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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The present Govern- | to approaching. ment has shown great skill and tact in diplomacy since taking office, and, aided by the sterling commonsense of Marquis Ito who has been called is to its councils, it may yet be hoped that the terrible disaster of a war at this critical stage of the country's development will be averted."
In its next issue the Kobe Chitonicle says :- Nothing very definite is published to account for the increasing excitement shown by the Japanese papas regarding the Manchuria question. Apparently fears of an approaching crisis are maiuly based on the change in the attitude of Prince Ching, who is said to have gone over to the Russian side altoge her.
The Asahi publishes a Peking despatch to the effect that Prince Ching has placed himself on the Russian sile. This despatch attri- butes the Prince's change of wind to the following causes:-1t is thought that the high cfficials in constant attendance upon the Empress Dowager have, after mich persuasion, at last induced her Majesty to agree that it is expedient for China to make a friend of Russia, This has led Prince Ching to confirm the policy pursued by the Imperial Court, otherwise he might find it difficult to maintain his position. At first Prisce Ching, who is not a strong-willed man and is easily led, attempted to refuse the demands, being backed by Great Britain and Japan, and b lieving that Japan would help China even if it was necessary to have recourse to the force of arms Now he has found that Great Britain slows more in- difference over the Manchurian question than he anticipated and that the determination of the Japanese Government is not so strong and firm as Mr. Uchida, the Japanes Minis er in Peking, had led him to belive He thinks the officials and politicians in Japan are only interested in the matter for the sake of the power and influence invlved Prince Ching also has to consider his position. and is con- vinced of the advisability of associating himself with Russia if his position is to be maintained.
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any
Power, and this is the
very cause of the present Manchuria question. We could If we had opposed Germany, as have done with righteousness and effectual power, when she dared to seize Kiaochau Bay, with her insufficient naval force, which neither had any reserve of army, or any naval station biuese waters for support, she would have been surely forced to retreat; and if Germany could not take Kiaochau, certainly Russia could have had no pretext to request the lease of Port Arthur and Talienwan,
in
When the Boxer trouble was over, if the Powers had agreed to stipulate clearly a rule for evacuation to include Manchuria, Russia would have had no pretext to prolong her occupation.
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It was our dee› regret to see these things, the results of failure to turn opportunities to account.
[July 13, 1903. be quite different from placing it in Cores. ` Russia, of course, seems disposed to locate the question in Corea, with the inference that Manchuria is already in her hands. But the solution of the present Eastern question must involve the keeping intact of Manchuria; if wo yield a step to Russia and let her get to China, sho will easily go a step further.
After all the Manchurian question should be discussed without reference to Corea. If we yield and restrict our interests in Manchuria in order to get a trifling, nominal interest in Coren the last state of affairs will be worse than the present condition. To discuss the question from the legal standpoint, the evacuation of Manoburia is, needless to say, Russia's duty. This evacuation does not mean the transference of troops from one district to another, but the clearing away of all troops, including the railway guards. The agreement for returning Man- churia stipulates in its second article that: "The Chinese Government agrees in recover- ing the sovereignty and administration over Manchuria to recognise the period of contrast and other terms agreed upon with the Russo- Chinese Bank; to protect railways and officials in accordance with the fifth article of the agreement; and also to be responsible for the protection of Russian subjects resident in Manchuria and the safety of their works." And in the fifth article of the agreement with the Russo-Chinese Bank it is stipulated that: "Railways and men on the railway shall be protected by the Chinese Government, who shall inske regulations." etc.
There will be grave danger to the existence of the State, if our Government overlook the non-fulfilment of its treaty by Russia and sub- mit to temporise with a sluggish policy when Russia is not disposed to evacuate Manchuria though the stipulated time for doing so is past. We must have no more failures, through such opportunities as we lost, first at the return of the Laotung peninsula, secondly at the time of the Kianchau seizure, and thirdly when Chili province was evacuated after the Boxer trouble. The past cannot be overtaken bat we must devise a scheme to recover on one side what we have lost on the other; especially must we not forget that the situation in the East is one of increasiog danger, and we have no sur- It is clear enough then that the Manchurian plusage of opportunities to lose as in the past. railway is to be protected in accordance with We must not forget that if the opportunity is Chinese regulations, which have never recognis- lost now, neither Japau, Corea, or China will bed that the railway is to be protected by able to lift their head again. The moment is Russian troops. The meaning of evacuation is, most critical; if we lose it, it will be our irrepar- therefore, the clearing away of all troops able sorrow for ever. And what plea can weset
without exception, and Russia's action in pro- up to our ancestors or how face the judgment of tecting the railway by her own soldiers is not
based on the Treaty or the Regulations. posterity ?
