362
Germany's union with the Dual Alliance in 1895 has a valid explanation in this. The result has been fortunate for Great Britain, who at least refrained from aiding Russia's aggression, though she did not attempt to stop it. Moreover the alliance which has now come about is a more natural one as being between two great sea Powers, with heavy commercial interests threatened seriously by the dissolution of China.
|
THE HỌNGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND because it is self-evident that the maintenance of troops in the aforesaid province in super- finous numbers will inevitably lead to the reinforcement of the Russian military forces in the neighbouring district, and will also result in increased military expenses to the great dis advantage of the two States.
""
{May 10, 1902.
THE WATER-SUPPLY,
I
A correspondent lately wrote suggesting that “
But the
the difficulties of the water-supply, which are so painfully evident at the present time, might be overcome by the establishment of a system of condensation of sea-water. It is certainly For the police service and for the mainten- ance of order in this region outside the territory rather enrious, when one looks into it, that ceded to the "Société du Chemin-de-fer Chinois Hongkong should suffer from a lack of water de Est there will be formed by the local when it has the sea on every side. Governors and Dman-dziuns, a Chinese gendar-uggestion was rather that the supplementary merie mounted and unmounted, composed exclu- supply such as is at present being brought from sively of the subjects of H.M. the Emperor of the mainland in lighters and dispensed on the Praya could be better provided by means of a China.
condensing system. Enquiry among some of those well qualified to speak on such a matter as to the feasibility of such a scheme. Its cost brings out a pretty general expression of doubt at once puts it out of court. The production of 450,000 gallons--the daily output of the Praya tanks would entail an immense outlay of money in the way of the erection of works and the installation of special plant, and, of course, a system of this kind would have to possess greater prodneing powers than the present supplementary supply represents; pro- bably 1,000,00) gallons a day would be aimed at. It is hardly necessary to point out the objections to this method of dealing with the crying evil
THE MANCHURIAN CONVENTION. The following is a translation in English
IV. The Russian Government consents to of the text of the above convention :-
His Majesty the Emperor and Ruler of all restore to the Chinese Government the Railway the Russias and H, M. the Emperor of Chins, lines of Shanhaikwan, Yingkow, Siaminting with the object of re-establishing and consolida occupied and protected by the Russian troops ting the good neighbourly relations broken by since the end of the month of September, 1901, in the in consideration of which the Chinese Govern- the rising which took place in 1900 Celestial Empire, have named a Plenipotenment undertakes :-
1. That in the case of it being necessary to tiaries to establish an understanding on certain
assure the security of the aforesaid lines the questions concerning Manchuria M Paul
Chinese Government will undertake this itself Lessar and Prince Ching together with Wang
and will not invite any other Power to under- Wen-shao, respectively. The above Plenipo-
take or participate in the defence, construc- tentiaries furnished with full powers which have
tion, or exploitation of these lines, and will been found sufficient, have agreed to the follow.
not permit the foreign Powers to occupy the ing stipulations :-
territory restored by Russia.
1.-H.M. the Emperor of all the Russias being desirous of giving a new proof of his love of peace and of his sentiments of friendship to- wards H.M. the Emperor of China in spite of the fact that it was at different points of the Manchurian frontier that the first attacks against the peaceable Russian population were made, consents to the re-establishment of authority by the Chinese Government in the aforesaid Province, which remains an integral part of the Empire of China, and restores to the Chinese Government the right to exercise governmental and administrative powers as they were before the occupation by the Russian troops. '
11-In taking possession of the govern menial and administrative rights in Manchuria, the Chinese Government accepts equally with all the other articles (of this agreement) the obligation to observe strictly the stipulation of the contract with the Russo-Chinese Bank of 27th August, 1896, and according to Article No. 5 of the said contract assumes the obliga- tions to protect by every possible means the railway and its staff, and is equally obliged to safeguard in Manchuria the security o all Russian subjects in general who may be there, and all enterprises undertaken by them. The Russian Government in view of this obligation assumed by the Government of H.M. the Emperor of Chins consents on its side in the case of there being no troubles whatever and if the notion of, the other Powers permits, to gradually withdraw all its troops. from Mau- churia as follows-- .
(a). To withdraw in the course of six months after the signature of this Convention the Russian troops from the S. W. portion of the province of Mukden as far as the Liao River, and to restore the railway to China. (b) To withdraw during the course of the following six months the Imperial Russian troops from the remaining part of the pro- vince of Mukden and from the province of Kirin; and
(c) To withdraw during the following six months the remainder of the Russian troops who are in the province of Hei lung-kiang. III.-În view of the necessity to avoid for the future the repetition of the troubles of 1900 in which the Chinese troops stationed in the Province on the borders of Russia took part, the Russian Government and the Chinese Government undertake, to instruct the Russian military authorities and the Drian-dziums to make an arrangement with a view to fix the number and to determine the stations of the Chinese troops in Manchuria as well as the Russian troops which have not been withdrawn; the Chinese Government undertakes besides not to raise any other troops above the number determined in this way by the Russian military authorities and Daianed tune, which ought to be sufficient to exterminate the brigands and to pacify the country.
