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Punjab will enjoy a respite from plague during the next fatal season-which in India is during the cold weather. On the other hand, the prophylactic may be ac- cepted only half-heartedly or even declined, in which case the plan falls to the ground. The Times of India points out that the experience of Bombay, where the most active propaganda, accompanied by pccuni- ary compensation, failed to bring more than a fraction of the population to the inoculators, is not encouraging; but in the Punjab, Government has to deal with a different people, and must have good grounds on which to base its plans.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
"Russia is doing to-day and what she will do "10-morrow," to be an organ to serve the interests of both countries and to become a link between them not only in political, but still more in economical and commercial problems. As far as the first number is concerned, we should judge that Russia should do something toward giving the English a chance of forming a juster estimate of Russia's potentialities and of the openings possible for commerce. As the first article points out, the Germans and later the Americans have been doing their best to appropriate for themselves the Russian market. Great Britain still oc- cupies the first place in the import and export trade of Russia, but her preeminence is being threatened, and Germany has already gone ahead of us in the item of exports to Russia. As we have so often heard before, the Germans have studied the country's wants more carefully and con sequently offer the vendors the goods which they are most likely to want. It is to be trusted that the constant dwelling upon this fact is beginning to have some effect upon British firms doing business abroad.
Hongkong cannot take a merely academic interest in the measures adopted in India against the plague, and we must be pre- pared to learn from the proposed campaign | in the Punjab lessons which we may have to make use of ourselves, This year fortunately we have bad no such severe visitation of plague as have recently befallen us, but the liscase is dying hard still and a total of five hundred and fifty cases cannot be looked on as satisfactory, except as compared with the figures of bad epidemic years. We have tried, at the end of 1901. and the beginning of the present year, a system of cleansing the city on a far more thorough scale than hitherto, but we cannot of course tell what, if any, connection this has had with the decrease of plague. We must wait for expert opinion in the plague report of 1902. The vigorous sanitary measures which have Icen ad pted are not in any case, we presume, likely to be aban doned. Should it unhappily be proved in the near future that cleansing the city does not mean freeing it from plague, then we shall have to seek other schemes. In contection with this, we may well ask our- selves : · What chance would inoculation have among the Chinese of Hongkong ? At the present moment, we might answer none at all. Chinese public opinion would have to be educated up to it, and the process of education would be long and arduous, As in India, a tremendously heavy responsibility would rest with those who have influence over the native mind. We would prefer to think that plague can be fought in Hongkong without having recourse to wholesale inoculation, but the future alone can show us whether we can reasonably hope so.
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[Angust 25, 1902.
THE COMMERCIAL NEGOTIA- TIONS.
(Daily Press, 20th July.)
The
The unanimous aɛsurances of Their Ex- cellencies YUAN SHI-KAI, LIO KUNG-YI and CHANG CHIH-TUNG to Mr. SHARRETTS, the representative of the United States in the tariff negotiations between the Powers and China, were not of a startling nature nor otherwise than what might have been expected of the three Chinese statesmen in question. The conduct of these high officials was irreproachable at a time when nearly all other leading men in China were backing up the criminal conduct of the reactionary clique at the Imperial Court, and, though their latest remark is in the nature of a truism, it is none the less wel- come as an indication that their views on what China's relations with the outside world should be have not changed, addition which they made with regard to China's exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition may be taken to show that they were not pledging anything on behalf of the Chinese Government, though the fact that they should so add the statement is certainly a tribute to the energy of the Exposition's special commissioner. Perhaps it is the multitude of "commissioners SO
of various kinds now in China which has caused certain misunderstandings about the status of some of them. We have heard within the course of the current month that
SHARRETTS Mr.
