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RUSSIA ON THE SUNGARI.
(Daily Press, 3rd October.) The North China Daily News draws atten. tion to the fact that Rissin, in addition to her other
vouring temes in Münchuria, is endea.
secure eutiro possession of the Sungari River, on the banks of which and its tributaries are built all tue principai cities of Northern Manchuria, while its waters form one of the three main routes `thence to Siberia. Ching has always refused to open the river, feeling that this would mean the opening of Manchuria. Since the China Japan war, however, the beaten nation was not strong enough to prevent the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway, or trading on the Sungari, unauthorised though the latter might be on paper. It was in 1895 that the first Russian steamer sailed up the river as far as Kirin, since when Russian boats have used the route freely. Russia will perh ps claim. the Daily News suggests, that the Aibun Tredy entitles her to navigate the Sungari, but that convention gave her no other rights than that of "inland navigation,” allowed by China to all the Powers. Russin now proposes to establish landing-places along the river and to guard them with soldiers. But whatever right Russia may to navigation is shared by the other Powers, whom Russia is now endeavouring to bar out altogether. Our Shanghai con- temporary claims, and rightly claims, that if China agrees to the present proposal of Russia, other nations must be given similar rights on all other rivers in China. We call attention to the article in the Daily News because it points out the correct way in which the commercial Powers must meet Russia's extortions from China in the North, i.e., not by threatening war or by attempting land ab ing, but by insisting firmly on the opening up of closed areas. The question is one which I rgery affects Hogkong, for ven within a little distance of the Colony lie great and fertile districs, of incalculabe importance to our future development, but as yet entirely closed t our trade and shut off from the outer world.
have
RUSSIA IN CHINA AND COREA.
(Daily Press, 2nd October ) The North-China Daily News publishes a Tokyo telegram of th 27th September, stating that the Japanese Progressists have issued a manifesto, which is signed by Count OKUMA, insisting on the necessity of restraining the Power which is encroaching on China and menacing Curea." The Japanese Government hardly needed this reminder, especially in view of the nego tiations still apparently going on in St. Petersburg. But the issue of the manifesto shows what a keen watch is being kept in Japan on the situation in North-east Asia. No sooner does a pause occur than the Forward party in Japan takes the opport i nity of striking the note of alarm again-a policy which must somewhat embarrass the Government in its treatm nt of an enor mously difficult state of affairs. The enbur rassment of the Japanes authocities, | however, is nothing compared with that is which the Chinese have been for many months now, Prince Chiva is sull reported as timorou, as shittless und as pro-Kusian ! as ever listest intuition, &.cording to a panese correspondent to Peking, is to a k Jupin, through her representative at the Chin apital, to moderate her views in ay that China may sign without new agreement with Russia This is a cool request; but Prince CHING is
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY Press and
said only to be waiting on the result of the St. Petersburg negotiations, meanwhile trying his best to gain tim. He dares not, in fact, do anything else. Lacking back. bone, he recognises that suppleness his its M38. Such a thing as the honour and dignity of his own country does not appear |
¦
to cater into his ideas, and the only co-
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sideration which keeps him from conluing a lisgrace.ul compact with Russia fear Nor does the siteʼn of a rea's advisers seem very different. The present govern | meat of that nation, evèa though it ventured, not long ago, to give orders to pull down a line of illegally erected tele- graph-poles on the Corean bank of the Yalu River, is obviously inclined to favour Russian enterprise at the expense of Japan. This is as true now as it was when the Tokyo correspondent of the London Times pointed it out two months ago, adding
Japan will not suffer anything of that "kind quietly. She knows now on what "sma!I
foundations Russia builds b.g "cdifices of Empire, and she understands what effect a Russian Corea would have 40 on her OWO tranquillity. Possibly "Russia's doings in the Yalu valley may "have heen intended original' as a mere cunter-irritant to the Mauchurian complication, but either St. Petersburg or M. PAVLOFF seems to have forgot ten how close Corea is to Japan in reality as well as in history.' W th reference to this, it hardly seems likely that Russia, in her proceedings at Yong-a pho and elsewhere in Coren, was merely setting to work a counter-irritant to the Machu
the rian complication, as correspondent suggests. There appears to be a good deal more determination behind her actions and a readiness to provoke Japanese popular hostility which is hardly coason int with the desire to make a simple feint. Until, how ever, it is possible to learn something about the St. Petersburg negotiations. if then it is unprofitable to speculate on Russia's exact policy. The most hopeful critics of the
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et
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gitation think that she has alvanced in Coroa in order to be able to draw back and, in return for this concession, to consolidate the position in Manchuria. But it is cer ta nly unsafe to state this as a fact, seeing | for how long a period Russia has be
intriguing in Corea,
A PERSONAL ANNIVERSARY.
