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others in the South, it would have been folly to have waited and some fine morning bare found Mirs Bay in the hands of a foreign power!"
RUSSIA'S POLICY IN THE FAR EAST.
In touching upon Russia's policy in the Far East. Captain Anderson observed :--
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
FOR 1900.
| March 3, 1900.
will be necessary to Manila for a considerable | THE CHRONICLE AND DIRECTORY period yet, if only as a convenient heath resort. When we get our sanitorium on Tai-mo-shan- fu instance, think what a boon civilized com. forts at an attitude of 3,000 feet will be to jaded officials from the sun-baked' lowlands | appearance somewhat later than usual. It of the Philippines!
THE NAVIGATION OF THE INLAND WATER
WAYS OF CHINA.
"War with Russia is not a thing to be lightly undertaken and no seusible Britisher desires it. we covet cothing from Russia and our best interest is to be at peace with ber and all the "If we are to develop the trade via the West world. Unfortunately the political and military River the regulations for the navigation of the element in Russia do not view the matter as inland waterways of China must be amended in we do, in spite of the T'eace Manifesto of the interests of China herself, as well as of the sensible young Tear. Of course the Hague foreigners. These were intended to be worked conference came to naught us predicted, but it is for the benefit of the officials of Kwangtung certain that provocation will not come from us. who say they must live," which we readily we sympathise with the Japanese in the posi-grant, but their own Government must see to tion they find themselves in, but whether we that, and pay them decently and then, when the take up arms to help China and Japan against trade is really open there will be such a develop Russia is a matter of an entirely different co- ment of prosperity that will astonish even the lour which will call for all the highest skill of Mandarins. our statesmen to distinguish,
言情
The rules wind up with the statement that they are for the inauguration of steam traffic on inland waters and are subject to such changes as may from time to time be found necessary." That is a phrase that will surely be considered possessed of sufficient elasticity to enable Sir Claude Macdonald to put matters right, and right they must be put, for too much money has been sunk on the reasonable futerpretation of those rules to admit of any other solution.
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THE SUPPRESSION OF BACY. Then as to the suppression of piracy the matter is simple. Let the Chine be told we will do the work and intend to do it. Then give the Admiral on the station a free band, and present the bill to His Excellency the new Viceroy. Cauton City is good security. If we do not hurry over it some others may want to assist in the operation, then we shall hear the word "interests ouce more. No doubt such a scheme or the mere hint of it would make the hair of the permanent officials in the Foreign Office stand on end, but all the same it is the shortest and most satisfactory way to settle the business. The Provincial Govern- meat would pay up and look pleasaut, the peaceful trade would be delighted and wouid recoup the government, and the waterways of Kwaugtung would be once more safe for natious and foreigners, to their mutual advan- tage.
THE CHINESE IMPORT TARIFF.
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"Let us glance at some of the reasons that lead some people to hope for a direct up and down understanding with Russia. At the pre- sent time the antagonism between great Britain and Russia is the principle feature of the situa- tion, and has overshadowed the vendettu sup. posed to exist between France and Germany, Now, when it is attempted in sober earnest to find adequate reasons for such a feeling of antagonisin the task is found to be by no means an easy one! For two hundred years Rus ia, in obedience to an universal law, has been striving for sea ports, and her expansion has conformed to a universal law. Neither commercial or colonising rivalry exists between the two na. tions, there has been no violation of British territory, or territory we desire to possess, and Lord Salisbury has stated publicly that our policy in 1854 and 1878 was founded on a fallacy, There is a large section in England in favour of an understanding with Russia aud at various times very considerable sympathy with the Russian people has been manifested by our own people. The fundamental difference in the expansion of the two countries seems to be the only reason we can get hold of to account for the feeling of mutual antagonism which bas developed between them, and it is not wholly a satisfactory one. Sentiment, of course, has a deal to do with it and usually overturns reason,| but it is really difficult to find a substantial grievance against Russia that could not be got
"If the Chinese Government desire a revisal over and arranged by business men, so that it
of the Import Tariff they will have to put in is not easy to comprehend why a direct under-hand what in Scotland is called a 'redding up." standing with Russia cannot be arrived at. The principal point being that oue duty at the The attempt to stop her by deplomatic notes, port of entry must absolutely free the goods all etc., etc., has proved abortive, no one understands
over the Empire, care eing taken that the the game of blaff better than Russia. The Provinces get their fair share, for if Pekin is only plan is to lay down a line and say "thus allowed to grab all the duty as the Empress far and no further." Russia will understand Dowager endeavours to arrange, then we shall that, and so will every unit of the British race,
nerer get out of the wood in the Provinces. In and they will know what the fight is to be about, the matter of revision of Treaties the arbitrary if fight there must be. From te very begin treatment of British residents in Japan by the ning hostility to Russia has proved a mistake, Foreign Office has not yet been forgotten and and has not in the least degree kept back her I take it that few merchants have much faith in expansion in Asia. It has bred ill feeling and the ability of the Foreign Office to revise the misunderstandings between our countries which Chinese Tariff without help, and any attempt should not be there, and its drift is towards war
to treat us as residents in Japan were treated on some minor issue. Until Russia adrances will raise a typhooon in which the various into a defined zone of British influence, we have Chambers of Commerce would supply good no just cause of quarrel with her, cnd until such hands at the bellows and call for storm canvass a zone of influence is clearly defined we have no
and tactics to weather the gale. just claim to arrest her advance however dis tasteful it may be to us. Granted that we have the most profound distrust of Russian Offici- alism, we know there are good men in Russia and we must grant them the same patriotic feelings which we ourselves profess. Then if the competition for running the puppet show in Peking were done away with, and Great Britain and Russia released from the necessity of each pulling its own string, our international relations would be on a much sounder and more dignified footing.