has handed to the Chinese Commissioners a draft of a new commercial treaty, which he asks them to negotiate upon. Now Mr. SHARRETTS has no power to do anything of the sort. He was sent out from the United States as
The desirability, however, of closer com- mercial relations between Britain and Russia is not disputed. It is when we approach the question a political drawing together that the subject becomes difficult. The editor of Russia states that England herself is to-day satisfied that "she must abandon the position of tradi- 'tional isolation for an useful and a power-
ful alliance in Europe." Such an ideal | alliance, he continues, has been prepared by history itself. "Russia is the Great Power which is indicated by the record of centuries, no less than by her geogra- phical, economical, and political position. "as England's natural ally." Now this argument starts with error, for the mass of the British people is no more convinced than are its leaders that an European alli- ance is necessary or desirable. Public political opinion is as much against an alliance which would entangle us on the Continent of Europe as it has ever beeu. Even those who were thoroughly weary of the phrase glorious isolation "and wel- comed with enthusiasm the Anglo-Japanese agreement, have no wish to revolutionise our policy in Europe by an alliance with one of the land Powers. When the writer in Russia goes on to say that England "and Russia bave very great interests in "common in the world, and the fate of these interests depends on their mutual confid- (Daily Press, 22nd August.)
"euce," we can go a long way with him, and When we consider the vast number of the intention of his magazine to encourage points at which the interests of Great this confidence deserves the strongest pos- Britain and Russia ccine into contact, sible support. He continues, however, by throughout the world, we need feel no sur-saying that uuhappily, if Russia kuows prise that there should be in either country
"her great neighbour in Asia, England a party which urges that the only solution of
knows Russia only superficially, hence the the difficulties which constantly arise is the
“mistrust of England towards Russia." The formation of a defiuite understanding want of knowledge of Russia in England between the two nations. In England we
must le admitic, but where dues Russia are well aware of the existence of such a show her knowledge of England? In the party, whose prophet is Mr. HENRY S. Petersburg journals or other organs of NORMAN. The members of this party are the educated classes ? Such misstatements for the most part clear-headed men, who injure a good cause. It must be recognised are quite able to make skilful use of the alike by Russia and Britain, that cach is strong argun ents lying ready to hand. ignorant of the cther's country and must The more eccentric type of Russophil, such
set himself to learn something, for thus as Mr. W. T. STEAD, is lees discriminating alone is an improvement in relations pos- in advocating the advantages of friendshipsible. By all means an understanding in with the government of the Tear. That commercial and economic affairs should be there is in Russia a party which similarly arrived at, and it it is possible a political hopes for a satisfactory understanding with understanding would be extremely desir- Great Britain is a less familiar fact to mostable. But the advocates of concessions to English readers. There has just been issued Russia to promote such an understanding from London the first number of a magazine as the latter forget Port Arthur. As for entitled Russia, the object of which is to
an actual alliance, that is a dream-and a "make known to English people what dream which few would care to realise.
ANGLO-RUSSIAN RELATIONS.
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Commissioner for the Tariff, which is now finished, and he has nothing to do with the Treaty, the United States Commissioners for the latter being Mr. CONGER, Consul-General GOODNOW, and Mr. J. S. FEARON of Shanghai. The treaty itself is not before us yet, and it is impos- sible therefore to discuss its clauses. The most difficult point, that which deals with the lekin question, has been referred to the British Government, and it is unreasonable to expect a speedy decision, even if it were desirable to settle such a matter hastily. which every man interested in the China trade knows is far from being the case.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 21st inst. in the Board Room. Present:-Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer (President); Hor. W. Chatham. Director of Public Works; Hon. Dr. F. W. Clark, Medical Officer of Health; Mr. C. Mcl. Osborne, and Mr. Lau Chu Pak, Messer, Acting Registrar-General; Mr. E.
SANITARY SURVEYOR'S REPORT, The report of the Sanitary Surveyor (Mr. J. J. Bryan) for the second quarter of 1902 bore that plans had been passed for the drainage of 83 houses, bringing the total number in hand during the quarter up to 1,072, Notices for repairs or alterations to the drains The drainage of 161 houses was completed,
of 121 houses had been received, making the total number in Land 344, of which 125 had been completed. Certificates had been granted with the requirements of Section 84 of Ordinance 13 of 1901. 1 he drains of uses had been served accordingly. In addition to these, 6,424 found to require reconstruction and notices
houses had been inspected with the result that 583 drainage nuisances had been discovered, 237 nuisances bad been reported to the Medical Officer of Health and 85 to the Director of Public Works to be dealt with by them; 1,186
that 157 bouses had been built in accordance
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