Page
J.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE PROPOSED NEW RIFLE
CORPS.
[Contributed.]
There can be no room for doubt about the
[July 7, 1900,
ubit. fcant birds be-
and in spite of Mr. MARCONI's repeated
of affairs in North China which Assurances that he is able to reflect to a
ably given an impetus to the preser point the Hertzean rays proceeding from
movement. Refugees, like frightene his apparatus, the fact still remains that
fore the lowering storm, are already fooking to our island from all sides, each day that those rays in reality affect the surrounding
passes adds to the tale: and it would be medium, and may be picked up by any in- extreme value of irregular forces in warfare. the grossest unwisdom to attempt to shut our strument situated in the field of activity. During the American and Spanish conflict this eyes to the pregrant meaning of such an Still, where the object is to gain definite in-
was time and again proved in the clearest and incident. It is well to be prepared against formation as to the locality of a relieving Colonel Roosevelt and his famous rough-riders, cerned, it is still the unexpected that happens. most conclusive manner. The daring deeds of
possibilities; and, where the Chinese are con force, the system, though not perfect, may in the hard fighting that came about before It is quite true that we in Hongkong are not be made to afford indications of the highest Santiago in Cuba, are still freshly remembered. in that naked condition of defencelessness that importance. During the Boer war it was During the present imbroglio in South Africa, Tientsin and the many isolated communities the custom of that enterprising nation to the inestimable worth of volunteers has, from the scattered about the coast and dotting the banks interfere deliberately with the signals being outset, been one of the most noticeable things in the of the river Yangtsze are. Events, however, sent by the British forces, by projecting campaign. At Paardebury, Colonial irregulars might render it needful, if not absolutely im false signals. More easily than the heliograph were in the very forefront of the fighting. At perative, for the greater part of our Europens a later phase, Mr. Chamberlain telegraphed his land forces to be temporarily withdrawn, in the wireless apparatus lends itself to such methods, and a message from the Marconi congratulations and the mother-country's ad- which case, volunteers of all kinds would be of instrument must thus always labour under work accomplished by the Dominion irregular local defence. Moreover, we candidly avow miration and thanks to Canada, for the useful incalculable value in any formulated plan of the suspicion of falsity. On the other hand forces in the ticklish operation that ended in the that we are not quite so cheerily optimis the Hertzean message possesses the invalu- relief of Colonel-now Staff Lieutenant-General tic as is H.E. Li Hung-chang, the vener- able property that it cannot be interfered-Baden-Powell and his small handful of heroes, able Viceroy of the Liang-Kwang. In our with on its road by weather or interrup- themselves, by the way, almost wholly made up of opinion, and this opinion we believe is fairly tion of any sort, and this gives a volunteers, with the merest stiffening of re- general, it is his potent presence that alone has peculiar advantage where an order has to gulars. We all recall, too, with pleasurable kept in check the rebellion which for months be communicated to several points at once. by Colonel Dalgetty and his tiny composite he be called away by the iniquitous Dowager feelings of pride, the splendid defence effected
доде has been smouldering, and which, should Take, for example, our own case with the locally enlisted force at Wepener against great. Empress, would inevitably kindle into fierce Kowloon Extension; a signal given from ty superior numbers. Look again how largely flame. Bad as we now are, we should then, in the Headquarters staff would be at once General Brabant and his Cape contingent loom the words of the Elizabethan saw, be landed read on all the corresponding instruments in the events that have occurred since the from the smoke into the mother. The depar on the mainland; and this might mean the crossing of the Orange river! Bearing this in ture of His Excellency for Peking, at this junc salvation of the whole in case of a secret
mind many may well express unstinted
ture, would be calamitously fraught with the attack on any isolated part. As by the ele- sympathy with the movement that has been most imminent peril to us in Hongkong. Our vation of the signalling wire the distance in our midst. The six co-signatories of the im- notably one of the most turbulent of the whole began to embody additional auxiliary irregulars Colony borders the province of Kwangtung, over which it is possible to flash a message portant letter, in the Daily Press of the 23rd inst. eighteen. It accordingly behoves us to be ad- may be almost indefinitely increased, there
are to be commended for their timely patriotic equately provided against all conceivable even- would be a means of communicating mes- initiative. It is satisfactory to learn that the tualities. Next to the strengthening of the sages, say from Taku to the Tengchow military authorities look with favour on the Garrison in the regular way, the formation of Light in one stretch, whence to Chefoo or scheme, and that they are willing to afford all further volunteer units is a most hopeful sign Weihaiwei would be but a short distance. reasonable facilities. In the light of the object of the times, and one that should be welcomed In fact in the case of a coast like that of lessons recently given us on the utility of locally with every mark of approval and encourage- levied irregulars, nothing less could have been ment. We do not exactly see why it is stipula China, where overland telegraphy is practi- expected of them. As the Chairman of the ted that members must be over thirty-two years cally extinguished, the wireless Marconi meeting in support of the movement said, of age; and can only surmise that all up to that system would find its proper place. As a the scheme is by no means alarmist; it is not age ought to belong to one or other of the commercial venture the system will pro- a matter of urgency. It is simply one of calm various branches of the existing Volunteer bably never be of sufficient importance to preparation to meet foreshadowed emergencies. Corps. The practical abolition of ordinary bar justify its installation, as the difficulty of This is pre-eminently a deliberate and work-rack-square drill, and of show parades, is a inaugurating a direct line is seldom insur-manlike manner of looking facts in the face, praiseworthy feature. Recent history has, or mountable. The only exceptions likely to and one which will appeal to the business in- should have, taught us, that there is too much occur are those of isolated stations, as light- the time to gird on our armour, and to make work in the army:
