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GERMANY AND THE SHANGHAT EVACUATION QUESTION.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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¡December 6, 1902.
they logically object to such a remark when ́ root of the matter, he pointed out, was the the history of more than three years points so much per cent. of which Dr. Ho Kat so much in that direction? The British spoke. That is why they the landlords People sees the fits and regrets them. No section of that people regrets them more than Britous in Hongkong, where so many Germans are esteemed fellow-residents. But it is useless, and it would be extremely disastrouss, to try to be blind. A good understanding between Great Britain and Germany would conduce more than any. thing else to the pace of the Far East. But to render that understanding possible a complete change from Germany's late, tactics is necessary.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND
BUILDINGS BILL.
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(Daily Press, 3rd Decmber.)
Lay slum property, because they get far When all matters seemed finally settled
more than from any ordinary investment: for the complete evacuation of Shanghai by
*and should they be considere 1? They the unnecessary foreigu garrison, which has
"have put up the rentals at the least 100 been there since the troubles of 1980; when
per cent. in the last ten years,
Are you the Japanese contingent had already left,
asking the ratepayers to go and gave and the British had received orders to leave
them? There are two sides to that: the on the 20th instant: suddenly there came,
Fatepayers have also to be considered," the news on Monday that the communders
H.E. the Governor, in his speech which of the French and German troops had ·
concluded the debate, made' no further formally declined to quit Shanghai until
allusion to the compensation question. February next. So far we have received no
beyond pointing out that it was "The chiet information as to the reason for this arbit
feature of the new Bill as opposel to the rary attitude.
The Germans more than a
originally proposed measure: but the week ago received orders from Berlin to
Attorney-tieneral had previously endorsel - prepare for evacuation, and their Comman-
the view that the owners of slum property der was instructed to confer with the Britis't
(Daily Press, 1st December. 1
which had got into au insanitary anil and French Commuders, The latter of In the debate at last Thursday's meeting danger us state were entitled to no cou- these two received similar orders on the 'of the Legislative Council over the second sideration or sympathy. The abolition of 27th November. Great Britain was accused reading of the Publie Health and Buildings windowless cubicles in
Hongkong, in of delaying the s:ttlement of the difficulty Bill, the two questions involved in that accordance with this, must be carried out by not sending to Shangbai orders of the measure about which the most interesting without_compensation. In the mass of same import. No sooner, however, have the and instructive discussion took place were cases of Governtent resumption of land British fixed a date for their withdrawal › those of compensation - the one thing, H.E. and of enforced alteration of buildings, eta, than those who professed to be waiting for
the Governor said, into which they had compensation will, by the provisions of the them announce their intention of remaining' gone in the new Bill-and of the displace. Bill, be fixed by the Board appointed for the for another three months. Thus the whole ment of population by the operations of the purpose, consisting of one nominee of the miserable, business promises 1 drag on
Bill. It was recognised from the first, when Government and one of the owner, with the indefinitely, for no confidence can be felt in Messrs. CADWICK and SIMPSON drew up Paisar Judge as umpire in event of any future decision as to date of evacuation. the measure for which the Bill before the dispute. The interests of the ratepayers, When the Japanese troops quitted Shang-, Commeil on Thursday was substituted, that therefore, will res1 eutirely in the hai on
the 22nd ultimo, The Japanese a great fight must take place over the "hands of the Government's nominee, papers were careful to explain that if the compensation question. The two experts, › an arrangement which throws a tremendous other Powers did not ke p to their promise! in dealing with the resumption of insanitary responsibility upon the latter, and indirectly of evacuating the port the Japanese garrison | properties, did not propose to offer corn- upon the Unofficial Members of the Legis. would return. Whether this statement was pensation to owners for the erection of lative Council whose duty it is to see that. inspired or not, we do not know. Such sanitary dwellings on land at present the popular side is thoroughly presatel Fonduct on the part of Japin, however, | unoccupied, or for the re-erectim, on to the Government's view. While th re would be logical, if expensive, It may land already occupied, of dwellings of are in the Council members of the stamp of be that in some future year we shall hear an improved type to those now in existence, Mr. PLAYFAIR we may feel assured that the what were the grounds for the most remark. The right of an