THE
Hongkong Weekly Press
VOL. LI.]
AND
China Overland Trade Report.
CONTENTS.
Epitome of the Week, &c. Leading Articles :--
439
The British Government's Attitude in China 440
Affairs in North China..
The Defence of Hongkong
The Stable Element in China
440 .441
.441
An Interview with H.E. Li Hung-chang
442
The Crisis in China: Telegrams.
Hongkong Legislative Council
443 444
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce
445
The Crisis in China.
The Proposed New Rifle Corps .
Changes in the Tsungli Yamen
The Navigation of the Yangtze
Canton
Macao
Kieh-Yang..
Correspondence
The South African War Fund
Concert in Canton
The Hongkong Electric Company, Ltd. Hongkong Volunteer Corpe..
Hongkong Rifie Association Hongkong and Port News Commercial Shipping
ARRIVALS OF MAILS.
.447 449- 449 .449 449
452
HONGKONG, SATURDAY, 30TH JUNE, 1900.
The Foochow Daily Echo of the 16th inst. says:" We learn that Mr. Gustav Siemase, Consul for Germany, has been honoured by the Emperor with the decoration of the Red Eagle. Mr. Siemssen was warmly con- gratulated by his numerous friends at the Club last evening."
L'Echo de Chine says of the reported burning of the Roman Catholic cathedral at Peking:-
'We think that the Nantan cathedral is meant. The Peitan building seems to have been pro- tected by a small guard and its destruction would argue a great massacre, for a multitude of people had taken refuge there."
According to the Ostasiatische Lloyd, the 450 Pioneer had great trouble in passing the Yangtze 451 rapids; the strongest current met with being 451 about 12 knots. Through the rapids the cap. stan had to be used. The passage up took 73 452 hours, not counting the detention. The junks 452 proved a great nuisance. But even if some 452 difficulties have yet to be overcome, the success 452 of the first trip was undoubted.
452
.454 455
The American mail of the 29th May arrived per P. M. steamer City of Peking, on the 26th June (28 days); and the German mail of the 27th May arrived, per N. D. L. steamer Stuttgart, on the 26th June (31 days).
EPITOME OF THE WEEK,
The news of the week from the North will be found in the telegrams from our correspondents on p. 443.
H. E. Sir Henry A Blake, Governor of Hongkong, is expected at Hongkong by the M. M. steamer Laos this (Saturday) afternoon.
It is considered not at all unlikely that through railway communication will be es- tablished between Penang and Bagan Serai by the 1st of August next.
Mr. H. A. Ramsden, late British Vice-Consul at Manila, arrived at Nagasaki on the 18th inst. from Shanghai, and left on the 26th inst. for Kobe by train.
It is reported from Manila that Cavite has been transferred from military to naval control. The troops will be withdrawn. The military prison will remain, as also will the Civil Govern-
ment within the territory transferred.
The murder of Mr. Haynes, Magistrate of Gays, British North Borneo, is reported by Straits
of the 21st inst. The deed was papers
sommitted by a Dyak and is not referred to any political cause. The murderer escaped.
It is reported from New York, on the au-
thority of a statement alleged to have been made by a high Siamese naval officer, who is now on
■ visit to San Francisco, that the King of Siam will next year pay a visit to the United States.
It is generally assumed, says the Japan Mail, that Marquis Yamagata has postponed his resignation in view of the serious problems pre- senting themselves in the field of foreign affairs. Under any circumstances it is not probable that the plan proposed by the Liberals could have been put into a working shape,
Sir Alexander Swettenham returned to Singa- pore on the 21st inst. after a visit to Brunei. The idea is prevalent, according to the Singa- pore Free Press, that Brunei is to be annexed, or, to put it in diplomatic language, a resident is to be placed there after style of the Malay Peninsula. In connection with Brunei's resi- dency it is also reported the British Government is intent on taking over the administration of Labuan from the Chartered Company.
An American journal is responsible for the statement that an agent of the Japanese Govern- ment is in Massachusetts buying arms and equip ment for an army, to be placed in the field at once. He is stated to have given some startling facts as to the scale on which Japan is carrying on her preparations for the coming conflict. She is preparing quietly to put an army of 500,000 well-armed and well-drilled soldiers in the field, and within two years the Japanese Army will be one of the most formidable in point of numbers and equipment of any armed forced
in the world.
