November 28, 1901.]
the men's relations will probably be able to sup- port them. The deadlock is at present com- plete.
A strike is also threatened in the lantern- makers' trade. This is of the same nature, the masters having recently raised the price and the men demanding a share of the gains.
SWATOW.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.
Swatow, 15th November.
DISTURBANCE AT HUILAI.
Not long ago I reported a occurrence at Tietshan in the Poning district which, if not frustrated by the timely and prompt intervea- tion of the native authorities, would have proved s serious outbreak. It appears that the peace disturbers were members of the Triad Society, who, finding that their plans failed at Tietshan, left that place and proceeded overland to Hnilai in the Weichow prefecture, situated on the coast to the south of Swatow, where they molested and committed several outrages on the peaceful inhabitan's. The Triad members are also supposed to have besieged the city. The local Shien appealed to the Viceroy for imme. diate assistance, and he, in compliance with the request, despatched 400 soldiers from Can- ton on board a gunboat to Huilai, at which destination the gunboat has since arrived and effected the landing of the troops. The 400 soldiers may find it an easy task to establish order and peace and disperse the Triad people, but unless an examplary and severe punish- ment is meted out to them they will ere long turn up at some other unexpected place in this province.
WHO BREAKS, PAYS.
Taotai Chi of Chowchowfu is here at pre- sent and is trying to settle the claims of the Basel Mission, which suffered certain losses in the late Traid outbreak at Hsingning. I hear it will amount to something like $20,000 to com- pensate the Basel Mission for loss and injury sustained. This is rather a costly affair, the payment of which, however, will be defrayed not by the Chinese Government but by the affluent of the district concerned.
THE CHINESE GUNBOAT FU-PO arrived here from Canton on the 14th inst., having on board the literary chancellor Wên, who came here to examine candidates for the first degree.
THE NATIVE CUSTOMS.
A weiyuan, sent by the Viceroy, arrived here from Canton on the 10th instunt, and is to render all necessary assistance to the Commis- sioner of the Foreign Customs department in the management and supervision of the Native Customs. The local Chinese merchants, I am informed, would be very pleased to see the Native Customs pass under foreign control, as so many malpractices exist under its present regime.
CONSTABULARY IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
[FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
Manila, 12th November. There are important possibilities in the insular constabulary, now in course of organisation here. Natives thereby will preserve the peace among their own. Such oversight is manifestly better than by those whom the people regard as strangers. If the experience of European colonial government in the East is to be repeated in the Philippines, there will be more than an even chance that the disposition thus shown by the authorities will be reciprocated in the con- fidence and goodwill of the people, a return not only worth gaining, but without which all progress must be hampered. Moreover, were there no work elswhere for an army to do, the greater part of it might be kept in garrison in the United States at less cost than in the Philippines. Money outlay is only part of the price of the retention of the troops in these islands. Enervation incident to a trying olimate cannot be left out of the reckoning. There is no barm in the Philippines for a short stay, but troops accus- tomed to the invigorating changes of temperate latitudes must pay in drafts on their health if
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
they remain here long. Au efficient cons.a- bulary should permit the withdrawal of the greater part of the 40,00 men now here, a considerable substitution of native troops for white ones, and such a plan of rotation as may give home commands tropical service with the least possible physical risk. Should the con- stabulary meet the hopes of its projectors. it will contribute quite as much as any other agency to the success of Philippine government. Peace work by the constabulary is to have the widest scop. Arrest of persons for common crime could serve only minor ends. Municipal forces should be able to look after that in th.. towns, and their patrol will cover much of the territory in which robbers may gather plunder. or where personal animosity may find most frequent veut in assault or disorder. Dauger to the common welfare does not lie in the small disturbances inseparable from town life. There would be no good reason to draw on the public treasury for the support of an insular body merely to assist or reinforce local peace guar office of the constabulary, and the dangers against which it will guard, if it shall serve the purposes really behind its organisation, are those that might strike, if unchecked, at the conditions that tend toward a happy and orderly rule. The constabulary will not be a force There is no intention to inter- of spies. fere with as large liberty among the people as circumstances may warrant. It has by no
dians. Prevention rather than cure is to be the
means
are
been proved that the nati es fallen to them by birth or training, or whatever treacherous. Whatever moral bias may have the infirmities of the insular temper, it is yet to be demonstrated that their incliuations prompt them to trickery in allegiance. Spain had ample warning of insurrection. The outbreak that opened hostilities with the American troops had been anticipated. If the people really wished independence, it is surprising how few have recanted their allegiance and gone into the field after taking the oath. Peril at this time and in immodiate prospect, comes from the ambitions of disappointed or revengeful leaders, and their power over the weakness of the masses rather than from a quality of public conscience which encourages promises
intended are
to be broken. While
that
425
agents, who get nothing for what they do, but are as faithful and diligent in conveying information that comes their way to the insurgents, or passing it on in their direction, as if they were highly paid. This kind of of native work has proceeded under the eyes the authorities in Manila, so that intentions framed at headquarters have beyond doubt reached distant provinces ahead of official instructions, and have been known by natives in these provinces before the persons for whom they were intended received them. Secret Service officials heard of this proceeding from officers of regiments in various parts of the islands, who knew of the intention to transfer their commands from native rumour, sometimes several days in advance of the receipt of official orders. The bait of false information was put
remunera-
out and nibbled, and the corrective then ap- pied. Men suspected of the mischief found themselves shifted to offices as tive as the ones in which they had been able to serve their friends, and nothing said to them about the cause for the change. The only certain y in this connection is that less informa tion seems to leak than before. Leakage at any rate is not so noticeable as formerly. It would be rather too much to hope that it had wholly ceased, for the insurgents now out seem to know onough of what concerns them at Manila to enable them to keep out of the way of harm and, as at Lipa, they occasionally inflict so much damage as to compel the inference that something more than military prescience guides them.
