letters, and at the same time we are also told that written requests for registration
THE POST OFFICE AND WRITTEN will not be attended to.
MESSAGES.
64
(Daily Press, 8th May.)
proper
THE OPENING OF THE INLAND WATERS.
But what is the policy of the large min- ority referred to by General PELLOUX in the course of the debate in the Italian Parlia- ment? Do they approve of the proposal to acquire for Italy what other European Powers have gained in China, but are of >pinion that some one has blundered in the negotiations and caused the prestige of Italy to sustain a damaging blow? Or do the minority represent that public in Italy which, disgusted with the results of the little effort of Italian colonisation in Africa, is hostile to any further experiments in colonisation abroad? This party argues that Italy's interests in China are small aud that any attempt to found a colony there would only entail a further addition to the burdens already laid on the Italian exchequer. In this respect no doubt there is something to be said. With the exception of a small share in the silk trade Italy has prac- tically no commercial relations with China, and one of the Italian papers, evidently hard pressed to discover the importance of Italian interests in China, made a great point of the very large and important Mis- sion maintained by Italian money in Hupeh. Whatever may be the views of munications might with advantage receive by and included in the first question, there
this large minority, their action has cer- tainly availed to upset the Cabinet. Pro- bably the ministers were not sorry to find a pretext for resigning, and thus casting on to the opposition the responsibility of set- tling the rather awkwark problem which the unexpected indocility of the Tsung-li Yamen has opened up.
When the demand for a lease of Sanmun was first made the Italian Government had no idea, we imagine, that any grave objection would be raised by the Tsungli Yamen. This is the first real check that has for several years been offered by the Peking Government to foreign demands. But it cannot be denied that the rebuff given to Italy has served to stay
Commons. Colonel WELRY in this connec tion raised the very important point of the right of foreigners to reside at other places than Treaty Ports, and the Government promised that this matter should receive their attention. But the most pertinent question was that put by Mr. Ascкort, who, asked the Under Secretary for Foreign affairs whether he was aware that the Chi- of navigation of these waters in such a way nese Government had restricted the freedom
that steamers plying between two Treaty Ports could not avail themselves of the added the question whether it was correct privileges? He is also reported to have that a steamer engaged in the inland waters trade might not go beyond the next Treaty Port, but as the second restriction is covered
A notification appears in the Gazette to the effect that the officers of the Post Office cannot undertake either to affix stamps to correspondence or to see that
(Daily Press, 8th May.) servants purchase or affix the
The truth with regard to the so-called amounts; nor can they undertake to find opening of the inland waters of Chinn seems articles intended for registry which have at last to have filtered home and a gradual been posted as ordinary correspondence perception that the concession is not what without asking for a receipt at the time. Lord CURZON led them to suppose it was is It is added that "servants to whom corres-apparently gaining ground in the House of
pondence for registration is entrusted "should be told to ask (orally) for a re ceipt, and not to give up the article until they have made it understood that one is required. Nothing else will do Messages "in chit-books or on pieces of paper gener- "ally escape attention until it is too late to "attend to them." But would it not be possible, by some small addition to the staff of the Post Office, to arrange a system by which it might be posible to com- municate with the Post Office by writing? Under the present Postmaster-General there is an evident desire to place the department on a satisfactory footing and to meet the public convenience, and we would suggest to Captain HASTINGS that this question of the attention to be given to written com- reconsideration. The matter is not one that does not seem to have been much use in very much affects commercial firms, who putting the second query at all. Mr. usually have properly trained messengers to such restrictions as those referred to were
BRODRICK'S reply was to the effect that i send to the Post Office, but for private contained in the regulations for the naviga- residents, and especially ladies, it is a distinct disadvantage that they cannot send tion of the inland waters as received from a note to the Post Office with any certainty Her Majesty's Minister at Peking and of having it attended to. A public depart-published in the recently issued Blue Book meat, we take it, should be adapted as (China No. 1, 1899). far as possible to local conditions, and in Hongkong the conditions are such as to render it necessary to send in writing many messages that in a European country would be delivered orally. The average coolie does not understand English sufficiently well to be able to deliver a inese sage in that Innguage by word of mouth,
*
no
In view of the nttention we have given to the opening of these waters, and the numerous articles published on the subject in our columns, we view with satisfaction the awakening interest being taken in the matter at home. In the East we have so far succeeded that our leader of the 26th January was the means of calling the atten-
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