May 4, 1909.
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PEKING A TREATY PORT.
(Daily Press, 25th April.)
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905
THE BRITISH TAXPAYER'S BURDEN.
(Daily Press, 30th April.) of Lords last month, which was awaited with Lord ROSEBERY, in a speech in the House that eager interest which all his public utterances now command, wrote upon his
the
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. THE POSSIBILITY OF WAR.
"and a
vast Empire like Russia seems causing the transfer of the seat of Govern- "almost a hopeless task for the former, forment to some city further south, and there- - ́ ́ ́ (Daily Press, 29th April.) The belief prevails in the north that the "Britain failed to inflict really serious be a desirable result. Of course the pro- "even two great Powers like France and fore more central, it would for many reasong war which is considered to be inevitable between Japan and Rusna will be an event
damage on the Russian Empire in the posal to move the Court to Hsian-fú in Crimean war. of the near future, and the news from
Port Arthur will very Shensi is not a practical one, though it London during the past few days has pro-
likely be another Sebastopol. The fact could be done, and was done during the bably done much to confirm the impression."unconquerable." When the matter is Nanking or Wuchang, or even Tsinan-fa- "of the matter is that Russia is practically occupation of Peking by the Powers, The N.-C. Daily News institutes a compari- carefully considered few, we think, will be would be preferable, for Hsian-fu is so son between the warships which Russia now has in Asiatic waters and those possessed
be found to dispute that conclusion. inaccessible that it could never be regarded by Japan. With the arrival of Admiral
as either a safe or pleasant place of residence STACKELBURG'S Squadrou
which ap-
for the Foreign Representatives, aud is so pears for some reason or other to have
remote that the influence and prestige of proceeded from Singapore to Port Arthur
the Imperial Government would undoubtedly without calling at Hongkong-the Russian
be greatly impaired by the permanent Squadron, so far as battleships are concerned, of the Foreign Ministers in Peking are there. Peking is more than sufficiently It is satisfactory to hear that the majority establishment of the seat of government becomes the strongest in these waters. pressing the Chinese Government to declare distant from the centres of trade, and it Russia's fleet in the Far East now consists that city a Treaty Port. The Representa would be folly to shift the capital we believe, of seven or eight battleships, teu tive of Russia alone holds aloof from the city in the far north-west. cruisers, two protected cruisers, eleven movement, presumably because the question gunboats, and several torpedo boats. Japan is not one that favours Muscovite interests, can only bring six modern battleships into which are best served by the maintenance action, whilst Great Britain at the present as far as possible of the isolation of the time has only four on the China Station. seat of government in China, but his Our northern contemporary is of opinion influence will not, we hope, suffice to stiffen that if Japan were sanquished at sea Russia the back of the EMPRESS DOWAGER to such could without much difficulty pour large an extent as to enable her to set the rest of masses of troops into the Japanese the Treaty Powers at defiance and refuse islands, from Port Arthur. We doubt the demand. We hoped and expected that very much whether that would prove Peking would have been included among such an easy matter for Russia, for the the new Treaty Ports in the last Treaty, conformation of the country all along for after the events of 1900 it was obviously the Japanese coastline is such 9.8 to
most desirable that the capital should be enable the strongest possible defence to be opened up to foreign trade and residence, made and we should be inclined to regard the success of an invasion as extremely proble-outer world. There is, of course, little real and no longer be a prohibited city to the matical. We are in agreement with our trade and no manufactures to speak of in contemporary when it declares that if, on Peking, but there is no reason why these the other haud, Japan is the victor in the should not to some extent be developed. inevitable naval fight the ultimate issue of A foreign hotel and a foreign store were the war is still more problematical.
