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AN ALLEGED RUSSO-JAPANESE
SETTLEMENT.
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(Daily Press, 22nd June.) Our Shanghai contemporary the N.-C. Daily News, in short editorial article in its issue of the 18th instant, states that Japan and Russia have come to terms. "The visit of General KUROPATKIN to Tokyo, "which had no political significance," the Daily News says,
has resulted in the signature of a protocol, the terms of "which will be found our Kobe corres- pondent's telegram. Hussin keeps Man- churia and Japan has her eminent rights "in Corea acknowledged. The two ports "in Manchuria for which Japan and the "United States asked are to be opened to the trade of the world, and China "remains the negligible quantity." The telegram referred to is dated Kobe, 17th June, and is to the following effect:- "General KUROPATKIN is here.
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Japanese Press announce that a protocol has been signed at Tokyo recognising the supremacy of Japanese rights in Corea. Russia opens Moukden, Inkao, and Tutungkou to the trade of the world, and admits the residence there of Japanese
"Consuls and a limited number of mer- "chants. Gener KUR PATKIN, is at the "Oriental Hotel, where he is carefully guarded by numerous gendarmes." Con- firmation of this statement will be anxiously awaited. Eveu were he reported terms discovered to be the basis of au ngre ment between Japan and Russia, it could not be held that the Manchurian question has been finally settled. There is a certain appearance of probabilify that Russia has made an offer to Japan on the lines above described. But there are many interests concerned in Manchuria beside those of Japan, and these are but slightly affected by the rumoured agreement between Japan and Russia.
(Daily Press; 25th June.) In our issue of Monday, the 22nd instant, we mentioned a despatch received by the North-China Daily News, to the effect that the Japanese Press dannouuced the signature of a protocol between Japan and Russia recognising the supremacy of Japanese rights in Corea, the opening of three treaty ports in Manchuria, and the permission lor residence of Japanese consuls aud of a limited number of inerchants in that province. This protocol was supposed to be the result of the visit of General KUROPATKIN, Russian Minister of War,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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separate agreements with another Power to "the prejudice of the interests above des- 'cribed," i.e., in China and Corea. It would be impossible to conceive that our ally should enter into auy such arrangement with Russia as was outlined in the telegram which we quoted on Monday last, without a previous reference to Loudon, which obviously could not yet have been made. The whole story therefore may be taken to bave been disproved, and the early state- ments of the Japanese Press that General KUROPATKIN'S visit to Japan bas no particular political siguificance may be recognised as correct. This, it will be understood, does not preclude the possibility of a suggestion having been made to Japan. Whether any such offer was made or not, we are of course not in a position to say.
SOUTH AFRICA AND CHINESE LABOUR.
(Daily Press, 24th June.)
(June 29, 1903.
Whilst the labour market is badly supplied the competition will not be felt, but so soon as the supply becomes in excess of, or even equal to the demand, then the trouble. will begin.
