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THE DELAY IN COMMENCING THE BRITISH RAILWAY ENTER- PRISES AN CHINA.
Daily Press, 20th September.) £ Somu impatience is beginning to be ex- dent the non-commencement of the various railway enterprises in China for which concessions have been granted to British syndicates. Dr. MORRISON re- ferred to the question in one of his re- cent letters, and another correspondent of Times, also writing from Peking, kes a sarcastic allusion to it. “It is interesting to note,” says this correspond- *** that so far not a single sod has been turned on one of the railways we, or rather that group "—meaning a financial coup, previously mentioned" seemed so anxious to get; and that not one of them of the alightest tactical importance." understand the position, however, it is important to bear in mind that the so-called concessions made to the financial group in question were not concessions to construct Chusvarious lines as private undertakings at their own risk and for their own profit; the "reement was that the concessionaires should
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[September 23, 1899,
but | "able to that Government's faults, lend "init, not only commercially, "in the more important matter of the "strong hand when possible, and avoid preservation of the balance of power in "under all circumstances bulldozing and Asia. The Yangtaze Valley holds the robbing tactics in efforts to obtain by "peasants who can provide the materials for "force territory or ports which should only an army sufficient to stand off' Russia and "be occupied by legitimate agreement. "make us a great land Power, yet we are In another portion of the article we are told "babbling of open doors and letting it slip that the United States "should stand firmly through our fingers." To all this a ready" and persistently for the integrity of the ament may be given provided that the pro- "Chinese Empire, and use our influence for tection of the country carries with it control"the inauguration of reforms of govern of the administration, more especially of the ment," but always “without willingness finances. Events are steadily tending into resort to war As to all this, it may the direction of inviting and necesitating be said that fine words butter no parsnips. foreign control of China's finances. The If the United States pronounce definitely in important question is, will Great Britain be favour of maintaining the integrity of ready to undertake that control, or will she | China, they may be asked, as Great Britain leave it to others? In the recent crisis her was asked how far they are prepared to go action has been paralyzed by what the Times in assisting China to resist aggression, and correspondent aptly but disrespectfully if the reply is that they are not prepared to terms “babbling of open doors.” If British lend armed assistance, then China, must influence in Ching in to be maintained we yield to the aggressor. Also there is little must abandon that meaningless abstraction chance of inaugurating reforms of govern as our watchword and be prepared for reso- ment in China without the exercise of pres- lute action directed to the attainment of sure. Moral influence to be effective must defiuite objects.
be backed up by physical force and a will- ingness to exercise that force when circum- stances so require.
MR. BARRETT 'ON' THE' UNITED
· STATES POLICY IN CHINA. Į
ruct the lines for and on behalf of the
Government, by means of money to › (Daily Press, 19th September.) sed by loans, which were to be negotiat The North American- Review for August by the concessionaires. The management contains an interesting article by the Hon. of the lines was also to be entrusted to the Jon Barrett on “The Paramount Power KELIASKETHREN FRE FOor a term of years, and the
onçoasionairea
"of the Pacific" The paramount Power is, “loans were to be secured by lions upon the according to Mr. BARRETT, the United property, and upon the public revenues. States, which has been placed in that Essentially the work was to be a Chinese position by the course of events in the Government undertaking, to be paid for by Philippines. “When Admiral Deway des- funds raised by or on account of the Chinesstroyed the feet and sovereignty of Spain," Government, the British concessionaires merely being given the contract for carrying out the same.
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But is the integrity of China (mean- ing thereby the exclusion of spheres of influence) a thing so greatly worth pre- serving? Mr. BARRETT admits that it is possible to have the open door and spheres of influence at the me time. That being so, may we not and in the creation of spheres of influence the key to the real opening up of China? There is no open door for trade in China ́at pre- sent. Official corruption, a general policy of obstruction, the prevailing disorder and says Mr. BARRETT," he built up in one brief the want of security for foreign capital con- "day the influence and prestige of the stitute effective barriers. The Hongkang “United States throughout all the Pacific branch of the China Association urges the "Seas. He accomplished what otherwise effective policing of Great Britain's sphere "might not have been realised in half in the Yangtsze Valley, and if the recom- "a century or possibly never. To use mendations of that body. be carried into a homely but expressive figure, he effect can it be doubted that trade will be “picked · ˇup · American influence as if greatly promoted thereby · China's trade, "it were apeg stuck in A hole with a population of 350,000,000 people, "and put it down tight in the first.Mr. BARRETT gives in United States cur- "or leading position.'
