July 1, 1899.3
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the
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE RÉTORT.
Mengtzu But whatever the cause, attack On the French Consulate will have to be atoned for, and probably very heavily, Heavy demands, it may he re- The taxmembered, were put forward recently in Szechuen for satisfaction in respect of the murder of Father VICTORIN, but that province falling within the British sphere of influence territorial compensation could not conveniently be enforced. In Yunnan the conditions are not quite the same and if France should put forward a claim for such a rectification of her frontier as would bring Mengtzu within French territory she would probably encounted no opposition on the part of any foreign Power.
const trade is carried in native vessels specially built for passengers and cargo which land and ship passengers and goods "at any plaes on the river towed by "native steam launches. "ation of the goods carried in these native "vessel amounts by special arrangement to less thin the duty and a half payable to the I.M. Cu toms and the coast trade naturally flows in this channel. These steam launches tow vessels not merely to fuland places between ports, but even to other treaty ports a privilege denied to British steamers, specially registered "under the Inland Navigation Regulations, “and so far as I can gather, there is no intention on the part of the IM. Customs to call upon them to register, or treat them and the vessels towed by them like foreign steamers,"
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The diffi ulty for a foreigner to get the right to mine is the next subject dealt with, and it is satisfactory to note that at least one forein firm appears to have secured thật right, although under the absurd re- gulations issued by Peking some six months ago, The reppit closes with a very good map of Kwangsi. In spite of differential takation and obstruction the trade of the West River seems to be steadily increasing, The evils we refer to might with advantage be made the subject of representation by our Chamber of Commerce to both the English and Chinese Governments, as while they exist the full development of trade on that inportant highway cannot be looked for.
ANTI-FOREIGN-MOVEMENTS IN CHINA.
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ENGLAND'S DUTY IN CHINA.
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(Daily Press 29th June.) The Spectator welcomes the appearance of Lord CHARLES BERESFORD's book on China because it raises a fair and square issue and brings out clearly the two opposing policies in China--the policy of maintaining the in- tegrity and independence of the Chinese Empire, and the policy of refusing to at- tempt to bolster up an Empire which is certainly decayed and decaying, and which possibly is rotten beyond the power of re- form from inside. Our contemporary en- dorses the latter policy, its argument being that the maintenance of the integrity and The danger of the situation is increased independence of China involves the rear- by the fact that China is at present some-ganisation of the Empire under English what puffed up with pride because she domination and control after the precedent imagines Italy is abandoning her claims of Egypt, and that though the United. for a territorial concession in Chektang Kingdom has a broad back it is not broad through abject fear of the Celestial hosts, enough to bear such a burilen as that. while the natives of Kwangtung, are Here we have, as the Spectator says, a fair under the impression that Grent and square issue. It is an issue that has Britain's proposed retrocession of Sham- been before the world for many years past, chun is due to the same cause, and the and especially since the China-Japan war, people of other provinces, when they but it has unfortunately heen obscured by hear of the affair, will share that impression. meaningless talk about the "open door," a There is some reason to fear, therefore, that catch phrase having no objective reality. anti-foreign outrages may increase and also The door in Chiua is not open, and to talk that the Peking Government may he led of keeping it open/when it is in fact closed into resisting the claims for compensation is absurd. for those that have already occurred
There can be no open 'door for foreign and the others that are pretty sure to trade in China until there is security for follow. In that case force would have to capital and freedom for commercial enter be applied and the carving up of China prise. Are we to wait for this un- would commence in carnest. The situation til the Empire breaks up and the being thus charged with danger, what pieces fall under the domination of the re- should be the attitude of Great Britain? Aspective Powers, or shall Great Britain. correspondent whose letter appears in an repeat in China what she has accomplished || Daily Fress, 27th June.)