THE UNITed States AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
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(Daily Press, 26th June) The New York correspondent of the Times wrote last month describing how amid the exhilarating air of the Pacific coast Presi dent ROOSEVELT had twice within two days proclaimed the future dominance (and not only commercial dominance) of the United States over the Pacific Ocean; the corres- pondent added that it need not be supposed that the President had any other public in his mind than that which he was address- ing." The suggestion is, of course, that President ROOSEVELT spoke with his eye on the forthcoming elections; and so no doubt he did. Yet we cannot but hear more in the triumphant utterances of the President The announcement that between two of the United States than mere vote-catch- thousand and three thousand Chinese ing verbiage. Naturally he was bound to labourers have been engaged, through the tell the Pacific const electors that he was medium of the Six Companies in San Francisco, to proceed to South Africa for country in that greatest of oceans whereby a believer in the coming supremacy of their service on the Rand is important if correct. they live. But there was a ring of real We thought that this scheme had been confidence in President ROOSEVELT'S knocked on the head. Chinese labour will language which forbids us to think he was not be welcomed in the South African gold-only electioneering. When he told the fields, any more than it was in California people of San Francisco last month that he and Australia, and is not likely to be long failed to see how a man confident of his permitted peaceably. The black labouring country's greatness could be anything bụt population will soon be up in arms against an expansionist and that the United States plodding John Chinaman, as typified in the must, unless they are to become degenerate, Chinese miner. Nor will be be entirely goon with the work which they have begun, welcome to the British and Boer populations. he was obviously speaking in all sincerity, Where the Indian immigrant has failed to and the enthusiasm of his audience was not ingratiate himself, it is highly improbable a matter for wonder. We need not, how- that the Chinese, so much more aggressive ever, necessarily admit that because Presi and pushing, will be found more acceptable, dent ROOSEVELT spoke from his heart he is and it cannot be doubted that their intro- therefore a certain prophet. He claimed duction is I kely to prove a highly disturbing that the United States' geographical position element. It is to be regretted that they on the Pacific is such as to insure their should have been encouraged to try their peaceful domination of its waters in the luck in a land at once so distant from future, if only the nation grasps with the Central Kingdom and 80 unlike it sufficient resolution the advantages of this in the general conditions under which position. They are taking long strides in the
this direction, he went on; witness the new cables, the great steamship lines, the first steps toward digging an Isthmian canal-a canal which will make the Atlantic and the Pacific coast-lines of the United States to all intents and purposes continuous, and will add immensely alike to the commercial and the military and naval strengths of the country. All this is not to be denied, but in speaking of the domination of the Pacific" by the States the President is a little vague.
The Pacific Ocean is, as President ROOSEVELT said, the greatest of all ocoans, and the States have an extent of coast-line which makes the Republic of necessity a Power of the first class on that Ocean. Nevertheless, it must not be forgotten that Great Britain has, in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and the majority of the Southern Pacific isles, Hongkong and the Straits Settlements, a position which can become second to none as long as we have the most powerful fleet in the world. Therefor8, unless we accept as inevitable the growth of the United States navy beyond all possibility of our competition-which is, to say the least of it, a remote contingency at present-we cannot admit President ROOSEVELT'S Con- tention that the United States are marked out definitely as the lords of the Pacific. The opening of the Isthmian canal and the increase in their fleet, which the President make a vast difference in the situation. urges on his countrymen, will doubtless
masses live. It is stated that the agreement under which the Chinese have beeu engaged to go to the Rand stipulates that they shall live separately from the other workmen, and shall b worked in gangs in different parts of the mines from the natives. This arrangement would, no doubt, serve at first to avert collisions and would 80 far have its to Japan. We remarked then that con- advantages, but they would not prove of an firmation of the report would be anxiously enduring nature. Sooner or later the races awaited and that, though it was probable will come into conflict, and if not into con- that Russia might offer such terins (in flict they will learn each others' vices and return for Japan's recognition of her mutually deteriorate. The Chinese quarters osition in Manchuria), many other in- in San Francisco and New York are prac- terests were involved and therefore notically separate from the white population, settlement of the Manchurian question could not yet be looked for, even should the North China Daily News correspondent's report be found correct. In the last number to hand of our Shanghai contem- porary we find the following telegram dated Kobe, 18th Jund." The agreement "between Russia and Japan reported in my "telegram of yesterday is probably fictitious, Weightier papers ignore or discredit it.” This may be taken as disposing entirely of the previous report. It need not now he pointed out that any such rumour argued, on the part of Japan, a complete disregard of the fourth article of the Anglo-Japanese Agreement signed on the 30th January, 1902, which ran as follows: The High Contract- "ing Parties agree that neither of them will, “without consulting the other, enter into
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but the fact does not keep the races apart. Moreover, there are some disadvantages in allowing Chinese'sluins to grow up in a new country; it w uld, for sanitary reasons, be better if the Chinese had to live under the same conditions as the rest of the people. It by any chance plague should creep in with the Chinese immigrants great will be the wail in South Africa, and loud the anathe- mas that will be heaped upon the persous responsible for introducing them. As we have always said, there are special fields where Chinese labour is most acceptable and where the coolie thrives exceedingly; but it is a mistake for him to go so far afield as South Africa, where there is a large aboriginal coloured population, and where his labour also may come into com- 'petition with that of the Caucasian settlers.
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