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means to make China a strong and pro- gressive nation. But they alone can pre- vent a recurrence of the present crisis in the Empire.
(6). The Powers themselves must reform their policy toward China. They have de- prived her of every harbour worth having and practically marked her out for ultimate partition. Their missionaries cannot be ac- quitted of the charge of unduly interfering on behalf of their converts, disregarding the fact that a Chinaman remains a Chinaman, though he may be a convert. Unless this policy is abandoned, China has no chance of progress.
It
It will be observed that in the above pro- gramme the question of raising the money for the indemnity for destruction of foreign property is not discussed. As a matter of fact, the general reform of the Government, carrying with it thorough financial reform, supplies the solution of this question, as we have had occasion to point out before. The difficulty mainly lies in getting the proper guarantees for the immediate future. The boundless unexploited wealth of China will ultimately answer all possible calls. The principle of free trade in the Empire has already been established in theory by the so-called Inland Waters Concession. remains to put the concession into practice and to extend it generally for the reformed Government to have at its disposal money for all demands, provided (and this will of course be an essential part of the rehabilita- tion of China) that the corrupt mandarinate is entirely cleared away and the revenues no longer go for the most part into their purses. It is not of course pretended that in practice all will be straightforward or that the details will not need the utmost attention. But it can be claimed with justice that if the Powers, or at least those among them that are honest in their intentions toward China, take up a firm position and resolve to utilise the best elements in the Empire itself to bring about a lasting go- vernment of this long misled country, there is a feasible line of policy open to them which they can adopt with credit to themselves and to the salvation of China.
RUSSIA'S "OVERMASTERING
POSITION.”
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
foreigners at exorbitant rents in the name of the Tsar. Such facts as these certainly justify the words of Dr. MORRISON's de- spatch of the 81st ult. with regard to Rus sia's assumption of an overmastering posi tion. Now such a situation can only have been gained by consent or the weakness of the other contingents' commanders, and we may take it that in the case of the majority of the Powers represented that it was weak ness, induced by lack of cohesion and diver- sity of ideas, which led to their accepting the undignified position which they occupy Russia had at her command a large force and she had a definite plan, which she has carried out regardless of the feeble protests of any of the other nations. This state of affairs can only be altered by the change of the balance of numbers between Russia and the Powers whose interests are not the same as Russia's, and by the arrival on the scene of Count VON WALDERSEE. How soon the German commander-in-chief is due to arrive at his destination we are not in a position to say; nor yet is it known of what nature is the German Emperor's plan which he carries in his pocket. To quote our northern contemporary once more: We shall all have to wait for that to be un- 'folded; and the interval will be used by Russia to consolidate her hold on the north of China, while the rescued Ministers at "Peking of the other Powers look at each other across the Spanish Minister's table and wonder what they can do to get orbits "of their own again.'
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THE PREVENTION OF MALARIA.
(Daily Press, 18th September.) The Reports furnished by the Malaria Committee of the Royal Society, together with the remarks appended thereto by the various members of the Sanitary Board, as submitted at the Board's meeting on Thurs day last, are of paramount interest to us here in Hongkong. The intimate connection that, within the past two years, has been undoubtedly established between malaria and the mosquito, and the unquestioned possibility of largely controlling, if not of completely stamping out, one of the worst scourges of tropical regions, by the local extermination of mosquitoes, makes the sub- (Daily Press, 20th September.j
ject one of urgency. The old saw that preven- Shanghai papers supplement to a small tion is better than cure applies very forcibly extent our very scanty information of what in this instance. The Sanitary Board, is now going on in Peking. What news through its numerous officers, may effect a they bring, however, is by no means of a great deal by way of abolishing all stagnant welcome nature. The North-China Daily pools in the vicinity of Chinese villages. News, for instance, learns that the Russians The native community in our midst might have forcibly ejected Dr. MORRISON from at the same time be instructed as to the the house in Peking which he had occupied meaning of such action, through simply since the relief, when he had no house of worded pamphlets distributed to them his own to go to. Dr. MORRISON's new gratuitously. The Registrar-General's De- house, it appears, our contemporary says, is partment should be requisitioned to make in the part of Peking over which Russia has the necessary translation. The Chinese been given administrative control, but this, respect written characters-King sik tez chi of course, does not give Russia any terri-much more than mere verbal explanation. torial rights, and her action is indefensible, as no doubt the Times correspondent will explain to that journal's readers. Again, without a shadow of right, Russia has taken exclusive possession of the Imperial Palace at Peking, and only allows subjects of other nations to visit it as a favour, personally conducted by Russian officers. Of the fact that the railway line has fallen completely into Russian hands we have already heard, but if the story is true that the Peking end of the line was in British hands and was voluntarily given up, it is obvious that the blame is entirely ours. In Tangku again, the N.