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THE GOVERNMENT'S NEGLECT
OF BRITISH INTERESTS.
THE SOUTHERN REBELLION.
(Daily Press, 13th May.)
[May 19, 1902. the villagers generally have joined them in large numbers. In all the places near Nanning, thousands, or perhaps tens of thousands, have arms of the new pattern, and use smokeless powder. Boats, hayo been secretly conveying munitions of war into the country for the use of the rebels, and so on. The difficulty of sifting the evidence lies in the impossibility of judging the independence or otherwise of the sources of the many reports. Our Canton corres- ponlent confirms the fact of the rebels being equipped with arms of the new pattern-quick-firing Mausers, he states them to be-and testifies to their strength
Nanning neighbourhood. estimates their numbers at six or seven thousand. All sort of figures are given by other correspondents, and there is at pre sent not the slightest chance of arriving at the truth of the matter. We must perhaps be prepared to admit that there is more in the rumours than at first appeared likely, though it is fairly clear that they were much exaggerated some months ago, even purposely in certain quarters. It is im- possible that there should have been so little dislocation of trade along the coast had the provinces being in such a state of uproar as was stated by the sensational Correspon dents. And when we hear talk of "another Taiping rebellion
"
He
we cannot but doubt
the bona-fides of the writers. The Chinese paper which we mentioned above ascribes the Kwangsi rebellion to natural discontent There has at unduly heavy taxation. always been an attempt to bleed the Two Kwang for the benefit of North China, and this is as much exemplified in the indemnity taxation as it used to be in the past.
THE CHIHLI TROUBLES..
THE HONGKOng weekly PRESS AND
them to call for passengers at the various way-stations. The steamers were sold, and the money has been long since been received and applied to other purposes. A single (Daily Press, 10th May.)
notable illustration of the ther point need In our issue of the 7th inst. we reproduced only be named. We refer to the unsettled from the London and China Express a claim for the loss of the Indo-China paragraph on the formation of the Hunan S. N. Co.'s steamer Kowshing, which was sunk Steamer Company, a concern with a capital by the Japanese warships during the Chino- of Tls. 1,500,000, formed by Japanese Japanese War while acting as a troopship financiers for the purpose of opening up on charter to the deceased LI HUNG-CHANG. trade on the inland waters of central China. The claim made was for the loss of the ship Our London contemporary naturally thinks and of the properties and effects of the that, with a Japanese Government guarantee British commander, officers, aud crew. of six per cent. on its capital, this enter. This happened many years ago, and the prise is being launched under highly claim is still under consideration and in the favourable auspices, but cannot conceal its probably will continue in that indefinite disappointment that, in a region supposed position for another decade unless some to be specially in the sphere of British statesman with some small modicum of influence, the opportunity afforded should energy comes to the Foreign Office. It is have been neglected by British capitalists. not too much to say that, had this claim been It says: Hunan, which was pioneered made by either the French, German, or "and reported upon over five years ago by Russian Governments, it would long since Captain MORTIMER O'SULLIVAN on behalf have been settled to the entire satis- of the Shanghai General Chamber of Com-faction of the claimants. A magnificent merce, was shown to be one of the wealth-opportunity offered for the settlement of "lest units of the Chinese Empire, and a this and other outstanding questions when "latent Eldorado- simply awaiting commer-the negotiations for a settlement of the "cial exploitation. Yeso far as we know, claims arising out of the attack on the the British commercial community have British Legation and the wholesale massacre failed to profit by the efforts of one of their of British missionaries were being conducted, expert pioneers. Perhaps we shall next hear But it was foolishly allowed to pass, and "of the opening up to shallow-draft steamer all the old interminable tactics of delay and "traffic on the Han River under a foreign obstruction are being again calmly sub "flag--and still we pride ourselves on being mitted to by the Foreign Office, which is "the premier maritime nation in the world." | callous alike to the interests of long-suffering And no doubt we should still continue to British shipowners and to the loss of rejoice in that proud position were it not prestige involved in such a virtual victory for the effeteness of our rulers and their for Chinese bad faith. absolutė inability to see that a resolute policy in China and a determination to pro- tect their maritime interests by subsidies is gradually being adopted by Foreign Powers, to the detriment of those who still cling to At length we have received from Canton the old laissez faire policy and free trade. some confirmation of the rumours which British manufacturers, merchants, and