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CHINA AND THE YANGTSZE QUESTION.
No
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
reasonably have been expected to take warning from the complete failure of Li's policy of putting the Powers in opposition. and taking advantage of this to obtain from each some concession. Rather, he might sce, as the policy of setting the Powers by the ears, the result in each of them claiming without hindrance from the others his own pound of fresh cut from nearest the heart. Deliberately the old worn out device of seeking to make division in the hope of gaining å petty advantage has
a pretty general opinion amongst the European Powers that the time had come for the evacuation of Shanghai, and that if this feeling were taken advantage of any cause of dissatis
Such was the faction could be removel. sensible view of the affair that would com-
(Daily Press, 17th November.) To seek escape from pursuit by dividing the attention of the pursuers is the resource of the weak and timid, and needs so little intellectual developmnt that it is constantly practised by the higher anfmals.
The astute but by mans intellectual man who for some thirty years swayed the policy of China, the late LI HUNG-CHANG, was a proficient in the art of providing subjects of disunion between the European powers having dealings with China; and to his policy in this respect is largely to be a tri- buted the entire absence of self-respect that characterises the Chinese Government of the day. In the abstract, of course, it is a logical conclusion that when it can weaken the outer impulsive force by a divi ion of interest, and direction, the body acted on has more room for expansion; and such would undoubtedly be the case did not the process of bringing in division lead to reactions far more dangerous in their incid- ence than any that could be brought into play by leaving the Powers to work in god humour and comparative harmony; such as was the case before LI introduced the policy of playing off the foreigu Powers one against the other. The game of playing one opposing force against another is as old: as the hills, and was probably the chief. element in the Roman Empire itself; but it is one that as irresistible attractions when an effete and sluggish nation is brought in contact with others possessing more energy of character. The greatest living artist in the practice, now that LI HUNG-CHANG has left his place vacant is ABDUL HAMID II, the present Sultan of Turkey, and the result is much the same in the one case as in the other, for in the category of nations in extremis there is not the turn of a straw to decide between Turkey and China. Such was the position in the closing year of the last century, Chin was chuckling at the success of her astute policy, and dreamt that the time had at last come when she could apply to her own profit the deep rifts that were plainly to be seen in the policy of the great Powers. Accordingly she com- menced to strike in detail; Japau was tried, and with apparent success, for 10 one seemed particularly hurt with the murder of the secretary of Legation, so higher game was accordingly sought. is scarcely necessary to recall what hap pened. It was the old story of sacrific. ing the children to the wolves. There was, however, one point on which the wolves, how- ever they might differ on minor matters, were perfectly at one, and that was the necessity of eating up the quarry -
-a process at ones set about according to the digestive capacity of each wolfs Whatever title China might have had to the respect of her frien is in 1899, when she could still put on a respec- table bib and tucker, it is at least evident to others, and we would naturally suppose should be so to herself also, that with her torn and tattered garments, she could hardly expect the same consideration to-day. Her only sens.ble policy under the circumstances would be to keep herself to herself as much as possible, and refrain as far as she could from provoking the not over flattering attentions of her friends; but it is hopeless to expect selise from Government ke that of Peking, dominated as it is by a woman who still at the age of sixty-seven believes herself possessed of personal charms. The foreign ministers have unfortunately fluttered this element of sei ile weakness, and we see the effect of it in the recent Folicy of the Court. Prince CHING might
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renewed. There Was
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mend itself to any reasonable minister: not so thought China. Here, she said to herself, is an opportunity of setting the two Powers, England and Germany, at variance. however divided on points of detail, Eug It was nothing to such ministers that,
land and Germany have both been consist. ent in deing everything to preserve the status of China. This is but one, though the most important effort that has been made to provoke disunion, with the con- sequent loss to China of what power of initiative she has been permitted fi retain.
PIRACY IN THE CANTON
NEIGHBOURHOOD.