"With her Pacific rency as $250,000,000, or say £50,000,000. seaboard, her establishment in the Phili, Were the same ratio of population to trade pines, and her immense resources the which exists in all'other countries of Asia, United States must necessarily play a progressive and retrogressive, applied to leading role in the Pacific. The claim of China, her future foreign exchange, he absolute, supremacy put forward by Mr.says, could be estimated at $700,000,000 BARRETT on her behalf may perhaps not (£140,000,000) “I do not mean," be admitted in full, but it may well be adds, "that it can or will attain these allowed to pass as a convenient figure of "figures within this generation, but it speech. Mr.-BARRETi has a good deal to "is a logical possibility, provided always
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Boeing that the money has to be obtained by loan it is essential to the successful launching of the enterprise that full con Edance should be entertained in the Chinese Government. A recent reported hitch (afterwards, adjusted) with respect to pay- mbentiæferinterest on the colonna for the Nowchwang Railway has, however, ron- “dered" capitalists rather shy and money is not readily forthcoming at rates which the Chinese. Government is willing to ac- coopt. „Sanyo, the Director-General of the Railway Department, thinks the bonds ́qught to be issued at not less than 90, And in the existing conditions British investors do not seem to think that rate goodɛsnough, «For the present, therefore, the business hang fire. The Canton-Kow-say about the Philippines, but the chief" that the Government is reformed and the
skon Railway stands on the same footing the other lines, being projected as a Chiness Government undertaking up to the point at which it meats the Hongkong fron-
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interest of his article centres in the policy he outlines for the "Paramount Power of "the Pacific in China,
"While we should do everything in our and we are therefore not likely to see power to prevent the disintegration of e.completion of that ɑuseful work at such “China," Mr. BARRETT says, “at the same an early date as we had hoped and expected."time, in realisation of the fact that we The position is regrettable, but we do not see how the concessionaires can be blamed for not proceeding with the work until the Chinese Government can give the necessary
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"door of trade is not closed." There is little hope of reform of the Government. On the other hand an agreement between the Powers not to close the door to trade in their respective spheres is perfectly fusible and is dictated by self-interest and prudence. And Mr. BARRETT appears to contemplate the possibility of the United States carving out for themselves a sphere of influence. In summarising in the closing section article the policy he recommends that the United States should pursue one of the points is stated in the following terms:- "We should consider the advisability of securing a port in Northern China, but "only in the event of the break-up of the empire, or by legitimate purchase and treaty. "It will be noted that the second alternative leaves it open to the United States to acquire a port to-morrow if it buits her, and her appearance in the field as the creator of a second Hongkong or Kiaochau could only be viewed with satisfaction by those who have the real opening up of China
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cannot go to war in support of such a policy, "if we see that the break-up is inevitable “ we must leave no stone unturned to pre- serve our old treaty rights in a new form for the financial accommodation" with the Powers in control. If this is The matter brings us back to the “accomplished, it may come to pass that our theme of the financial regenera- " trade and commerce in the country that
was once China will be greater than ever financial reform, and public se- "otherwise possible, I doubt, however, as railways would be made in“ do most authorities on China, if such a celynasuthey aresin India. As" fortunate result would ever attend our sional correspondent says, "efforts, but we must take every eventu- is wholly the result of "ality into consideration and be prepared ate. The correspondent “for any turn whatsoever in the tide.” Mr. not for
a moment suggest BARRETT is emphatic on the point of not protect any other going to war to preserve the integrity of we see a profit in it. China. The United States in their attitude profit and a big profit towarda China, he says, “should be charit- · at heart.
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