ship- I have been current in other quarters with owners have of late years been freely regard to the so-called "Southern rebellion." accused of want of enterprise, and. 80 Hitherto, widespread as were the stories of far as the first-named are concerned, the rebels overrunning the Two Kwang and we are bound to admit with some degree even the neighbouring provinces, no reliable of justice, for they have shown an amaz-news was to hand from Canton, though in ing unreadiness to cater for particular Shanghai and further north circumstantial wants and markets, and have compelled accounts were published from time to time the British merchant either to lose. business of what was said to be going on. As has or go to continental makers for the been pointed out before, Canton is so required goods. But so far as the mer-accustomed the chronic unrest of chant and ship owner are concerned this Kwangsi that the authorities there would charge of indifference does not hold. If be naturally inclined to disregard rumours there is any reasonable chance of doing of outbreaks. Troubles are expected, business the British merchant is always annually it may be said, in the province, ready enough to seize the opportunity, aud and their occurrence does not cause dismay the shipowner is glad to try new routes if in the viceregal city. Nevertheless to such there is a reasonable chance of even ultimate a size have the rumours now attained that success. But naturally he has to be more it is impossible for Canton to treat them so careful than his foreign competitors, who lightly as hitherto. When it is given out are subsidised-by their Governments to such to the world that four provinces are an extent as will ensure a fair interest on threatened, that Nanning is completely cut. the capital employed. Such, however, is his off by the rebels, and that the Imperial courage and enterprise, that he is content to troops are deserting in large numbers, the take all risks in opening new lines provided credit of the Viceroy, H.E. TAO Mu, he can be assured that he will receive demands that the reports should be dis- adequate protection from his Minister in proved, if disproof is possible. the event of any attempt to obstruct him disinclined, as we have said some time ago, and ruin the trade he has laboured to to believe much of what has been written develope. That the British Representatives about the Kwangsi rebellion, because at Peking and the British Foreign Office there are various people interested, for have time and again shown their inability o: political or other reasons, in making out indisposition to secure either the just rights the situation to be very grave. But, of British subject or their claims for injuries on the principle that there is no smoke suffered is notorious. As an instance of without fire, it appears that there must be the former the fate of the recent attempt something more than the usual provincial made to maintain a regular line of steamers troubles behind the tales of the Kwangsi between Hongkong and the West River is rebellion. The already familiar version of only too sufficing. After running for some the story is repeated by a letter published two years the boats were withdawn because in the Shanghai Su Pao, dated the 23rd they could not be made to pay, the Im- April, which declares that Nauning district perial Maritime Customs refusing to allow is now wholly overrun by the rebels, and
to
We are
(Daily Press, 15th. May.) In spite of the news which reached us on Tuesday of a great victory for the Imperial- ist troops, affairs in Chilli are not pro-. gressing satisfactorily, and the worst of the position is that it is not entirely the Chinese who are to blame. In fact, it re- quires all the skill in administration of which YUAN SHIKHAI is possessed to keep affairs from breaking out into open dis- content. We are sorry in this instance that we cannot hold the Roman missionaries altogether free from blame. That under the rule of the Dowager Tsz'HI abominable crimes were committed on the Roman converts is quite true, and that now that
matters have been so far amended that all overt action against Christians as such is practically impossible, is no excuse, but rather the contrary for the sanction recently extended by their spiritual guides to the dangerous and aggressive conduct attributed on all sides to the converts. These ex- cesses are mainly confined to the southern parts of the province, especially the pre- fectures of Shunteh and Kwangping, and it is here of course that the persecution of the Christian converts during the Boxer troubles was most marked. It is doubtful how far the foreign Powers were justified in inflicting on the Chinese Government penalties for losses incurred by its own subjects at the hands of their fellow nationals, but the large indemnity claimed by the French, amounting to ten and a balf millions sterling, is unfortunately made up in great measure of such claims, the policy of which is more than doubtful.. A good portion of this indemnity has to be borne by these districts and in addition there remain large local claims, in the prosecution of which the Romanist converts, headed by their priests, have been most unduly
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