dog, or a woman, but they were born to hate other and to transmit that hatred to their children. If they cease to give frequent combat After a few hundred years, the clan still lives, End its activity may be invoked for any purpose. The Weibsiwei regiment did not do much fighting, but it helped those who fought, it assisted materially, in the invasion, it was a factor in the destruction of life and property which the sllied troos effected, and if every man who then belonged to it is not marked, the Chinese nature has indeed reformed Some recruiting has sinos occurred, especially within | the last year, when original terms of enlistment began to expire. It is said that among the stalwart newcomers are men who got their first lessons in soldiering as Boxers, and that some of the old ones believe that these men enlisted solely that they might l-arn everything possible of the doings of the regiment in the campaign of 1900, for reference in the execution of indi- vidual revenges. At any rate, notice of an impending battle could not have bean more alarming than was the news that the regiment would be disbanded, and the campaigners of 1900 who cannot make sure of ample protection here, or get employment in some distant British community, are said to be in a frame of mind to thank Buddha when each descending sun finds their heads and shoulders still connected.
A SUMMER RESORT.
While it remained a military and naval station, Weihaiwei promised to develop into a flourishing summer resort. Like many other places, it is the healthiest spot in China. How natives die, or whether they die, is of no importance, since nothing ever happens to foreigners.. Graveyards meraly vary the pleasing landscape. The hills furnish bracing walks and resting-places before the sun mounts high, or when it becomes low, and in the middle of the day the water. that splashes on the beach is not nearly so yellow as it is at Chefoo. The one hotel has found it possible to command several times the usual rates, because of the charms of the place, the land-¦ lord, arguing that since he must rent by the year, and can keep open only three months, the needs of his family force him to charge accordingly. Some of the visitors have built bungalows not far from the hotel, and altogether the summer colony was dreary than is inevitable when wives are deprived of the society of their husbands and children, business keeping the former tied down to various Chinese and Japanese ports and the native nurses demanding the exclusive devotion of the latter. What the colony will do now that there will be do military or naval officers to steal time from their duties for the jenter- tainment of strangers, may perhaps be judged from a report from Peitaiho, the missionary resort up the coast, of unexampled activity in That resort enticed building construction.
no more
|
(June 30, 1902.
have mover
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
have first call in any and every provincial that is the case, inducements would require to enterprise. One paragraph of the Convention be uncommonly attractive to draw a branch stipulated that, should the Chinese at any time line to this form schemes for the development of Shantung, surface and port through a hill region of barren for the execution of which it might be necessary turued their attention On the other hand, to obtain foreign capital, the Chinese govern since one avowed purpose of the trans-provincial ment, or whatever Chinese might be interested, | road is to connect the sa at Kinoohaŭ, or at should in the first instance apply to German Tsintan, with the Imperial railways extending capitalists. The Convention also stipulated south from Peking, the connection to be made that application should be made to German at the Shantung border, a connection within manufacturers for the machinery and materials, the province might be conceivable, if it did not. before approaching manufacturers of any other conflict with German interests. government, Should German capitalists or manufacturers decline to take up the business, and only in that event, the Chinese were to be at liberty to obtain money and machinery or materials from sources of other nationality than German.
BRITISH PLOSPECTS
It may be easier than now to figure out this prospect when the London purposo in the con- version of Weihaiwei shall become so clear as not to permit variation of opinion regarding it. If German ambition may be gauged by the commercial strides which Germans have made BRITAIN AND GERMANY IN SHANTUNG, Nor did the Germans confine themselves in in recent years. all over the East, it is not their Shantung undertakings to engagements likely to be satisfied if the sea terminus of its with China. They thought it prudent to get rails shall be merely a military and naval an expression from England, and succeeded to station, a dumping-place for mining ore, or even the extent of an Esurance from Lord Salisbury if it shall combine both of these functions. that his government recognised and would Whil German merchants and shipping lines respect the Convention. In military times this have found it excedingly profitable to do busi- was commonly constined to mean that Eng-ness at English ports, they probably feel im- land had no thought of railway construction in portant enough to want a Hongkong of their the province, an assumption quite reasonable own. There is no place where conditions so in view of the intention then supposed to be favour that effort as in this province, and a pro- entertained of using this port merely is a mili-position that they help the English to establish a commercial port which would aspire to capture tary and naval station, and never attempting to
the business of the North, converting thereby do general business here. Whether the assur. anca definitely committed England or uot to their own terminus into a coalyard or a quar termaster's depôt, looks just now full of hol s. non-interference with German railway mono-
From all reports, it will be safe for the German poly seams now to be doubtful, and with a view of testing the question, application has Minister at Peking, or the government at been forwarded to London for authority to Berlin, to declare that Germany has no inten. proceed with negotiations for right of way to tion of shutting out other foreign railway various inland points. If favourable action may enterprise in Shantung, for unhappily that test be bad, the matter will naturally go to Peking in behalf of which application has gone forward and there be considerel diplomatically. No to London, is not believed to have substantial one supposes that England will seek occasion design behind it. Assurance that no political obstacle would be thrown in the way of a road, to offend Germany in this province. As the one territory of direct German authority would probably do little more at present than in China Shantang will hardly become give a promoter a lead in chase for capital, the scene of acute differences unless some He might yet be very far from inducing government may wish to upset the Convention money to build from an undeveloped harbour, of 1898. German disclaimers of intention to through fifty miles of mountainous nowhere, on the chance of finding a strong foreign rival close the province against mining concessions to others than Germans, while not easily at the inland end, and with the odds heary that further indefinite construction, at an out-- reconciled with the clause of the Convention summarised above, would seem to bar out com- lay not to be estimated, would be required to plaint on any state of facts yet established, make the original investment productive. whatever else may be thought of it.