-C. Daily News relates, Russia is acting as if it were conquered territory, granting leases of Chinese-owned houses to
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[September 22, 1900. treatment of the pestiferous swamps about Aberdeen would have a like beneficial result on the health of Aberdeen, Little Hong kong, and the whole valley leading up to the Wanchai and Magazine Gaps. The services of the Botanical and Afforestation Depart ment might be enlisted with regard to the planting in suitable localities of such trees! as mosquitoes are known to shun: For years the upper levels at the west end of the town, from Breezy Point out to Belcher's = Battery, to the south of Caine Road, have been notoriously fever-ridden. The Fever Commission of 1886 was greatly exercised:: over the condition of one section of this dis trict. Certain highly insanitary Chinese hovels were razed; but the main recommendations put forward by the members of the Com- mission have never to this day been carried out. Considerable improvement, as «far as the eye is concerned, has been quite recently effected over a rocky, shrub-grown; water- logged piece of hillside between Richmond and Caine Roads. The work is too new to yield any perceptible results as far as de- crease of malaria in that particular quarter is concerned. Vacant sites should not be permitted to be misused, as they are apt to be if neglected. We notice that several such lots, after lying untended for years, have been suddenly taken in hand, sodded, and planted with. trees and foliage shrubs. Whatever be the imme- diate cause of this, the step is distinct- ly in the right direction. Isolated and spasmodic efforts, however, can be of no avail in a matter of this kind. To be effec tive and permanent, the attack should be continuous and thorough; and carried out, as far as practicable, simultaneously over wide areas. Many prophylactic measures are well within the reach of all intelligent bouseholders. The mosquito breeds in standing water. Consequently, no disused wine-cask or beer-barrel, no receptacle large or small, capable of holding water, should be allowed to stand out for any length of time in the open air, unattended to, especially during the rainy season. The trays in: which flower-pots usually stand should be regularly emptied of their liquid contents, which otherwise will soon be alive with larval mosquitoes. Periodical visits should be paid to all out-houses and offices, to see. that servants do not transgress in this direction. Any stagnant pool of water should be treated with paraffine and then filled up with earth. According to papers brought by the English. Mail on Saturday the mosquito has been authoritatively proved to carry the parasite that causes elephantiasis. So that, apart from the irritat- ing annoyance and discomfort of its shrill- ing. and its sting, the culer stands convicted. of infecting man with the two dread mala- dies of malaria and elephantiasis. There is thus abundant reason why we should neglect no effort, whatever the cost, to rid our selves of this fell and formidable agent of desease. The D. P. W. was invited by the Chairman of the Board to look through the Royal Society's Reports and comment on them. It will be more than interesting to see the attitude he assumes.
We presume that European residents would themselves see to the destruction of such breeding haunts in the neighbourhood of their own houses. In this crusade à outrance against the mosquito, it seems to us that the brunt of the fray will Referring to the wreck of the Tutami Maru, fall to the lot of the P. W. D. As the Sydney Morning Herald of August 28th Dr. HABTIGAN very pertinently minuted,says: What in shipping circles has chiefly that Department might profitably lay been pointed out is that in the 8. W monsoons to heart all that these valuable Reports prevailing the Futams Mars could not have suggest with respect to levelling, drainage, struck the point upon which she was wrecked both surface and sub-soil, and to the radical unless she was set in there by
rent or driven in by a typhoon, and a very method of treating rock-ports. It is a re-
warm“ admiratiun is expressed for the cognized fact that the draining of the race-ship which must have been displayed by Capa course in the Happy Valley has made the fam Thom in landing the whole of the lives in hamlet of Wong-nei-chung much healthier. his care in safety. It is rarely that a passenger There can be no room for doubt that similar vessel of her sise is wrecked without loss of life;
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the our
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