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July, 15, 1901.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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week longer and attached his recommenda- tion to the Petition, for under the circum- stances it appears as if H.E. was trying to head off the petitioners. We, of course, do not charge this to H.E., but we cannot refrain from thus representing a prevalent opinion. In any case, if by such a despatch it was desired to forestall the petitioners, it would miss its object because the desires*** of the petitioners were telegraphed home weeks ago, and moreover the Petition itself is dated. The community, however, will be grateful to Sir HENRY BLAKE for his action, which in itself is a gratifying tribute to the effectiveness of the agitation for local | sanitary reform.
THE RUSSIAN RENUNCIATION
STORY.
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"China, and for her rendition of Talienwan, i figures. The first plague year, 1894, had "and the Port Arthur-Manchurian Rail-but little effect on the tonnage, for though way; and it will be interesting to learn both foreign and junk tonnage declined what the terms of the new convention are. slightly, British on the contrary increased, There is very little doubt that Russia is and there was only a small total fall. trying to get China to surrender to her 1896 British tonnage amounted to over "Chinese Turkestan, and this, as some of 4,300,000; and foreign tonnage to 1,800,000, 'the native papers have already pointed less than 1,000 tons below junk tonnage, 'out, is very like a menace to our Indian which next year it overtook. By 1898 Empire." The idea underlying such a British tonnage, after a year's depression, policy on the part of Russia presumably is was over 4,300,000 again, foreign tonnage that Manchuria has not turned out so had risen to close on 2,300,000, and junk desirable a possession as at first appeared figures were between 1,800,000 and likely, and the defencibility of the ports of 1,900,000. In 1899 all three made slight Port Arthur and Dalay or Talienwan, in increases, foreign shipping the most, while event of a collision witli Japan, is uncertain. for last year British tonnage gained about The articles in the Viedomosti are curiously | 200,000 tons, foreign not quite 100,000, and à propos, and their appearance at the present junk tonnage fell by some 200,000 tons, the may not be without design. If expansion in Chinese troubles having, of course, consider- Manchuria be checked, it cannot however be able effect. thought that Russian energy in an easterly direction will stop. Therefore, it may be argued, Chinese Turkestan offers a desirable objective and an advance in that direction equally promises one day, though it may be in the remote future, to tap the trade of Central China. The Russian railway system in Middle Asia is developing rapidly, as we have recently learnt, and the ground is already broken to a certaiu extent for pushing on without loss of time. But it cannot be denied that the sudden diversion of the main stream of Russian eastward enterprise, as suggested above, would be a startling change.
SHIPPING AT HONGKONG.
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We have already quoted in these columns a large part of the report giving details of last year's progress. We did not, however, quote the comparative shipping [return_for the years 1809 and 1900, and we may therefore refer briefly to it here. appears from this table that British ships increased by 103 in number and 430,182 in tonnage, whilst foreign ships were 68 less in number, but 154,888 more in tonnage. Junks in foreign trade fell off by no less than 9,642 in number and 471,328 in tons. The explanation of the fact that foreign tonnage increased, while the number of ships decreased, is given by the Acting Harbour Master in the turning over of a portion of the China Merchant's fleet to the British flag, coupled with a falling off in vessels under the United States, Norwegian, and Japanese flags; while the Germans not only put on many steamers of a larger size, but also took
over bodily the Scottish Oriental line. Thus the apparent anomaly in the figures dis- appears. The actual percentages of tonnage, ocean-going and river combined, as may be seen from what we gave of Mr. TAYLOR's report yesterday, were:-British 49.7, foreign 26.4, junks 23.9. So far the vigorous pro- gress of British shipping has been steadily maintained. But it cannot be doubted that the vast efforts now being made by the Germans in the Far East will soon begin to tell even in the statistics of Hongkong. In 1900 their effect was felt, but it was coun- teracted by a falling off on the part of other foreign nations,
(Daily Press, 16th July.) There has been a large crop of rumours lately as to what Russia is going to do, what she is asking from China, and what she is about to give back. Last week we had the sensational despatch announcing the inten- tion of restoring Port Arthur and Dalny to China, coupled with the statement from a Berlin source that Russia was renouncing her claims to an indemnity, as far as military expenses were concerned, in return for political and commercial privileges in Man- churia. Now comes the inspired story in the Viedomosti of St. Petersburg that talk of a Russian protectorate over Tibet is idle, as Tibet" must remain a no-man's land"; and papers from the north bring down the story from Tientsin, via Nagasaki, that the Chinese Government is intending to
