416
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
GERMANY, GREAT BRITAIN, AND the time of the "Holy Alliance" as a fact,
RUSSIA.
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[November 23, 1901,
of the Far East is a thing of moment? bound together the sovereigns of Prussia, We have unhesitatingly adopted in its full- and her big neighbour Russia; so much so ness a policy that compels us to throw open (Daily Press, 21st November.) that in the middle of her contest with to the world the benefits of such a course; Curiously enough, public opinion in Eng- France, when every political consideration and we do not desire to draw back from land has been so misrepresented that a sup- pointed to her desiring close friendship with that policy. Neither do we parade that posed offence has been given to Germany. We | England, under her Iron Chancellor Prince | policy as a thing to entitle us to the are sorry that any feeling of soreness should BISMARK, Prussin showed a dislike almost unrestricted admiration of the world. We occur to mar the first symptoms of ap.
brutal to any association with Great have accepted it with our eyes open, and proachment that have occurred between the Britain. Nor were
matters altogether | because it seemed to be in the long run the two nations, yet in the general advantage of righted when the unity of Germany under most advantageous for ourselves, and we both, the immediate cause of the feeling of the Kaiser became a settled thing, and all have shown our belief in it by not making soreness is one that we are pleased to see, as cause for aloofness might be fairly con- it, in the modern language of diplomacy, a ́an indication that Germany has at last sidered as past for ever. The stuggle for thing of "reciprocity" to be set off against begun to appreciate how close should be the commercial supremacy that followed, accord- some other good thing to be conceded to us ties that bind her to England in a settleding to English principles did not necessitate by others. Seeing, however, that in mant policy. Towards the latter part of 1853, any political issues; it was a struggle so far cases others reap at least as great benefits when the ambitious projects of NICHOLAS apart from the issues of peace and war, that as ourselves from this policy of ours, we I., Tsar of Russia, became a menace to winner and loser in the contest both had feel justified in asking that our objects Europe, the English Government approached their reward, and it remained for Germany should at least not be misrepresented. that of FREDERICK-WILLIAM, the then to take it out of the category of peaceful Looking at the situation at the moment the King of Prussia, as well as that of the contests and convert it to a political basis present position of Europe is a thing of Emperor of Austria, then head of the of international ill feeling. More especially far greater immediate importance to Ger- German Confederation. Personally the has this been the case in China; here the many than ourselves. With a second Emperor of Austria was not indisposed to interests of the two countries are so similar NICHOLAS as her juominal head Russia has oin in restraining the ambitious projects of that a practical agreement on a common returned to that policy of universal grab Russia, already becoming a danger to basis afforded little practical difficulty. that made her in the second quarter of the Europe generally, from taking head. The Both were desirous of commercial success, past century a menace to the peace of the Tsar was contemplating the occupation of while in matters purely political there world. Universal dominion is the idea as the entire of European Turkey, and taking was little divergence. It was the prominent in the reign of the second possession of Constantinople, with the interest of both that trade should be as far NICHOLAS, as ever it was in that of his great object of making it the capital of a new as possible unhampered, while neither was grandfather-a NICHOLAS like himself. It Russia which was to revive the glories of particularly desirous of merely territorial is true, fortunately for humanity, that there the Roman Empire. Already NICHOLAS Conquest, which would have created respon-have ever been forces at work preventing saw in fancy himself the unquestioned sibilities out of all proportion to the the accomplishment of such an aspiration autocrat of Europe, and the German Princes, advantages to be attained. The German -NEBUCHADNEZZAR, Cyrus, ÅLEXANDER, sitting on thrones indeed, but merely as the Government was here distinctly in advance JULIUS CESAR, and in more modern times, viceregents of Russia, who from her capital of German public opinion. We have from a GENGHIS KHAN, or a NAPOLEON, have all on the Bosporus was to dominate the two time to time made comments on the man-conceived such a dream, and mankind in seas of the Mediterranean and the Baltic, ner in which on the spot the views of the and rule unquestioned over the entirety of Government were being carried out, but in Asia. England, whose possessions in India the policy of the Government we were on would have been very seriously compromised the whole able to coincide. Unfortunately by the fulfilment of the Tsar's design, was the same could not be said of the policy, or the first to awake to the gravity of the want of policy, that other European nations, situation and in conjunction with the