No. 28
The N.-C. Daily News calls attention to the fact that the Chinese vernacular paper Hupão issued an Extra at 3 p.m. on Sunday last annound- ing the capture of the Taku Forts by the albød forces. "As the North Forts were only taken on Sunday," says our contemporary, "and there was only telegraphic communication from Shanghai as far as Chefoo, this was a remark- ably good piece of journalism, and tenda, with other circumstances, to the belief that the wires are not broken at all.”
Telegraphic communication between Hong.. kong and Macao was interrupted on the 27th instant. With regard to communication with the north the Telegraph Companies have been informed that a despatch service between Chefoo and Taku has been organized at the Chefoo Telegraph Office, under the control of one of Although telegrams their European Staff. can only be accepted at "sender's risk," every effort, the Companies state, will be made to ensure their delivery.
The military authorites have received the following cablegram as to the regiments which are coming from India to China:-"Regiments intended permanent increase garrison Hongkong are 23rd Bombay and 23rd Madras Infantry, each consisting of 12 British Officers, 1 medical officer, 16 native officers, 712 rank and file. Left wing of 7th Bengal Infantry sailed June 25th; remainder will follow, June 29th. The 27th Punjab Infantry sails on July 2nd. regiments will be available then for local defende pending arrival of special regiments allotted for duty. General Sir Alfred Gaseleé, Command- detailed for Hongkong will bring cooking ing Officer, sails on July 2nd. Two regiments vessels and cherpoys (beds)."
1
A letter is printed in the Kobe Chronicle from Mr. Sands, the American adviser to the Corean Household Department, which must finally set at rest the stories to which such wide currency was given by the Japanese papers, alleging that An and Kwong, the two Coretis recently executed, were tortured before the capital sentence was carried into effect. There is not only the certificate given by an English doctor, Mr. E. H. Baldock, but there is the additional evidence of other foreign witnesses, who all state that the bodies showed no marks of ill-treatment. It may be that it is because this evidence has been laid before the Japanese Government and found satisfactory that no further steps have been taken to resent what at first sight appeared a deliberate flouting of total Japan.
The Imperial Government Railways Depart ment of Japan gave orders during last year to England and America for the following railway material, which is to be imported during the fiscal year ending March 31st, 1901: Locomotives 50; cars, $1,700,000; rails 26,000 tons, $2.300,000; 100 feet bridge girders 49 spans, $740,000; 200 feet bridge girders 11 spans, $250,000; other $5,240,000. Most of the bridge girders and bridge girders 7,000 tons, $250,000; rails are being made in the Pencoyd Iron Works,
America, while Neilson and Dubs, England, are named as the makers of all the locomotives
On the 22nd inst. H. M. cruiser Pique and the torpedo-boat destroyer Otter arrived at Hongkong. Besides the Furious and Diadem, the cruisers Dido and Isis are coming out to reinforce the China Squadron, while the trans port Jelunga is bringing out details for the harbour. The Bonaventure still awaits orders, Wivern and other reserve vessels now in the
being now under the command of Capt. J. C. Sawle, who arrived by the Valetta on the 22nd. On the 23rd H.M.S. Redpole left Hongkong for Canton. On the 26th the Pigmy arrived from Manila, leaving next day with the Pique and the Hart for Woosung and the North The Plover is on her way from Manila to Hongkong.
mami ods
dated 17th inst., to the effect that the report
The Jiji publishes a telegram from Seoul,
regarding the despatch of Japanese soldiers to China, has produced a marked effect at Seoul, and Japan is recovering her position in the eyes of the Coreans. Mr. Sands, American Council- lor of the Imperial Household, has submitted representation to the Emperor in which states that Russia is attempting to inju interests of Corea and has already a treats Corea as if the country were her t some ports; and, on the other hand, Jai
tory. Therefore Corea's independence is thr tened, no matter whether she depends on Jap or Russia. M. Pavloff, Russian Min understood to be working very determi order to secure Mr. Sands retireme outwardly he assumes a friendly even entertains the Ministers for America
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