(Daily Press, th July.) concede Newchwang to Russia. Earlier in Accompanying the Acting Harbour the year stories were circulated as to Russian Master's report for the year 1900, published designs on Chinese Turkestan, and there in the Government Gazette, is a very interest. was the Russo-Japanese rumour, "on the ing diagram giving the tonnage which authority of a high official at Vladivostok," has entered at Hongkong from 1867 to 1900. of the offer to Japan of Port Arthur and It is a truly remarkable record of the Dalny in return for the withdrawal of expansion of trade at this port. Starting Japanese opposition to a Russian naval with the year 1867, when British shipping station at Masampo. These numerous tonnage was between 700,000 and 800,000 and contradictory stories are probably tons, foreign shipping tonnage between most of them merely the natural pro- 400,000 and 500,000, and junk tonnage duct of excited imaginations at a time of (excluding local trade) between 1,300,000 crisis. Others seem to be of the nature of and 1,400,000, we arrive at last year with ballons d'essai, originated by Russia herself; British tonnage between 4,500,000 and in this class is the suggestion about the 4,600,000. foreign tonnage between 2,400,000 renunciation of Dalny and Port Arthur, and 2.500,000, and junk tonnage between and perhaps so too is the Masampo tale. 1,600,000 and 1,700,000. Roughly speaking, However originated, the reports certainly therefore, British shipping tonnage is six serve to reveal the various national opinions times what it was twenty-three years ago, on possible eventualities. Our London foreign shipping tonnage between five and correspondent quotes & St. Petersburg six times what it was, and junk tonnage a telegram about the disfavour shown in little larger only. Many vicissitudes are
(Daily Press, 13th July.) France to Russia's latest proposals about recorded on this diagram. For instance, in We cannot congratulate the Sanitary reasonable the Manchurian question. If the proposals the second year, 1868, British and foreign Board on its decision about the very referred to are the renunciation of the two figures both dropped by about 100,000 | request made by Messrs. BUTTERFIELD and ports and the waiving of the military tons, while junk tonnage rose between SWIRE in the matter of medical supervision indemnity, it is easy to understand that the 100,000 and 200,000 tons.
in- of their plague hospital. In fact the posi expansionist party-in France would look on creases then followed, but in 1871 foreign tion of two of the Official Members of the them in no friendly manner. Those who tonnage just passed British, both being Board was distinctly unreasonable, and support M. DOUMER's dreams of an Indo-between 800,000 and 900,000, and the they absolutely failed to sustain their case, Chinese empire for France count on Russia two combined went above junk tonnage notwithstanding the majority of one by uniting with France in an aggressive policy
which the request of the applicants was in China. If Russin's change of attitude
negatived. Let us first consider the case were to prove a fact, France would be
for the applicants. The latter at Quarry isolated, and the forward movement would
Bay and beyond, a distance of five miles receive a blow. How far the ardent
from the centre of the city, employ in connection with their industries several thou- sands of native workmen. The whole of the community at. Quarry Bay and the surrunding villages are practically in the employ of this firm. A month ago a large number of natives there left the vicinity through fear of contracting the disease which was prevalent over the colony. Practi- cally the work there, dependent on Chinese labour, was paralysed in consequence. The only thing the Sanitary Board could
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THE QUARRY BAY PLAGUE HOSPITAL. ·
for the first time. Next year British tonnage jumped to 1,200,000, while foreign tonnage dropped to between 700,000 and 800,000. An all-round decline for two years followed, after which British tonnage supporters of this movement go may be began to make great headway, until in 1877 seen from a passage quoted in another it passed junk tonnage, never to be caught column from the Saigon journal, Le Mekong. up again, and went over 1,800,000 tons, The question as to what amount of truth foreign tonnage meanwhile falling as low as there may be in any of these rumours still 600,000 tons. 1880 saw the beginning of a remains open. Some seem to accept the rapid but steady rise for seven years of story of Russia's renunciation as true. Our British tonnage, which grew in that period Shanghai morning contemporary, for in- from under 1,900,000 to just 3,400,000 tons, stance, writes:- No doubt Russia has se- junk tonnage in the same time reaching cured from Chiua a sufficient quid pro quo | 1,800,000 and foreign tonnage 1,200,000 "for her abandonment of her claim to be tons. Slight fluctuations followed, the "indemnified for her military expenses in foreign figures gradually overhauling junk do was to remove the sick and dead,
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