(Daily Press, 1st October.)
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It is forty-six years ago to-day since the Hongkong Daily Press first made its appear- ance in this Colony, so that it may per haps be permitted to us to refer back to our earliest issue on Thursday, the 1st October, 1857. The Daily Press was, when it com menced, a four-page paper of a demy folio size, devoted t ships, commerce and colonies," containing (in its first number) a column nad a half of editorial and notes, five columns of advertisements, while vessels expet and shipping in harbour filled the remaining page and two-thirds-each page containing three columns. It was printe at the Armenian Press in Wellington Street, and was e lite from an office in the Quest's Rond Dispensary. There are many points of interest, i emparison with modern time, which might be noted, but we must con- tent ourselves with drawing attention to a few which are observable in our earliest issues.
October 5, 1903.
5/-. The sovereign fetched $4.25. Opium on the 1st October at Hongkong stood thus:New Patna, $800; Old, $775; Be nares, $780; Malwa, $900. Today, with a dollar varying between 1/10 and 1/10}, the quotations stand:-New Patna, $1,100; Old, 1,1024; Benares, $1,000; Malwa, $970 to $1,030 (Oid); and Persian (which did not appeur 46 years ago), $840 to $850. We do not get the price of food and fond- stuffs mentioned, but we see from an advertisement that eight China Shops in Queen's Rond, ne ir Peel Street, were valued at a yearly rental of $24 a month only.
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Turning to shipping, we find the Austrian Lloyd Steam Navigation Company adver- tising the following fares between Alexan dria and Trieste, for the convenience of passengers travelling from China by the monthly and bi-monthly Indian stealuers:
1st class, £16; 2nd class, £11; 3rd class, £7. The same company also announces that they have made arrangements in Trieste for telegraphic messages to London or any part of the Continent sent to them from China. The charge from Triesto to London was about 16 florins or 323. per 20 words, and £1 per message. As to time of transit, to Hongkong from Bombay or Caleut- ta took about a math, from Sun Francisco about six weeks, while merchants ships coming out from Northern Europe might take four to five months. The shipping in Hongkong Harbour on the 1st October, 1857, comprised 122 vessels, six of which (all British) were steamers, while the rest were described as barques, brigs, schooners, or ships. The companies mentioned as consignees, agents, etc., include the P. & O. S. N. Co., Messrs. Jardins, Matheson & Co.; Messrs. Angier & Co., John Burd & Co., Dent & C., Holliday, Wise & Co., Pustau & Co., Russell & Co., Siemssen & Co., Wardley & Co., etc., etc.
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Then, as for news items, we find in the second number an account of a murder at West Point on the 30th September, 1857, when a "mandarin spy was killed by a crowd which included a relative of one of his victims. The Daily Press commented: "The question arises, what was this man.
doing in Hongkong Doubtless on man- "darin business-a hint to our police "authorities not to relax the precautionary measures hitherto so successfully adopted "for our safety an l protection."
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The following passage, from the third number, reads curiously :-" The Teetotum Fort in the Macao Passage, at present Admiral SEYMOUR's advanced position, "is garrisoned by part of the Raleigh's In laot the Raleighs are "turned into quiet Tectotums, but this "time they have a craft which, we'll o.ngage "they will not lose."
EL
men.
In the fourth number we learn that “thể efperiment of circulating bank-notes among the Chinese is evidently going to be success- ful"; in the sixth, that the gunboats out bere "are certainly not the craft that it was supposed they were," and their officers "have anything but a good billet"; and, more exciting still, in the ninth issue, that "H.E. Sir John Bowring has received "from Calcutta a fiue handsome carriage. It was a source of anxiety to us, lest Baron DE GROs should be lugged up the hill on “that shocking concern that Lord ELGIN was "bundled in on his landing." On the 12th October we find a discussion on the veracity Taking first a subject which is of con- of Americu newspapers-since then strik, suming interest just now, that of exchange, ingly tested in the latest American develop- e find that on the 5th October, 1857, thement in the Philippines. There are pissiges doilar stood thus:-Blank and first class from this article and from various notes which papar on London at 6 months' sight, | we should like to quote, many of which 4/114; private bills at 6 months' sight, might well be written at the present day,
C
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