After the complète evacuation of the Russian troops the -Chinese Government will have the right to vary the 'number of troops in Man- charis and to sugment or reduce them by in- forming beforehand the Imperial Government
2. That the above-mentioned railway lines will be completed and exploited on the precise basis, both of the arrangement between Russia and Great Britain dated 16th April, 1899. and of the contract undertaken on the 26th
September. 1898, with a certain Company relative to a loan for the construction of the aforesaid lipes and besides to observe the obligations assured by this Company especi ally not to take possession of the line Shan haikwan, Yingkow, Siaminting, nor to dispose of it in any possible way.
3. That if eventually the continuation of the railway lines in the south of Manchuria is of proceeded with or the construction branch lines towards these as well as the construction of a bridge at Yingkow for transferring the terminus of the Railway at Shanhaikwan where it now is, this shall be done according to an undertaking between the Governments of Russia and China." 4. That as the expenses incurred by Russia for the re-establishment and exploitation of the restored railway lines of Shanhaikwan, Yingkow and Sinmiuting have not been included in the total sum of the indemnity, they will be repaid by the Chinese Govern ment. The two Governments will come to an understanding as to the amounts to be
reimbursed.
The tenor of all previous treaties between Russia and Chins not modified by the present Convention remains in full force.
The present Convention will have legal force corresponding from the day of signature by the Plenipotentiaries of both contracting Powers.
The exchange of the ratification will take place at S Petersburg three months from the day of the signature of the Convention.
In view of which the respective Plenipoten tiaries of the two high contracting Powers have signed and sealed with their seals two copies of the present Convention in the Russian, Chinese and French languages.
The French text shall rule.
(Signed.) LESSAR,
Peking, 8th April, 1902.
CHING.
WANG WEN-SHAO;
In his report for the week ended April 27 on the prevalence of infectious disease in Shanghai, Dr. Stanley, Health Officer, says :- The Settlement remains remarkably free from infectious disease other than scarlet fever and the diminution of this disease continues; there being but one case, but this a fatal one, notified among the foreign population during the past week. There are seven cases of scarlet fever in the Victoris Nursing Homs and mostly recovered cases, so that it should soon be possible to convert the Home to its original nses. Among the Chinese population there are also signs of diminution of scarlet fever, the number of deaths occurring from this cause during the last six weeks being 82, 30, 30, 55, 52, and 45, respectively.
|
A great first cost would be involved; the machinery would be required during only a part of the year-perhaps not at all in some years-and would consequently "eat its head off," as the stableman says of an idle hack; and, most important of all, the system could not be wrought so cheaply as the present one, cambrous as it is. The supplyi g of a city with condensed sea-water for domestic purposes has not, we believe, been seriously contem- plated in the past anywhere. There is one recorded instance, however, of large use being made of condensed water. That was in Ismailia during the Egyptian campaign; there the water was brackish and it was condensed for the consumption of the army. The condensing system is of course in vogue on steam vessels but there is nothing else possible for them. In Hongkọng things are different. The curative measures suggested by commonsense are simply an increase of the storage-capacity.
There is a feeling abroad that any scheme of extension of the water- works should be to some extent governed by the suggested project of throwing a bridge across the Harbour by which water could be led from the mainland. But it has to be remembered that this bridge, however com.. mendable it be, is still a mere scheme, and that the water-famine is with us. No time should be lost in increasing the capacity of the reservoirs.
THE HEALTH OF HONGKONG.
Five more plague cases were reported during the period of two days which ended at noon on the 5th inst. All were hinese and 4 died, 2 being found dead. Since then 11 fresh Chinese cases have been reported and 9 deaths.
The year's cases now number 64, with 58 deaths,, Only 7 of the cases and 6 of the deaths are non-Chinese, being from the class of
Other Asiatics."
The return of cases of communicable disease last week is as follows:-Plague, 28 cases (1 Portuguese, 1 Indian, 26 Chinese), 26 deaths; cholera, 37 cases (European, 4 Japanese, 32. Chinese), 32 deaths; enteric fever, 1 onse Indian); small-pox, 4 cases (1 American, 3 Chinese), 3 deaths.
Detective-Sergesut O'Sullivan had a strange experience in a Chinese boarding-house at 25, Wing Kat Street, on Thursday morning. He a native whom he know to be living there, but went to the place to execute a warrant against on entering the house he found only three men, none of whom was the man wanted. In the middle of the floor was a large basket, and being well acquainted with the tricks of the Chinese, Detective O'Sullivan ordered the men to open the basket. This order, after some show of reluctance, was executed, revealing the dead body of a Chinaman inside, supposed doubled up in its narrow receptacle, and as to be that of the man wanted. The body was
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.