(Daily Press, 19th November.) The death of Mr. EVANS, victim of the outrage at Cha Si, on the 12th instant, tragic as it is, serves an useful purpose in calling attention in the most vivid manner to the disgraceful insecurity not merely of property but also of life within a short distance of Canton. An Engi shman, employed at the British Consulate at Canton, has been wan- tonly murdered for the simple reason that he was a foreigner (since the native crew of the junk was spared) by some twenty ruffians in search of plun ler. Nothing but the pleas of Mr. EVANS's native companions prevented his inanimate body from being thrown overboard on the night of the out- rage; he lived therefore until Sunday morning, when he expired in the Cauton Hospital, to which, be had been taken, succumbing as was but natur.d for a man 63 years old to his six wounds. Among the numerous cases where Europeans had suffered by the criminal ty of Canton and West River pirates of la'e years, this is undoubtedl: the worst, and it calls for the most vigorous action of the British Govern ment. The monstrous state of affairs has been tolerated too long. Since we wrote ou this subject last Saturday, further informa- tion has reachel us that river trade beyond Canton is absolutely paralysed. The Chinese merchants decline to take what is scarcely the chance, ra ber the certainty, of being plundered. The native officials are supine and helpless. Now as long ago as 1899, when records of piracies filled the columns of the local papers, the merchants of Hongkong petitioned [1.E the Governor, representing the serious lo-ses caused by the ravages of the pirates. Mr. Bax-IRONSIDɛ, who was then Acting British Minister at Peking, in commenting to the home government na this petition, drew attention to the lack of any action on the part of the Cinton authorities and mentioned a schem prop sel to the Viceroy there by Mr. WATERS, Instructor at the Whampoa Naval and Military School. that a flotilli should be formed of five of the torpedo-boats then-lying idle at Wham- poa, under the joint cominal of himself an la Chinese military official, which should
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[November 22, 1902.
scour the waters in quest of pirates. The Viceroy was interested in the scheme, but Chinese jealousy brought about its rejection, and what measures were taken against the pirates by Li HUNG-CHANG were of a different character, principally in the direc- tion of severer punishments for such of the robbers as were captured. Operations were carried on by land rather than by water, and no permanent success was achieved, At the present moment piracy is once more as bad as it ever was in the Canton delta and beyond, in spite of the presence of two British gun- The British boats on the West River. naval authorities here in 1899 expressed the opinion that “ the duty of policing the river clearly belongs to China," and this caunot be disputed. Whatever assistance may be given by British and other foreign vessels, the main responsibility rests with the Canton authorities. As we have said, these are supine and belpless.
And yet there are still lying at Whampoa the nine pattern now, are quite capable, experts torpedo-boats which, though of obsoleto
declare, of river work under capable com. mandlers. The scheme for their utilisation
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in such work which we mentioned above not only commended itself to the Chinese Viceroy, but also, we believe we are correct in saying, was approved by Admiral Sir E. HI. SEYMOUR, the Commander-in-Chief of the British squadron on this station. It is a question which calls for consideration «hether the revival of some such proposal should not be urged. The present state of affairs must be done away with, and it is still as true as ever it was that China must She has at Whampoa what is declared to be a assume the duty of policing her own river. suitable flotilla and there are men capable of undertaking the task. The matter is one to which the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce might well give a litle attention, for Hongkong, it is not necessary to insist, is concerned very seriously in the question China, The Chamber can, of curse, only of piracy in the nearest inland waters of make representations, but it is representa- tions in the right quarters that are wanted.
THE TROUBLES IN THE TWO |
KWANG.
(Daily Press, 21st November.)
We received information yesterday from a trustworthy source in Cauton that it is rumoured freely in that city that five hundred “rebels” from Kwangsi province have arrived there lately-presumably in the guise of peaceful citizens—and that the Viceroy and Provincial Governor have to such an extent shown their belief in the rumour that they have ordered the old city gates to be locked at dusk every evening, no oue in any circumstances being allowed to enter or leave Cauton after that time. “The first part of the news is sent to us as a rumour, and in itself it is a story which we might imagine would readily circulate among the nervous townsfolk of Canton, already alarmed by the disgraceful state of awareby prevailing even in the immediate neighbourhood of Cauton since H.E. To My first fell sick of that illness which finally carried him off. But it is plain that the officials are scared also, and that sign is one of evil omen. We know nothing in favour of those at pre-ent ruling at Canton, while on the other hand we have bad fr. quently to complain of their apathy in the free of the recrudescence of piracy on the waterways. We have reason to believe that large numbers of Chinese troops were recently brought into Canton, with all
Jossible Eecrecy, but
we have heard of 'no vigorous measures which it is proposed to adopt in order to
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