In permitted in Peking prior to the memorable "all probability Coren would then become sicge of the Legations, and it would be no "the battle-ground between the two Powers real hardship on the Court, and need be no and a long and wear war would very offence to it, if the foreign traveller and the likely be the result Neither Power foreigu merchant were allowed, if they so "would be in the position to do the other desired, to take up their residence in this "much damage, and the struggle would unsavoury city. The demand of the Foreign probably be ended by a treaty of mutual Representatives has not been met with a "concessions. It is not certain that Japan | decided, negative, but
could ever land a sufficiently large army Secretary, WANG WEY-SHAO, who, it is said, new Grand to carry the struggl into Manchuria. has been specially commanded by his "The question would be whether Russia Imperial mistress to obstruct the matter, could get her European squadron out has deferred giving any decided reply. here to do battle with the victorious Meantime it is given out by the native Japanese fleet; but delays are dangerous papers that the demand is so unpalatable to "in war and during the time which would the EMPRESS-DOWAGER that she proposes elapse before the arrival of the second to make the opening of Peking as a Treaty "Russian squadron, Japan might have Port an excuse for transferring the Court
inflicted irreparable damage on Russia's elsewhere. Whether interests in China."
this proposal is seriously intended or not it is impossible to This view of the matter entirely leaves say. The idea of deserting Peking has out of account the part that Ergland would long occupied the minds of the EMPRESS be called upon to play in the conflict as the DowAGEE and her advisers, as the presence Ally of Japau, which is a very important of the foreign troops in the different consideration indeed. For our part we Legations is very unwelcome to them, and have very little belief in the early possibility it is quite possible that the establishment of a war between the two Powers. The of Russian influence in Manchuria has also probable cost in hird cash is a factor which had some influence in making the Chinese will have great weight in the deliberations Government desire to remove the capital to at Tokio as well at St. Petersburg. a site further removed, from the paw of the Unquestionably, the feeling of resentment Bear.. However that may be, it is certain in Japan against Russia on account of her that the Chinese Government consider that deliberate evasion of the obligations to in Peking they have at present much less which she pledged herself in the Mauchurian chance of maintaining their cherished Convention of last year is very strong, but isolation, and that the dominating influence we doubt whether it will issue in anything of the Western Powers is too much felt in beyond strong diplomatic protests. Russia Peking to rake it a desirable place of has made the fullest preparation for war in abode. It may be doubted whether, on any defence of her projects in this part of the score, it is really desirable that the Chinese world, and we believe she has too strongly capital should be situated in the extreme secured her position to be ousted except at north of the Empire, and practically great cost to the Power or Powers which susceptible to the influence of Russia. be- make the attempt. Out! northern contem-
cause of the propinquity of her frontier, porary expresses the opinion that
A and if therefore the conversion of Peking "war between a small country like Japan into a Treaty Port should be the means of
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judge from the nature of the Budget pro- clean slate " a few lines which, if we may posals, the Government has seriously taken to heart. His lordship brought forward a notion approving the proposed Council of National Defence, and expressing Council way be directed to the adjustment earnest hope that the first efforts of that of the national armaments to the naval, military and financial conditions of the Empire. Lord ROSEBERY's speech was & clear and vigorous expression of the views. common to the great mass of the people of England upon the subject of our national expenditure. Increasing national expendi. ture is common to all countries, and for much the same reasons. During the last three years, for example, the French budgets have shown a total deficit of £29,000,000. In England the or- gone up during the last seven years dinary expenditure of the country has at the rate of 51 millions a year. The national is now £800,000,000, and the municipal debt, funded and. unfunded
debt is nearly £300,000,000. As Lord ROSEBERY said, no the latter debt is likely to diminish, one believes that
but rather will it increase, and his lordship did but voice the general feeling of the country when he expressed the view that in face of these facts the people of England had to settle down to a fixel and firm prospect of a permanent income tax of 1s., with bread stuffs and coal in a per- manent state of taxation. To the tax- payers, he said, the only result a victorious war seemed to have been a machinery to stereotype for all time war taxation upon the country. It is the question of finance," Lord ROSEBERY con- tinued, “that dominates and must dominate our national policy. It was our mɔney bags that weighed down the first Napoleon, You are you are
depleting our
ur money bag, now pence. The Government say we cannot bleeding us to death in time of
spend less; if that is true then our state must indeed be parlous, for I do not know what we should do if we were faced with the additional expenditure of war. point was emphasised by the Duke or MARLBOROUGH, from the Government side of the House, who insisted that a financ reserve is not less vital to the nation thần efficiency of the Army and Navy. Yes, it is a reserve that needs to be well looked
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