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Kowloon." With regard to this vote, the Direc. tor of Public Works reported that the necessity: arose partly through the large consumption of water due to the increase of population and in- dustries at Kowloon and partly through the severe drought at the beginning of the year, when water had to be pumped from one of the valleys to the clear water reservoir at Yanmati.
The vote was agreed to.. This was all the basiness.
REVIEW.
Bussia on the Pacific and the Siberian Rail way. By VLADIMIR, author of "the China- Japan War." With Maps and Illustrations. London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Co., Limited. 1899. (Hongkong: Kelly and Walsh,
- Limited.
VLADIMIR tells us in his preface that the orities of his former work paid him the compliment of supposing he was a Japanese, and he says he wishes, though he can hardly hope, that his assiduous study of a little known subject may lead them to suppose now that he is a Bussian. Were he in reality a Russian he could hardly have trested his subject more sympathetically.
To illustrate the need existing for informa. tion regarding Russian expansion Vladimir quotes from an article in the Nineteenth Century for June, 1898, by Mr. H. M. Stanley,
11
THE HÒNGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
| tion in Manchuris, she is as much interested as
Great Britain, if not more, in the independence | of China." Elsewhere he says:—" Russia has never entertained ideas of conquest of China: this would be contrary to the ancient tradition of her policy, which has always aimed at occupying thinly peopled lands affording room for her surplus population."
M.P., entitled Splendid Isolation or What P" the following passage:-"Is this picture far-fetched ? He who dares say so betrays his ignorance of the rate of Russian progress over Asia. Twenty-eight years ago she had just effected a landing on the eastern shore of the Caspian. During this short interval she has stridden across the continent and is now at Port Arthur preparing for the locomo- tive from St. Petersburg.' "Here," says Vladimir, we have a prominent man upbraid. ing people for ignoring what is historically false. Russia has not stridden across the continent in the last twenty-eight years; she did traverse Asia very rapidly-in about half a century-but it was more than two cen- turies ago." That is to say, Russia strode across the continent and reached the Nor- thern Pacific seaboard at the last mentioned period. The movement that has so greatly in. terested the world during the latter part of the present century is the extension southward of Russia's Eastern possessions, coupled with the construction of the great line that is to place them in railway communication with Europe. More than two centuries ago, how- ever, Russian adventurers were at work on the Amur, seeking to add that rich re- gion to the dominions of Czar, but expan sion in this direction was then for a long period stopped by the Treaty of Nerchinsk, signed on the 27th August, 1689, which fixed ss the frontier of the Chinese and Russian empires the river Gorbitza, the line of Mountains bounding on the North the basin of the Amur up to the river Uda, and the rivér Argun. The treaty, says Vladimir, was inglorious and disadvantageons for Russia, as she not only gave up her best ses board on the Pacific and the course of the Amur, indispensable for the devel- opment of the lands around the Baikal, but she abruptly stopped the eastern expansion, which had been going on steadily for two hundred years since she threw off the Tartar yoke. The treaty of Nertchinsk,” he contiunes, "is remarkable as being the first cono uded by Chine with a Western Power, and it is also the most glorious. In her successive relations with other nations China has been obliged constantly to submit to disadvantageous conditions and suffer loss. Nertohinsk and Shimonoseki are the extreme terms of the series marking the gradual decline of the empire in the last two centuries.”
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The author's conclusions will no doubt be re- ceived with scepticism by many English readers, and the following passage may be cited as showing that the scepticism is not unwarrant ed:--"The occupation of Port Arthur, which has completely diverted the attention of Russis from Kores, has removed the greatest cause of dissension between Japan and Russia; the latest conventions between the two empires have settled all outstanding difficulties." Hardly has this statement passed through the press before war, the quarrel having reference to the estab we find Russia and Japan again on the verge of lishment of Russia in the Koreau port of Ma- sanpo.
But however the author's conclusions
may be received, from a historical point of view his work is invaluable and should be cars. fully studied by all who aim at an intelligent understanding of the course of events in the Far East.
stances should be known,
❘
[November 25, 1899.
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some solicitor about it, as the Colonial Govern ment would not have one appointed at their own expense. It was pointed out that eveut of such a commission not being appoints there was really nothing in the law to provant white woman from marrying a Chinaman, more than there was to prevent a white from marrying a Chinese woman, whiel frequently taking place.
Consul-General Wildman has referred case back to the Acting American Consul. Canton asking him whether he wishes to go to the expense of a Commission, but it is hardly likely that the matter will be taken further.
22nd November.
On Tuesday a fresh notice was posted in nection with the wedding of Miss Halverson. It is dated Nov. 20th, and consequently wedding cannot take place until 15 days after that date.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTIFY.