stincts of every sober-minded person. Now is of this harrying and useless kind of
and Laird Clowes, ships where the laying of a cable pre- good the defects in our defences; not when the in the series of brilliant articles that have sents any special difficulty; and such of place shall be menaced, and the enemy at our just appeared from week to week in the columns course is the position in China just now. gates. The alarm raised by Mr. Hursthouse of the Daily Press, makes a similar complaint We might, of course, and probably will, might, in certain measure, be justified; but when with respect to the navy. In matter of dress, should the situation last long enough, lay fuller explanations forthcoming, it too, we notice that uniform is to be restricted to a minimum-sufficient in fact to ensure to mem- a special cable to Weihaiwei, or even to proved to be groundless. The scheme is in no Taku, but this a work requiring months wise inimical to the existing Corps, rather is it to execute. On the other hand, to in- supplementary to it; it merely nets those who, for many obvious reasons, will never be drawn augurate a wireless line, where there exists into the latter's meshes: in fact, the new body a flagstaff high enough for the purpose, is proposes to utilise materials not indeed which only the work of a few minutes; may we the senior body would reject, but which it is hope that her Majesty's fleet is duly unlikely it would ever be offered. Herein lies provided with instruments and that we may its chiefest claim for active support and sym- soon see some such means of communication pathy. Cambridge men will understand us availed of? In an important naval station when it is said that the newly-forming Corps will be no more hostile to the established like Hongkong the cost of such an installa-
Corps than 2 combination of "Ancient tion would soon repay itself. Even from a Mariners on the Cam would be to any commercial point of view the installation of the College eights. There must be several would be of considerable advantage; mail hundred men, at the least, who for many reasons steamers, for instance, would be telegraphed are unable to join any of the four unita of the independent of weather; vessels could as-present Corps under the highly efficient com- certain their exact position in case of fog mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Carring; ton and Major Arthur Chapman; and yet and prompt assistance could be sent to ships in distress. These are undoubted would be but too glad to attach themselves to some such organisation as is lightly sketched advantages to be gained for the Colony out in the weighty letter already alluded to, and when in addition to these we point out The Volunteer Corps of which our esteemed the utility to the Empire we trust that no Chief Justice is Commandant, as evidenced by time may be lost in utilising the invention. his recently published report, has nearly doubled its strength during the past twelve months. There can be no question but that this exceed- ingly gratifying result is mainly attributable to the healthy stimulus of the actual service the men saw when called upon, with the Garrison, to aid in the suppression of the disturbances on the Kowloon peninsula in April of last year, as well as to the prominent share allotted to them in the occupation of the walled city of Kowloon a month later. It is the acutely critical state,
The German paddle steamer Sui Hsiang, Capt. H. Papl, arrived at Singapore from Bremen early on the 28th ult. on her way to Shanghai, whither she was to proceed on the 30th The Sui Hsiang, for which the local consignees are Messrs. Gilfillan Wood and Co., is a newly built vessel of 354 tons, this being her maiden voyage to the Far East.
"
were
bers the right of war. No one, naturally, would care to be treated to the short shrift meted out by the Germans to francs-tireurs: Here, again, we distinctly trace the formative influence of recent events. The Boers have simplified the matter of uniform down to the veriset essen- tials. Why is a special uniform indeed neces-- sary? A badge ought to be enough. The majority of the republican soldiers, when taken have been in private dress, with no particular distinction whatever. Cronje himself, accord. ing to the photographs of him as he fell into our hands on Majuba day, was in civilian attire. An efficient internal organisation, together with authoritative recognition by the local Govern ment and military powers are now all that is needed, minor details could soon be settled. The cartridge-bandolier and the rifle would surely serve to distinguish combatant from non-combatant. When all is said and done, the promoters do not ask for much-service rifle, the use of a range, and military status. They could not very well ask for less. They might have demanded much more, and still have been deemed moderate.
The Chinese Minister to the United States, Wu Ting Fang, in an address which he de- livered at the Women's Medical College of Penn- sylvania, strongly advised women physicians to go to China, where he assured them that anyone who had sufficient skill and knowledge in the art of healing was freely allowed to prac- tise, irrespective of nationality, sex, or creed,
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