It is proved by recent reports that Russia is threatening us by concentrating her naval force in these seas, while she has supplemented Referring to the Novoe Vremyd's allegations the construction of railways, forts, and batteries that Japan is bent on a fatal and nee flessly in Manchuria by an increased army. One day's aggressive policy towards Russia, the Japan hesitation increases the dauger. Although we Times says:-"If Russia prores ler sincerity refrain from giving away our military secrets, by a faithful observance of her international we can congratulate ourselves that our force, obligations, nobody would over dream of inter- compared with Russia's, will be superior for a
legitimate fring with her
interests in
year from now, If we fail to take advantage of Manchuria. As a matter of fact, she is This opportunity our damage will be irreparable Although for several thousands of years. deliberately forcing other countries to take up & hostile attitude by her polley of wanton aggres- Russia's force is inferior to ours, she is now sion. We can honestly assure our contemporary acting as andaciously and shamelessly as though that nothing could give more satisfaction to she were Mistress in the East, by despising Japau than
a conviction that Russia is treaties, instigating horsed-robbers, sending not really aggressive but as peaceful in disguised sldiers into Corea, and devising to her intentions and actions as she is get the lease of some important point in Corea. declared to be by the Noyoe Tremya. Is It is needless to say what she intends, when she Russia prepared to give us reasonable assur- has assured herself of victory over any ances on this point? We slucerely hope that antagonist. If she gets a footing in Man- she is so prepared, although, if our contem-churia, she will surely covet Corea; and when porary in any way voices official views, such hope seems to have but slight chance of realisation."
The Nippon says that Russia "has herself now made her territories accessible by railways and valuable by development, and the time has come when the question of her partition takes its place among the practical issues of the era. This is Jingoism, with a vengeance!
In its issue of the 1st inst. the Kobe Chronicle says that excitement over the Manchurian question has much abated, and there is little fresh news regarding it.
THE JAPANESE PROFESSORS' PROTEST. The following is a translation, specially made for the NC. Daily News, of the protest sent to the Japanese Government by the seven Profes- sors, Tomui, Tomizu, Terao, Takahashi, Nakamura, Kana), and Oñozüka, of the Imperial University, Tokyo:
Success or failure in the world depends on whether we utilise our pportunities or not. Opportunity taken advantage of can change misfortune into prosperity, while opportunity lost may have just the reverse result. Our diplomacy regarding Far Eastern affairs, since the Chino-Japanese War seems to have lost its opportunity several times. For instance, our Government carelessly returned the Liaotung peninsula to China without insisting on the condition that it should not be alienated
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the latter has fallen into her hands, the next step to be taken by her is clear enough.
We have
'These are the reasons why we must solve the Manchurian question with a right perception of its roots. At this moment Heaven gives us ample prospect of victory;
the geographical advantage, while Russia has not yet a stable footing in the East; we have har- mony among our people, who are unanimously ready to fight Russis, to neglect the moment is to endanger great achievements of our ancestors and ruin the prosperity of our descendants.
Diplomacy, of course, needs a deliberate consideration, and we must carefully investigate the disp sitions of England, the United States, Germany, and France, but the attitudes of these countries are almost plain. That of England will be decided by the interpretation of the Anglo-Japanese agreement, and it is needles therefore to assure ourselves of her disposition since the agreement stipulates that England will keep strict neutrality if Japan fights only one country. Moreover there has been ample occasion to discover her attitude since the 8th April, on which date Russia was to evacuate Manchuria. -
The statement that Corea must by no means be put under the influence of any other country would be reasonable, but if we want to protect Cores we must not leave Manchuria in Russian hands. It must be already understood that to place the disputing point in Manchuria would
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Since Russia swore to this agreement before the witnesses of the foreign Powers, that Power which has close and critical interest in the fulfil- nent of that duty is entitled to request its fulfilment with firmness. We must resolutely require the evacuation of Manchuria. Although Russian statesmen try to bribe us with honied words we must look at the question from its roots and make uo yielding to ccept Corea for Manchuria or any such suggish policy.
We are not arbitrarily insisting on fighting; on the contrary we shall greatly regret if we are remembered hereafter as prophets because things have turned dat exactly as we surmised.
The Japanese nation is notified that the existence of the State is threatened if the opportunity given by Heaven is neglected. We shall be committing national suicide if wa try to put off the crisis by a sluggish policy The question must be solved at once.
ROBBERIES IN HONGKONG.
A daring theft of a lady's purse bag was committed on the 7th inst, in the open street by a Chinaman. The owner of the purss, a spanish lady named Madame Zarza, residing at Beaconsfield Arcade, was looking in a shop a coolie window in Des Voeux Road, when came up behind, caught her by the neck, and snatched the purse, which contained a sum of $19, off her belt. She called
tried
out and Was
to catch him, but though| it not yet dark and there were plenty of people about, the man succeeded in getting clear away. The affair was reported to the authorities at the Central Police Station, but there is little if any ohance of effecting the arrest of the impudent thief.
While Mrs. Jorge, wife of Mr. F. J. V. Jorge, was shopping in Wellington Street on the 8th instant her purse was snatched by a Chinese. The robber ran into one of the lanes, made his exit to Lan Kwai Fong and then escaped up Glenealy. Mrs. Jorge pursued the rogue, crying for help, but of course could not eatch him, had a nasty fall and lost sight of the thief. The purse, which was hang- ing from her waist, contained $95 in banknotes, one diamond ring (16 stones), a bunch of keys, handkerchiefs, and some bills. Mrs. Jorge had come down for the purpose of settling accounts and was in company with a Spanish lady, Mrs. Aisa, when the robbery took place. The loss
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