February 2, 1901.]
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
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there was directed against the Legations
at least of this Japanese native papers affects to seo no danger from the arrangement. a steady fire during the whole of that day The Nichi Nichi Shimbun thinks that the "and night, which has continued to the alleged agreement is a perfectly natural present moment, in spite of the fact that outcome of the situation, being nothing "not a shot has been fired in return. Last more than a. temporary arrangement for a night over three hundred shots were thus modus vivendi. Without some such ar- fired without reply. It is possible that rangement it would not be possible to pro- some of the sbots from one quarter passed vide for the civil government of Manchuria, over the Legations and struck people on and to regulate the relations between mili "the opposite side." Sir CLAUDE then tary and administrative officials. None of ctated that the foreign representatives found the other papers take this view, which in- it impossible to understand why fire from dead hardly seems tenable. The others the Chinese Government troops, as admitted comment as strongly on the supposed ar- in Prince China's letter, was permitted to rangement as Dr. MORRISON himself can continue. The Chinese answer to this note have donc, and he is not wont to spare the is that to which we wish to call attention. Russians. Judging from the telegrams infter urging a speedy reply to the request the Australian papers received this week the that the refugees should leave l'eking under English, German, and American Presses aro escort, Prince CHING and others manifesting no little aların over Russia's With regard to the firing. during the
say conduct in Manchuria, and there has been night, it was, as before, the result of a some talk of a co-operation between the misunderstanding. Fortunately neither other Powers to preserve the integrity of
"side crossed its frontier. It was more or China-evidently the Anglo-German Agree- less on the same footing as the sounding ment is not held sufficient to guarantee this. of the evening drum and morning bell- It will have been seen that the Cologne au everyday matter—and is really hardly Gazette. thinks that Lord SALISBURY is worth a smile." largely responsible for much of Russia's action. We fear that the Cologne Gazette is right. But Lord SALISBURY is not alone. He has been ably backed by the British authori- ties into whose hands the conduct of affairs in North China fell. Possibly the situation is not irretrievable yet; the reported agree- meut, convention, or arrangement may not exist; the action of Russian officials in Manchuria may not be supported by the St. Petersburg Government. In any case, however, the question of Manchuria is one which requires immediate attention, for neglect can only settle it in one way--and that is by its passing out of the possession
of China.
MORÉ LIGHT ON THE PEKING SIEGE.
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Hardly worth a smile!" Sir CLAUDE MacDONALD's reply to this is perhaps as effective as any other. Writing on the 9th August, he said: "I note that you con- sider the firing of several hundreds of shots into the Legations, which, as you are aware, are inhabited by women and "children, as well as by the foreign.repre-
sentatives and their staffs, as
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EDUCATION C OF EUROPEAN CHILDREN IN HONGKONG.
as
same
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:༥༣་
one for
With
(Daily Press, 31st January.) Those who have at heart the interests of education in Hongkong were glad to hear the Right Rev. Bishop of Victoria dwell at some length, at the prize distribution of the Diocesan School on Tuesday, on the subject of the co-education
of Europeans and Chi- serious blot on this Colony that it provides nese. It is, Dr. HOARE says, a very no school where European children can obtain separate instruction. There are now in Hongkong many schools for Europeans, Chinese, and others together, and some for Chinese alone; but there is not on Europeans alone. Shanghai, as Dr. Hoare pointed out, has an excellent school for Tientsin and Chefoo, to mention no others. Europeans. So has Singapore; so have Here in a British colony there is no such institution. British and other European parents have a real grievance. Those who do not wish their children to be educated side by side with natives should certainly enjoy the countrymen living in other and smaller privilege which their ports in the East already have. the growth of Hongkong and the large increase in the number of European children who spend their schooldays here, the sub. ject is becoming an urgent one and calls for the attention of the Government. Without Lintonding any slight to existing educationa] hardly institutions, we cannot regard the present “worth a smile." I regret that this is an facilities for higher instruction as adequate, opinion which I cannot share with you." nor look on the finished products of our This statement of the Chinese representa-schools as reaching as high an average as tives, however, is in keeping with the general line of dishonest subterfuge and impudent assertion which characterised the conduct of the so-called Government at Peking during the rule of the reactionaries, and only adds one more reason for the impossibility that the hinese Empire can remain any longer under the control of such people. If it were not that Prince CHING can only have been a mouth-piece at this time, he would plainly negotiator in conjunction with the repre- have been disqualified from acting as peace sentatives of the Powers. As it is, his participation in these dishonourable pro- ceedings has modified considerably the fa- vourable opinion on his conduct formed from early and unofficial accounts of the siege of the Legations. The difficulty, how ever, was to find any other leading man who was not far more deeply involved. In the peror KWANG H80 is restored to power, new government of China, when the E there should be no room for the tools of the late usurping clique, and unless this is clearly recognised we cannot look forward with any hopes to the future of China.
