February 23, 1903.]
WEIHAIWEI
(Daily Press, 14th February.) The first feeling on ente. ing the harbour of Weihaiwei is one of admiration at the capacity of the harbour and its facilities for defence, nor is this feeling to any degree diminished when a detailed exauiuntion is
rade. It is not to be assumed from this that in its present condition (he place is in a fit state to take care of itself, even against the most insignificant attack, nor can the anchorage be looked on as in a condition to render it a safe refuge for even the smaller craft. In fact in its present state Weihai- wei, so für from being a source of strength, defensive or offensive, is, owing to the apathy of the British Goverument, absolutely a cause of wenkness, as requiring the pre- sence of a considerable portips of the Fleet to safeguard it against a sudden surprise, As there are large quantities of coal and warlike stores on shore, and the position is one from which it would be extremely difficult to oust a bostile fleet. the defence less position of the port is little better than a disgrace to the Government, and is, in fact, indicative of the want of foresight which characterises all cut military pre parations. A commencement was, it is -true, made in erecting certain forts, and guns were actually sent out to China for arming them, yet by a sudden change of opinion on the part, we believe, of certain engineer officers as opposed to the un animous recommendations of the naval authorities, the work begun was suspended, just enough Laving been done to draw the attention of the Russian garrison at Port Arthur to the capabilities of the port, and its suitability for checking any hostile movements in the Gulf of Pechili. As a harbour, in its present condition Weihaiwei is by no meaus perfect. The wide and not easily defended eastern entrance is an acknowledged source of danger, but the scheme submitted by the aval authorities consulted efficiently provided for this, as well as for rendering the harbour at all times and in all places perfectly safe for the smaller craft attached to the Fleet, while effectually guarding the position against any sudden or unforeseen attack, and thus enabling the full force of the Fleet to be made use of in active offensive opera- tious elsewhere. The most useless and unsatisfactory rôle in which a British Flet could be employed is that of merely defend ing positions; yet in face of the fact that the Russian fortress of Port Arthur is but seven stearing hours distant from Weihai- wei, this is the uncongenial task imposed upon the Fleet by the absolutely unpro- tected condition of the shore defences at
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. holding the sea, it is not easy to see any such considerations, however, must not be further advantage in keeping so remote a allowed to obscure the fact of the very post as Weihaiwei. We have no possessions present danger of another anti-foreign rising, in North China to protect for their own At the termination of the "Boxer " troubles anke;
and without a Fleet to co-operate, the it was fondly imagine 1 by the Powers that locking up of an Army, which the R. E. by prohibiting the import of arms into scheme would entail, would be little better China this danger might be averted. In than suicidal, and certainly utterly useless. the first place, the importation of arms has The whole question of Weihaiwei resolves continued briskly, the importers being itself into the old question of Army against foreign firms. It matters not to these Navy hitherto England has been content traders, whether the import is prohibited or to base her predominance on the invincibi- not; with an embargo prevailing, the traffic, lity of her Navy, and as long as "Britain if more dangerous, is considerably more. ruled the waves the position was au lucrative. Secondly, the Chinese themselves irrefragable one. Other Powers have of say that the prohibition of importation of late been challenging Great Britain's naval 'arins was really a service to their country. supremacy, and as long as this position since it forced the Government to build continues it has been found necessary to more factories and do more manufacturing strengthen the Army, lest the country of arms and ammunition for its armies than should find itself at some unexpected it would have done had there been no pro- moment taken unawares. One thing is, hibition to contend with. Thirdly, in the however, certain, and that is that with her chronic condition of revolt and disturbance sole dependence on her Army it would be which prevails in many parts of China, manifestly impossible for Great Britain to it is merely a handicap to the Imperial maintain her enormous interests in any Government to prevent its troops from quarter of the globe. The Navy, and not having weapons of precision to use. the Army, is in truth the source of Eng. Kwangai, for instance, the rebels have land's power and influence; and once the powerful friends abroad and have managed Navy lost its paramount strength no Army to equip themselves with modern rifles. If that she could put into the field would ever the Government troops, greatly outnumbered be able to reinstate her in her former posi- as they are, are not equally well armed. tion. This is even more the case in the Far what chance can they be expected to have East than clswl ere; and it may be safely of holding their own? The root-evil of sail that any attempt to hold Weibaiwei whole situation is that there is as a mere military position would result in homogeneous action on the part of the disaster. This is, however, the view being Powers which have to deal with China. The urged upon the Government by its military, wisest men among them all see that it is to as opposed to its naval, advisers; and mean the interest of the world at large that China while a vers considerable proportiou of the should have a strong central government, China Fleet is being rendered useless for not averse to Westerners, RD honest Imperial interests by the necessity of government service in the provinces, and detailing the ships to protect the land a steady currency. All these requisites defences of Weihaizei,
are conspicuously absent in Chion at present and though all are part of the programme contemplated by the arrange. ments between China and the Powers, (Daily Press, 17th Febuary.)