On Saturday morning a body supposed to be that of Private Jones, of the R.W.F. washed ashore near the Naval Yard. ** Jones, who was on police duty on board the Mesance, An interesting portion of the chapter on the was observed in the water on Friday. annexation of the Amur deals with the sucess. boat was sent out after him, but he fal defence of Russia in the Far East against disappeared before it reached him. The re- the allied fleets of Great Britain and France mains were interred in the Protestant Come- at the time of the Crimean War, a piece tery, Happy Valley, on Saturday afternoon. of history which to most readers is com-On Sunday morning, however, Captain Cadogan, paratively unknown. Though perhaps not of the R.W.F., reported to the police authorities. altogether agreeable reading for Englishmen, that there was reason to believe that the it is none the less important that the circum- body was not that of Jones but of another pri- anccessful defence of Petropavlofsk, the author
Speaking of the vate named Jordan, who had also been employed says this unlooked for success in a remote region been missing since the 14th inst. In consequence on police duty on the Mecanes, and who had oontrasted forcibly with the uniform misfor an order for the exhumation of the body was tunes attending the Russian arms in the other granted and on Monday the disinterment took military operations at home. "The news of the place in the presence of Mr. Gomperts, Acting victory of Petropavlofsk," he says elsewhere, Police Magistrate, and Inspector Cuthbert, and "increased the general interest in the Far East no doubt being felt in the minds of other mem. and convinced the most sceptical that Muravioffbers of the regiment that the body was that of was not a visionary, and that his plans to de- Jordan the remains were reinterred in the fend Kamchatka via the Amur were of practical Roman Catholic Cemetery-Jordan being” utility. His foresight and activity had spared Roman Catholic-a priest of the Roman Catho Russia a disaster in the Pacific at the time she lic Church officiating. was suffering misfortunes in the Black Sea." Thus it appears that the (to England) pro- Atless Crimean war contributed materially to that expansion of Russia in the Ear East which has during the last few years assumed such importance as to seriously perturb the world's politics.
THE MISSIONARY DOUTOR AND
HER CHINESE LOVER,
SHE ADOPTS A CHINESE NAME,——THE WEDDING TO TAKE PLACE.
21st November, Every effort to induce Miss Susan Halverson." the American missionary doctor, to give up the ides of marrying the Chinaman who was at one time her cook has failed, and in all probability the wedding will take place before the week is out,
Yesterday Consul-General Wildman received a communication from the Registrar-General's Office to the effect that the notice of marriage given by the Chinaman who wishes to marry Miss Halverson expires to-day and they can be married as soon after as they choose.
The notice, which is posted up on the door of the Supreme Court, is dated November 6th, and is signed by Lam Ts Ying, who is described as a medical student and as residing at 171, Third Street, Hongkong. Miss Halverson is described as a medical missionary residing in Canton. She has apparently taken a Chinese name, as the notice gives" Wa So Shan" as her alias.
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At about half-past five on Tuesday afternoon Mr. Baldwin, who is in the employ of Mr. `A. G. Gordon, engineer, launch builder, and con tractor, was on board the American steamer Algoa, which was lying off Wanchai, when he noticed a body floating in the water.” He called the attention of Sergeant Goulay, who was a police launch, to it and the Sergeant took it on board and had it conveyed to the Mortuary. The body was very much decomposed but it was next day -identified as that of Private® Jones, R.W.F.
THE TELEGRAPHIC CENSORSHIP,
TELEGRAMS IN BECKET LANGUAGE FOR SOUTH AFRICA PROHIBITED.
by the Cable Companies:-
The following notification has been
The British Government notifies that in so- cordance with Article VIII. of the Interna- tional Telegraph Convention it has decided until further notice to stop the transmission Aden and in Cape Colony of all telegrams in secret language (sode or oypher), whether pri-
vate or on the service of foreign Governments chelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, German – to and from the following Zansibar, Africa, Mozambique, Delagos Bay, Rho British Central Africa, Orange Fre Transvaal, Cape Colóny, and Natal. Te in ordinary plain language will be censorship and are only to be 2000 senders' riak.
ileath.
inter
It appears that Dr. Shomaker and Dr. It was not until 1850 that a Russian post Swan, of Cantou, presented a petition to was established on the Amur, and in 1858 Mr. H. T. Smith, U.S Acting Consul athama on the 11th November
In a fire which occurred in a maloon at Toko, the river was confirmed to Russia. Since then Canton, asking that a Commission should the position of Russia in the Far East has be apppointed enquire into the sanity of Miss known by the name of Billy Cop, assumed a steadily increasing importance, and Halverson. Mr. Smith sent the paper on
p in one of the upstairs rooms, many Englishmen see in her advance a danger to Consul-General Wildman, who presented it to the influence of Great Britain. This danger to the Registrar-General in Hongkong. The Vladimir brushes entirely, aside and the greater Registrar-General laid it before the Acting part of his concluding chapter is devoted to the | Attorney-General, who stated that inasmuch as argament that the interests of the two nations the woman was an American citizen if the are iù no way antagonistio. “Though," he American Consal-General wanted Lunagy says; *' Russia dertainly needs further annexa- Commission to be appointed he had better see
Th China Gaætte sayı- and sailors at Kisochan. No nees is raging amongst
three invalided soldiers fro from various forms in the Shanghai General
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