It is clearly essential that the authorities and the people should understand each other. The common welfare and that of the government demand that the relations be close and friendly. a diagnosis of native feeling toward the whites may not yet be made with certainty. Language is doubtless a bar to confidence, as well as colour. The apparent submission in Pacific colonies to white rule, and the conclusions that the natives bow to the whites as to a superior race, may be better grounded elsewhere than here. Even in those possessions which contain as great a tribal variety of inhabitants as do the Philippines, the blood mixture is not as promiscuous or mischievous. If a Chinese infusion is harmful, the Philippines have fared worse than any other region, for in Cochin-China, where the French
have
AS
preserve
Facts
no just cause for grievance exists by reason of any public occurrences in the last year,
are, and further south, in the especially in plans for the establishment and territory of English enterprise the Chinese spread of civil rule, and while the people most
and their proper families devoutly wish for poace, ground for fear is not considerable purity of racial blood. "Out of wanting that discontent and possibly strifo 51,567 Chinese in this city, only 349 are women. The percentage of women is not larger else- may be incited for selfish ends.
Instances of surviving insurrection in somewhere in the islands. According to estimates of the provinces illustrate the spirit in which at the Board of Health, at least one-third of danger lurks. No leader in the field can the 180,000 inhabitants of the city classed as imagine that he has the remotest chance of native are of Chinese descent. This product
He may
represents native business skill and energy, helping his people by remaining out. enrich himself and perhaps gratify such of and it is credited with insincerity and other his followers in arms who prefer ontiawry qualities the reverse of attractive. to order. In the districts which submit to appear to be as far from satisfying as are levy for the support of such demonstrations, theories in regard to the effects of Chinese and there must be many contributors who are Malay mixture. Leaders of insurrection have fully aware of the futility of the opposi- come from that stock, and it is certainly tion to authority. Yet even persons so con- now a power, for good or for mischief. The vinced, knowing that their personal comfort compound of Spanish and Malay, or by and the welfare of their communities depend whatever minor designation the natives who upon peaceful conditions, keep on paying tribute came under the civilising influence of Spain to those in the field, whom they could not ou may prefer to be known, ranks with the It has produced a few any account be induced to betray to the Ameri- mulatto the world over. can authorities. The masses in communities examples of conspicuous ability and character, from which help is asked furnish it as a matter but as a whole it is as inferior in attainment as of course to the extent of their ability, and say in scruple, and will bear watching all the time.
What the nothing to the authorities about it. Americans learn definitely comes from provinces breeders of trouble. They lack numbers for a cleaned up, after the tribute has ceased. Na- stand by themselves, and have always more tives tell of what has occurred but not of evils aptitude in egging others on than in incurring, or impositions existing. All testimony agrees personal risks. In the game of insular politics that the stress of insurrection has been much it may be expected that they will omit no more severe upon the parses and property of the tricks that their ingenuity can devise. Secret people than were the injustices committed meetings, signs of discontent, matterings by Spain. The money and energy employed against authority, threatened outbreak and annoyances, having in view only for a Secret Service in the islands have similar
little against the wall of native selfish ends availed
and yet calculated to disturb Such results taciturnity.
as justify the alike the people and the authorities, are. in Secret Service organisation may be largely the lin of work that makes political capital traced to native agencies, employed sub vosa in for sach persons. If they can be forestalled by a cuntor-infinence, striving always for order the service. American skill would be baffled but for help from this source. On the other and pene, or if their schemes may be nipped so hand, no service ould possib y be organised early as to blight them, the islands may be more efficient than that which the insurgents saved from taking steps backward, and progress have enjoyed, for practically all the natives in may perhaps be swift toward conditions of Without pernicious influences the unpacified districts are self-constituted public content.
t
Those are the two classes to be dreaded as ·
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