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they might. If the opinions of British and other European parents whose children have been educated in this Colony were to be cousulted it would, we feel certain, be found that they are not satisfied with the results of present conditions. But, it may be asked, how is it that in the mixed schools Chinese and Eurasian boys carry off so many prizes? If the European boys are capable of reaching a higher standard, why in their class? An explanation which we do they not generally take the leading places have heard strongly supported is that the English boys at least take little interest in their schools and are anxious only to get through their school-course as soon and with as little effort as possible. The esprit de corps, in fact, which is so great an element in the success of a school, does not exist. We should be glad, were it possible, to local schools think on the subject. Obvi know what the masters of our ously, however,
leading
there is something other educational establishments here have No doubt Queen's College and
performed some most excellent work and have turned out pupils who would be a doue mainly among ́ ́ the non-European credit to any school. But the good work is
(Daily Press, 1st February.) The publication in ir CLAUDE MAC- DONALD'S reports to Lord SALISBURY re- specting events at Peking last summer of various letters exchanged between the Lega- tions, on the one hand, and the Tsungli Yamen and a body of joint correspondents who style themselves Prince (HING and others," on the other hand, is not the least interesting feature of H. M. Minister's communications. We have already drawn attention, on more than one occasion, to the utterly inconsistent attitude of the repre- sentatives of the Chinese Government throughout the period when the Imperial troops were vigorously bombarding the refugees in the Legation quarter of Peking We do not therefore propose to consider now in detail the letters embodied in Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD'S reports. But there is one communication- addressed to Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD from Prince CHING and others the Peking Clab has so far remained unex- scholars, and most of all among the Chinese
dent that the Germans hal seized and looted The report sent by our London correspon-
plained, says the Kobe Chronicle. A despatch in the American papers; however, now gives the whole story. According to the despatch, before the siege Baron von Ketteler, the Ger
wrong
which deserves special mention In te Parliamentary Paper in which the reports appear it is Inclosure 28 in No. 3 (p. 48). On the 1st August a letter from Prince CHING and others complained that on the man Minister, who was subsequently murdered, supplied the blot on this Colony will remain
previous night "converts had fired at the posts of the Government troops, killing two men,” and asked sir CLAUDE to "take strict measures of control, to prevent this affair from leading to a quarrel." The. British Minister replied on the 2nd August, declar- ing his surprise at this letter. He pointed out that the Legations were not defended by converts; and denied that any shot had been fired at the Chinese on the night in question. But," he continued, from the newly constructed barricade on the North Bridge and from other quarters
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asked for the use of one room, in which he desired to lodge soldiers. His request was seized the whole place. Lumber for a complete granted, and in a short time the Germans house was looted to repair the German Lega- tion Afterwards, though the club-house was not used, Count von Waldersee refused to sur- ronder it and refused to pay for the material looted. The value of the property seized is stated to be 30.000 tuels. The matter was referred to the Ministers of all the Powers for settlement. But, if we are not mistaken, news was received before the siege that the Club had boen burnt, or partially burnt, by Boxers, which would seem to cast some doubt upon the story.
·
per-
• in the
and half-Chinese boys. tion suffers in the meantime, and until European educa-
the want of a purely European school is
Existing institutions may continue to form their duties as well as they European children **only, past; but the demand for separate establishment for girls, grows
including
yearly stronger and must ultimately be satisfied.
are for
Straits papers report a mysterious epidemio among rodents in Kwala Lumpur Rats dying wholesale there last month in some shops five to ten have been found dead in single day. In one shop over a hunderd dend rats were found.
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