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THE NEW ROUTE TO THE FAR
EAST.
**(Daily Press, 18th March.) Time was, not so very long ago, when the sident in the Fur East had comparatively little hofce in his route homewards. It was a very great advance, both in speed and | in comfort, when the mail steamer super- seded the "wind-jammer," and a greater stil when the Suez Canal was opened and at once shortened and improved the passage to Europe. When the Pacific Mail service was formed, and large paddle-steamers crossed the broad Pacific, making the passage from San Francisco in some thirty days and calling at Japanese ports en route, this afforded a most agreeable variety in the trip, enabling the homeward-bound traveller to break the sea passage by a ling railway journey across the United States, and giving him a chance of seeing a different side of the world. The completion of the great Canadian Pacific Railway and the formation of the line of magnificent steamers between Vancouver and Hongkong reduced the trip across the American continent very considerably and afforded new inducements to adopt that route, which has ever since been increasingly patronised in the summer morths. Since that time larger and faster steamers have appeared and many new lines, mail and otherwise, bave started, giving travellers an almost bewildering choice of routes and vessels. In addition to the lines to different ports in Europe and
those on the American Pacific coast thero
are
now opportunities via Australia and South Africa, which, if less luxurious, have their attractions for those who desire to see new countries and places on the way to their own country, in either Europe or America. Comforts have greatly increased, moreover, and the voyage is no longer the ordeal it was formerly, while the cst has not increased, except to the unfortunate individual who calculates his income in the ever depreciating silver dollar.
The latest competitor for the support of the travelling public, however, is not a heavily subsidised and luxuriously appointed line of powerful steamships; it is a line f railway from Furthest East to the European continent, and-it offers to them a saving of both time and money. To those persons who are victims to mal de mer it of course appears in the light of a boon and a blessing, unless indeed the constant rattle and shaking of the il- way car is not an equal trial to them. The Siberian Railway 18 now open for traffic, and itsconnection with Shanghai establislied, A steamer leaves that port once every week for Daly, the new Russian port in Man- churin, which is connected by the Chinese Eastern Railway with the Siberian line. The steamer is timed to make the passage from Shanghai ́ to Dalny in thirty-four hours, and he journey from Shanghai to Paris can be accomplished in twenty one days, agains some thirty-four days by rail- way to Brindisi and steamer vid Suez Canal, The trip across Siberia is made in a so-called train de luxe, but for the present at least it may be doubted whether the luxury is on a par with that contained in a first class steainer. Nevertheless there" is a distinct saving of time, and the novelty of a journey over a new and picturesque route is likely to induce a good number of male passengers at any rate to try it. As an alternative way hone it must command considerable attention, though it can hardly prove a formidable rival as a channel for trade, seaborne cargo being always carried at much lower rates than is possible by rail.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[March 23, 1903. But the line will have a strategic value | China their permanent home. In addition to of the highest order. It forms the main these another class of people commenced to connection between Bussin in Europe and arrive, who with no very important ties Russia in Asia: it brings Vladivostock into with the old country found they could mako immediate and direct connection with St. themselves very comfortable in China as a Petersburg. It opens up the vast arable permanent place of abode; both these classes lands of Siberia to settlement by Russian married and had children, and the children farmers and peasants; it will bring the with no memories of home apart from China great mineral resources of Siberia into soon commenced to make their presence prominence, and lead to their early and felt. To avoid their becoming a burden to vigorous development. It will accomplish the communities, they had to be educated, the establishment of Muscovite power and and as in many cases their parents could trade in Siberian seaports and pave the way with difficulty bear the burden of sending for the realisation of Russian ambitions on them to Europe, it became necessary to the Pacific. Whatever happens, it is im- provide means for educating them on the possible that the tide of Russian progress spot. The consequence is that of the now in Asia can be stayed altogether; it may, large number of foreign residents in Hong- by a wise and prudent policy on the part kong and China a continually increasing of other Eastern Powers in combination, be number are China born, have become kept within reasonable limits and legitimate thoroughly acclimatised, and have settled channels. Great Britain is quite prepared down into a home life on the spot. The to see such a development