RAILWAYS AND MINES.
1
Another clause in the Convention may be read with possible profit by those who wish additional aid in construing the diplomatic It provides that the Chinese disclaimer. government shall al'ow German subjects to hold and develop mining property for ten miles on each side of the two lines of German_rail- ways, and along the entire length of the lines. Places where mining operations may be under- taken are designated, along both lines. The article provides that Chinese capital may be
society before Weihaiwei, but since the Boxers leit no stone on top of another there, the impetus in that direction shifted here. Is would appear that the missionaries are gather-invested in the operations, and that arrange ing fresh hope.
2
NOT A NEW HONGKONG. ·
If a new Hongkong is, to be created, there ought to be something that it can feed. with trade, as Hongkong is a feeder for places uncounted and easy of 200+88. The native population can sorub along as it has always done. In this vicinity it is not to be reckoned as a trade factor, for although the Chinese compute thirty thousand as the population of the native city, it buys and sells less than a white village of as many hundred. Back over the hills there are people enough, but the only way to reach them is by climbing for fifty miles, through dust in summer and mud in winter. The local civilian white population formerly never exceeded twenty persons, all here to sell rather than to buy, and with the sul stitution of civil for military and naval authority there will not ordinarily be more than about one hundred white men in the town. It does not appear that the Germans have any present intention of coming anywhere near Weihaiyei with a railroad, and they alone have „undoubted right to lay rails in the province. It may be donbted, if even the Chinese may initiate railway or other improvement in the province without German sanction. By the Kiacchau Convention, which defined German railway and mining concessions, four years ago,
was expressly provided that Germany should'
ments for the work shall be made by a joint conference of Chinese and German representa- All German subjects engaged in such tives. work shall be properly protec ed and welcomed by Chinese authorities, and profits shall be fairly divided between Chinese and German shareholders, according to their respective in- terests. If these terms are not monopolistic, they will probably be commonly read as devised to close the door in Shantung against European mining investments, and yet as justifying the German government in declaring the door not closed. The fact, as might be expected, is that German capital is in the railway alone, and no evidenc has appeared that ther capital will be invited or welcomed in the mines Railway construction has now proceeded something more than one hundred miles, and the Germans are running trains inland for sixty miles or so. They expect to reach some promising coal- mines in the summer, and will establish a train service to them as soon as conditions warrant it. Meanwhile they will propeod across the province, passing far south of this point, Construction has not been hurried at any time. At the present rate, indeed, seven years will have been occupied in building about three hundred miles of line. Possibly capital has not been specially eager in the enterprise in spite of the good things said and written about the country. If
.
WEIHAIWEI v. THE YANGTSZE.
Before German emmercial progress became rs confident as now, and before German ships and merchants were getting a large share of the business at all the foreign ports in China, prophets declared that some day in the not distant future, this port would be abandoned by the English and passed over to the Germans, who might then have Shantung al to them- selves. In return the Germans would oblig- ingly get out of the Yangtsze, and leave that rich stream and its tributary lands to English trade. That forecast sounded tolerably plau sible when first uttered, two or three years ago, and the present shift in the statns of this port might be related to it had foreign advance in China proceeded in pace of the preceding the last two years at the thirty years. By the giant strides that trade is now making, Germany has become so well entrenched in the Yangtze that it would get much the worse of the bargain if it were to quit Midle China in exchange for Weihaiwet. Besides, it is not at all clear how England would be benefitted if the Germans quit the Yangtsze, unless they took along the Japanese, who are invading that region with all the energy and enthusiasm of a people determined to out foreign the foreigners in commercial push; and also took along the Americans, who are feeling their way there as well as in other parts of China heretofore untried.
THE FUTURE,
Except on the ground, it does not much matter what destiny may be planned ** for this port, if it is to be of no further use as a political watchtower. For that use it seemed well fitted. The tradesmen here wonder why treasure was poured into the forts if they were not to be mounted, but it may bɔ doubted if that question would bother them if "an answer to it would remove their misgivings that the withdrawal of the military and naval forces may knock them out of business. There
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