Em- and more notoriously France and Russia, peror NAPOLEON III determined to make were pursuing. A mere lust for territory, it a struggle to the bitter end. The position independent of the uses to which that of the affair was shown to Prussia, already territory could be profitably put, was there the most influential, though not the nomin- the predominant factor, but, though the ally leading state of Germany. Germany German Government did in the main show was then divided into a number of perfectly itself conscious of the unprofitable nature independent princedoms, under  loose of such a policy the German people at confederation, so loose in fact as to be large have not risen to its comprehension, altogether without binding force on the and have been urging on their own Govern- individual members; but Prussia was ment a course which, if carried to its natural already laying the foundations for that conclusion, would entail methods of a very fuller Bund which did not come into actual similar nature. In this conflict of opinion existence for nearly thirty years. Under the it has appeared to the majority of English- circumstances it was the natural expectation men that Germany has not been sufficiently of England that Prussia would take some earnest in her opposition to the advances decisive part in checking encroachments of of Russia. Both Germany and England which, in accordance with all human preced- have rightly stood shoulder to shoulder in ent, she would herself, if successful, fall the pressing on China a removal of those anti- first victim. Austria, so far as she could quated obstacles to the extension of trade, with the undeclared force of Prussia in her which were destroying the very vitals of the rear, threw in her part with the two allied empire, but injurious as is Chinese exclu- nations of the west, and undertook to occupy siveness, that of Russia, conceived in a the states then known as the Principalities spirit of narrow-minded selfishness far -a position of importance in the stuggle; transcending the other, is a matter of far but Prussia with the more northern of the more serious importance. England has, German states took up an attitude of per- she complains, been left alone to act as a fect indifference, where she did not rather buffer against this now policy of exclusion; show decided leanings towards the Russian while Germany, quite ready to take advan- side. The result was the war in the tage of the results, has persistently refused Crimea, which resulted, after the exhaustion to take her share in the burdens. It is of Russia, in the signature of a treaty in fact a repetition of the policy of the wherein Russia gave certain guarantees for German states in the affair of the attempted her future conduct. Looking back at that conquest of Turkey fifty five years ago. treaty after the lapse of more than half a That now and then the people of England, century, it is plain to an intelligent observer left entirely without even sympathy in these that had Prussia thrown in her lot more efforts for the common good of all, should decisively with the western Powers she would ask themselves, Cui bono? is but natural have been able to dictate terms far more and certainly is no ground for complaint. advantageous to herself than those that We may in turn ask the German people, Is actually accrued to her after the Peace of England the only one of the great Powers Paris. Sentimental ties, surviving from to whom the keeping open of the markets
each case has had to pay heavily for its dissipation. Nor has civilisation herself escaped scot-free. In each instance the worst sufferers have been those who left to their neighbours the task of stemming the stream that they should themselves have taken measures to oppose. Russia herself implored aid against the advances of the Mongol hordes, selfishly refused to aid in the work, thinking her own frontiers were strong enough, but the forces of treachery did what arms might have been unable to accomplish, and Russia paid the penalty in two centuries of misery. Germany unce before owed it to the western Powers that she had not to engage in a mortal struggle against her eastern reighbour. It is hardly the time for her now to throw reflections on England, who has twice come to her aid when her very existence was at stake.
THE CLEANSING OF HONGKONG.
(Daily Press, 22nd November.) Next Monday will see the commencement of cleansing and disinfecting operations in this City with a view to checking the attacks of plague, now apparently an aunual visitor in Hongkong. On the 26th September last the Legislative Council approved certain additional bye-laws made by the Sanitary Board under Section 13 of the Public Health Ordinance, No. 13 of 1901, and under these new bye-laws the operations will be carried out. Their object, as Dr. ATKINSON pointed out on Thursday, is to remove everything, as far as possible, which will conduce to the growth of the plague bacillus. The task of cleansing the whole City is a very difficult one-Dr. ATKINSON calls it almost superhuman-but it must none the less be undertaken for the future welfare of this Colony. The two main obstacles are the need of competent European supervisors and the objection of the Chinese. With regard to the first point, the President told the Sanitary Board that the desired assistance was not forthcoming
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