owner, they held, to re- voice of the ratepayers will not be entirely able exhibition of Western diplomacy erect dwellings of an insanitary type, unheard. But a single member has given in this matter of the withdrawal, because his present dwellings are insanitary, arduous task. of troops from Shanghai. We are wont to should not be admitted. Otherwise, how. i We have alluded above to the refusal of rail at Oriental diplomatic methods as it leerer, compensation was to be granted in compensation for enforced abolition of win- up chiefly of delay and dishonesty. The accordance with the Crown Lands Resump. ' dowless cubicles, which, as Dr. Ho Kat apologists of the Western Powers will have tion' Ordinance, which appears to follow very justly said, are the greatest snuitary hard task to point out the differences closely the Imperial Housing of the Working, evil among the Chinese in this Colony. between their clients' conduct in China and Classes Act,” to quote Messrs. CHADWICK'S But the abilition of this evil must, as the China's own ways. It was long ago surmised and Simpson's own explanation, Last members of the Legislative Couneil and all that international jealousy was at the bottom Thursday the Hon. Ho Kat, in his speech, others who have studied the question of the whole difficulty at Shanghai. It is as Snior Unofficial Member of the Legis.) recognise, he attended with difficulties; becoming increasingly clear that this lative Council, welcomed the new Bill, as though the 1st il prohibition of such cubicles jealousy is the sole cause of the continged brought forward by the Attorney-tienerni, was advocat d as early as 1898 by Messrs. occupation of the port by France and on behalf of lés unofficial colleagues, and WHITEHEAD and Epɛ, two of the members Germany. An attempt has been made to the i went on to make some remarks which, of the Commission appointed in 1896 by undermine the British position in the as was shown later in the debate, were not Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON to report on in- Yangtze Valley. We were unwillag to endorsed by all those colleagues. The sanitary properties in Hongkong. The attribute the inception of this brilliant plot - remarks were the grand principle of Colonial Secretary made an able, if not to an European Power, preferring to believe compensation," as Dr. Ho Kví phrased it. quite convincing, defence of the way iu that Prince CmxG was chiefly instrumental, “We should not like to designate the able which insanitary buildings were allowed in pursuance of the time-honoured Chi ex. gent mai's words as c'ap-trap, bu' we in the past
to sping up, in accór- art of dividing the dangerous rations "think that they cane peribusly hear it dance with the legislation of the date. among themselves. But the last more in when he said: "We hear, of count so, of Without accepting the whitewashing "oť the game seems to reveal beyond doubt "sacrifices for the public good; well, sirch the Government's character which the Hon. that it is not a Chinese mind which is "men as make these sacrifices are heroes, F. II. MAY attempted, we must admit his directing it. No Chinaman of the smallest But you cannot expect every landlord in pleas that it is very difficult so to frame a degree of patriotism would wish to protract this Colony, and every Chinese land-owu ·r. law that nothing objectionable can possibly the period of the humiliating oecu, ation of '
to be herdes. They invest their money in, he built under it, and that owners of pro- Shanghai by foreign garrisons. The houses because they will bri X ia an
perties must accept some responsibilities if schemers must be sought elsewhere. What income to then of so much per cent. They they have not followed the advice of their Britons would chiefly like to know is how "com! to this Colony, relying upon the areaitects and built houses that were the recent exhibitions of German policy justice and fairness of English law and reasonably sauitary. Property - owners can be made to square with the Kaiser's the protection of the English flag, aud cannot absolve themselves from the uniformly friendly attitude d ring the pist invest their money, and they thought at charge of having been careless of the few years, France, it is plain, is merely the time they invested in these houses that health of the tenants and having paid taking advantage of the situation; but the they were built in accordance with the law
more attention to the " so much per ceut." springs of Grinan action are still to be existing at the time, If any landlord sid rather than that of their reasonable discovered. Germans have just been likes to sacrifice his laud for such a public duties as lan lords, With considerable resenting in strong terus the statement
*ptop is, h must be eill a philan. ingenuity they avail themselves now of the made by Sir HORACE RUMBOLD, late British "Thropist and a publi· 1, nefactor, but he argumen', which in itself is perfectly sound, Ambassador at Vienna, in an article in the can scarely bi-considered a business mm. that the operations of the new "Ordinanc» National Bevice, that Germany is Great The Hon. Q. W. F. Phayratu's rejoinder, will displice a large number of people. Britain's Litterest enemy. But how can to this was very effectiv, if blunt. The We do not say that the argument was not
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