in Siberia result- British race has fairly thriven amidst its ing from Russian enterprise as will bring a new surroundings, and certainly exhibits rich_reward and promote the prosperity of no signs of physical decadence; in fact so the Tsar's great empire, and will bail with far as physique is concerned the Anglo- nothing but satisfaction such a result. Chinese, especially those brought up north That satisfaction would, however, be accen- of 30 north latitude, will bear favourable tuated if the Russian Government were to comparison with their fellows in any part adopt a commercial policy more in con- of the world. sonance with that of Great Britain, instend of attempting to close the country to foreign goods and traders by the imposition of excessive import and other duties. The British and Japanese. Governments would also feel relieved by seeing a less aggressive policy pursued by Russia in Manchuria, ad a simple desire shown to make the best out of the very material concessious already acquired by her from China. In short, the Allis only wish to be assured that Russia's policy in the future will make for the development of peaceful commerce in the Far East and not merely for the extension of the. Muscovite empire at the expense of her neighbours,
EUROPEAN POPULATIONS IN CHINA:
It becomes then an interesting question to enquire how far socially these new populations comparo with their predecessors. Do they in fact keep up the old traditions, or do they exhibit any tendency to become assimilated with the natives of the country, and follow the footsteps of the early Portuguese, or become mère hewers of wood and drawers of water? A visit to any of
ports will apparently answer the question in a satisfactory manner. It is gurious to notice that while the style of the new buildings being erected everywhere for the accomodation of the new residents is undoubtedly changing, the change is in the direction of a closer assimilation with homo ideas of comfort; family life is becoming more of a reality, but the style exhibi s no tendency to deteriorate, and the modern buildings at any of the ports, while display. (Daily Press, 19th March.)
ing a greater adaptibility to the immediate One of the most marked phenomena in wants of the occupants, are not a whit China, especially since the beginning of the inferior either in size or expense to the new century, is the very rapid growth of the older residences. If we enter we find the European populations, not only in Hong-same rule prevailing; the furniture and kong but in an even more marked degree appointments, if on a less grandose style, in the northern ports. The most remark- are on the whole more refined and in better trace of able instances of this growth are to be taste, and certainly show no noticed in the ports of Shanghai and Tien- leterioration either in quality nor in ex- tain. This growth of the foreign populations, penditure. China is in fact following in is accompanied by another clauge not less the footsteps of the colonies, and the new characteristic of the new conditions under communities while they have come to have which the foreign residents live. It is not a local tinge, are in no respect in imperial so very many years since the great bulk of matters one whit behind the most imperial the foreign inhabitants came to China of the colonies. Thi, which is well shown. merely as birds of passage to make a in Hongkong, is if possible even more temporary sojourn, aud cach expected after marked in Shanghai, where long lines of a few years to return to his native country, streets of handsome foreign residences are having in the meanwhile obtained a com- everywhere rising. So great has been the petence, suflicient to keep him in at least den and that the foreign population has inoderate comfort for the r mainder of his within the last five years increased some life. The process was essentially wasteful, fifty per cent. and this has so taxed the and there is little doubt that the largo limits of the Settlements that within the sums of money thus withdrawn from the last twelve mouths the Municipality has working capitial of the country had a more actually had to open out no less than twenty- or less detrimental effect on its general three miles of new streets. From Tientsin trade. At all events they prevented the similar reports of the briskness of the local growth of foreign industry, and had a foroign_building_trade come to hand, and deterrent effect on the wellbeing of the the foreign population till lately numbered several communities. Partly as a natural ouly by hundreds is now expanding into sequence of this state of affairs it became its thousands. In Shanghai the foreign more difficult to pile up the necessary capital to enable those engaged in local | business to retire, and so by the mere force of circumstances a continually increasing number of those engaged in the trade of the port found that, will they or pill they," they had to make up their minds to make
population already is estimated at some 7,500, and is increasing so rapidly that not- withstanding the number of new buildings going up they are still far from being equal to the demand. More noteworthy even than this is the fact that foreign populations are increasing in these cases in a more rapid
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