other column takes us to task for having in Egypt? The latter would no doubt be the Chinese a stupendous task, but it is not beyond Troubles are
raining thickly upon China said in a recent article that
Government, unable or unwilling to me in. Great Britain's power. The spheres of at present. Within the space of a few days
tain order and fulfil its international ob. influence already established would have we have had to record an anti-missionary riot
ligations, must be assisted by foreign con- be recognised--the Russian sphere in Min- in the Fokien province; the murder of two
trol both at Peking and in the provinces,'
churia and the German sphere in Shantung Russian engineers and ten Cossacks n Kirin in Manchuria, the abduction of a
al for having expressed the hope that Her German engineer and two surveyors al Kian Majesty's Government would not hesitate to chau, and an attack upon the French Condertake the task of reforming the native sulate and the Imperial Maritime Customs administration. Our correspondent favours establishment at Mengtzu, Yunnan: With the policy of spheres of influcuce, which he contends will settle the China question regard to the anti-missionary outbreak at
There can be no doubt as Kienyang and Kienning, fortunately there naturally. was no loss of foreign life, and as Great the growth of spheres of influence in that Britain seems bent upon playing the part of China, nor is the circumstance one the benevolent friend towards Ching as is should occasion regret, but in allocating and clearly indicated by the proposed retroces demarcating the spheres we claim that the sion of Shanchun, there will probably be Chinese capital, whether it remain at Pek- little difficulty in arranging a settlement with regard to the loss of property. In the other cases, however, China will have to deal respectively with Russia, Ger- many, and France, none of whom will be likely to prove very complacent. The outrage by brigands at Kirin will give Russia an excuse for rendering her control of Manchuria more effective. Germany has shown very plainly that she is not going to put up with outrage or insult in Shantung, and the abduction of her railway officers will be followed by swift and effective punishment, as in the case of the recent outrage near Jichao. As to France, the attack on the Consulate at Mengtzu will no doubt be made the occasion for further large demands ju Yunnan. Particulars as to the origin of the Meugtzu-affair have not yet come to hand, but it has followed closely upon the visit of M. DOUME", "the Governor-General of Indo-China, in whose suite was a staff of railway surveyors who were to remain in the province to complete the survey for the line to Yunnan-sen, and it is possibly opposition to this project that has brought about the anti-foreign riot at
or be transferred to some other city, should be recognised as falling within the, British sphere, and that Great Britain's duty to herself, to China, and to humanity renders it incumbent upon her to under- take the work of reforming the native ficent work she would naturally use all administration. In carrying out this bene- available native means and lead rather than possible, but whether by leading or driving drive, iu so far as leading might be found the work of reformation should be vigorously carried on. Asto what the other Powers might say, that is not a consideration that should be allowed to count for very much. The best way would be to proceed on the ol The other Powers already possessed of and well tried plan and let them say on. spheres of influence might find enough to occupy their attention there, and those not possessed of spheres would have right to interfere
·
no
The master of the German steamer Deuteros
reports that on the 23rd June when passing about 6 miles to the westward of North Reef (Paracels) he noticed five distinct lamps, apparently wrecks, on the reef.
and claims by other Powers might call for consideration, but the recognition of spheres need not constitute an insuperable obstacle to the reform of the Chiness ad ministration. In this connection we would recall to the attention of our readers the
Memorandum upon the present conditions: of foreign trade in China” issued by the Shanghai Branch of the Chiua Association under date of 23rd January of the present year. Having set out the reasons for the slow progress made in the development of foreign trade with China, the memorandum goes on to say that "if China is to be saved,
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she will have to be saved in spite of her "Government; Great Britain cannot look. "for any assistance from that quarter, on 'the contrary she must be prepared to "meet with sullen opposition from those "whom she would succour;" and, further: -"We say, then, that the one thing wanted "for the development of trade, for the protection of capital, and for the ex- pansion of enterprise in China, is security, "and we say that such security must be sought in fiscal and administrative re- torm of the country, which can only "be effected through pressure from with- out, and we further say that the vast preponderance of British interests in "China clearly demand that Great Britain. "shall lead and guide the movement. We do not wish to concern our- "selves with any imperfectly understood "catch phrases such as
open door 'sphere of influence' further than to say "that Great Britain's sphere of influence. "should be wherever British trade pre-
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ponderates, with the open door for equal trading opportunity to all; this is an ideal
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