we have little enough encouragement to hope The letter appearing in another column that any are within sight of realisation. today under the heading of A Cloud on Yet there is no one out in China at the the Horizon' calls attention to a point present moment who has devoted any which must by no means be passed over attention to the question without seeing We think that our correspondent puts the that a continuation of the present evils case far too strongly when he states that threatens ruin to China and heavy financial some foreigners are, either directly or in and other losses to foreigners. The short- directly, "encouraging the Chinese in their sighted folk who hailed the signature of the Chauvinistic ideas of universal conquest.'
MACKAY treaty as the beginuing of a new It appears to us that if anyone is aware ofera in China cannot by uow fail to see that the folly of holding out to China any hope of univeren! conquest it is Sir ROBERT HART; nor does it seem probable that the great Inspector-General's "daily bread" is in any way dependent on his contribution of articles to any magazine in the world. That he, who knows so much of China, should see in the " Boxer movement a The divergence of opinion shown with patriotic side is a powerful argument that regard to the nature of the defence required there was such an element in it; that he It is now about ten weeks ago since we is a crucial instance of the want of sympathy shou'd dwell on the fact is only natural. wrote concerning the practically hopeless
we see that he did wrong in so prevailing between the two great brauches Nor can
state of the China tea-trade, lamenting that of the Services, the Aruty and Navy, the doing. Sir ROBERT HART wrote in a tone a great opportunity for bringing about a former holding that the shore defences of waruing to the Westeru Powers, not of return to popular favour of China teas required do not ordinarily extend beyond encouragement to China. Hence we cannot seems now to have been entirely lost." As the capacity required for protecting the condemn his words as fatuous nor his conduct far as British taste is concerned, the position from an attack by sen, the Navy itself as silly. On the contrary, we must hold southern teas, at once cheaper and coarser, being able to prevent the landing of a kind that he did good service by insisting on a have established a firm hold; and it seems force sufficiently powerful to undertake factor in the Far Eastern situation which is as if the rest of the world is about to follow with any prospect of success a regular in perpetual danger of being neglected. It is Britain's examplo. We havo during the siege; while the engineer authorities con- the tendency to regard China as a “ jellyfisli," past year received numerous communications sulted, with the professional predilectious or somé sucht ignoble animal, that is mis- from Mr. E. J. Moss of Poochow, with of their class, have teen looking more to |chievous, Wretchedly governed, all but reference to an attempt to restore the the ability of the port to undergo a regular bankrupt as China may be, she has still not position of China teas, but as most of these have concerned the ten-dealers almost siege from forces landed in numbers, during forfeited her claims to consideration as a the absence or enforcell junction of the untion, and seeing that her continuation | exclusively we have not hitherto alluded to Fleet. The latter is an alternative that under the present ruling clique is directly them. There are, however, a gred aminy hardly forces itself on an unprejudiced the work of i uropeans, from the time of the people, apart from those notuall mind. Were our fleet to be so hopelessly Taiping rebellion onward, it is not for in the tea-trade, who would cvermätched ns to render it incapable of i Europeans to be her bitterest censors. All see the extinction of Chứ
the port.
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CHINESE AND FOREIGNERS,
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things are still exactly as they were and are likely to remain so until the Powers them. selves are of one mind. But we should not like to prophesy that they ever will be unanimous.
CHINA TEAS.
(Daily Press, 20th February.)
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