OUR TRADE WITH THE PHILIPPINES.
"Our trade with the Philippines does not look like getting any less if one may judge by the increase in the tonnage on the line. There we have to deal with a civilized and friendly nation, and no misgivings need be felt in that direction. No doubt our American friends will try to make the best of the islands for their own people, and quite right too, but new sitas. tions create new wants, and trade only wants facilities to make it grow. Besides Hongkong
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On the motion of Mr. HAMILTON SHARP, § hearty vote of thanks was accorded Captain Anderson for his lecture.
The administration of the Caroline, Pelew, and Ladrons Islands, recently purchased by Germauy from Spain, will be attached to that of German New Guines.
The rejection of the Religions Bill by the Japanese House of Peers, says the Kobe Chronicle, has naturally much pleased the delegates of the 32 sects of Buddhists, who are now in Tokyo to oppose the Bill. They immediately dispatched over 100 telegrams and over 500 letters to the various temples iu the Empire, communicating the news. The rejection is much against the wishes of the Government. A Tokyo dispatch to the Osaka Asahi attributes the rejection to the opposition of the Kenkyn Kai, an association founded by some of the members in the House which is generally ready to support the Govern- ment on every question, but on this point it unexpectedly opposed the Bill.
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The Chronicle and Directory has made its
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seems to be compiled with the great care for which it has always been noted. The increase in bulk is this year greater than ever before. We notice several new features and additions in both the Chronicle and Directory portions. In the former appear for the first time the Re- gulations for Foreign Companies in Japan, Harbour Regulations for Japan, the Treaty between Russia and £iam, 1899, and the Treaty between Russia and Great Britain regarding their respective spheres of influence in China. To the Directory are added Tsin-tan, occupying four pages, Weihaiwei over three pages, Port Arthur, two pages, Peitaiko, two pages, also Talienwan, three new ports iu Corea, Yochow, and Saatu (Funingfu), as well as a description of and directory for the East Coast of Sumatra. The compiler requests us to give the following explanation of the causes which have Id to an unprecedented delay in the date of issue.
The compiler of the Chronicle and Direc- story feels that an apology and explanation of the unusual delay iù publication is called for. The book looks when completed as if the work on it were simple enough, but it is an under- taking which requires a great deal of technical knowledge and experience, and a capacity for giving the closest attention to innumerable small aud tiresome details which is rarely to be found. So much is this the case that the London Directory has to train its staff from boyhood, there being now working on that book the third generation of one family. We this year lost the services, through a long illness, of one assistant who has done no other work for several years than assisting in preparing the Directory, and those who took up his parition of the compiling lacked the technical training. The consequent necessary revision of their work threw more on the other members of the staff than they could possibly get through within the usual limit of time. An illustration of this may be given, as it will amuse Shanghai readers who knew the late lamented property owner and philanthropist, a gentleman whose keen business instinct and unselfish devotion to the cause of the poor, and whose numerous charities, as well as his distinguished powers of oratory, made him to Shanghai almost the exact counterpart of what the late esteemed Mr. Granville Sharp was to Hongkong. The clerk who was writing up the list of residents from the Shangbai returns when he came to the Thomas Hanbury School put ín, excusably perhaps, "Hanbury, Thomas, schoolmaster, Shanghai." Hundreds of similar instances might be quoted as showing that uo amount of extra assistance could lessen the responsibilities of the permanent staff, who therefore had to fight against time. Then, although the usual increase was allowed for, the expansion this year has been much beyond that of former issues, there being ten new ports given and many additional firms and institutions added to the old ones, especially in North China and Manila. There is an increase of 2,500 names to the alphabetical Est. Additional endeavours were made to give the entries as correctly as possible by much increasing the number of second and third applications sent out, and that caused extra work and delay. An entirely new Postal Guide, consisting of thirty-two closely printed pages, many of them tables, was not ready to be put in hand till very late, while many other exceptional circumstances, which are not likely ever to come together again in one year, combined to upset the precautions taken to prevent delay. During its thirty-eight years' existence this it is believed, is the first occasion on which the Directory has not been delivered before the end of January, and it will be the last if the strongest efforts on the part of the Publishers can secure early issue.
"The growth of the Directory is the best evidence of the growth of European and Ameri- can interests in China, Japan and eastern Asia generally. When such rapid progress has been made in spite of all difficulties, what might it not have been had the British and other Govern-
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