414-
value of the work which missions are doing in-China, nail that the missionaries have not left most urgent calls at home unattendo to, before they give as liberally as he wishes.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[December 6, 1903;
||Bragg's contention, and decided to address | less civilised,Turk began to lose his own the Government-once more. It seems to native virtues, while the hard and unaccom- ds that the Chamber of Commerce is hostmodating tenets of the religion of MAHOMET decidedly right in this matter, which; thought | prevented him from acquiring those of settled it is not one of vital importance to shipping | life. The effect was marked, not only on the firms, is nevertheless one which affects Turk as master, but on the subject peoples, MAIL STEAMERS AND THE RED their convenience considerably. By the who by degrees retroceded from the level of
Of
FLAG.
(Daily Press, 2nd December.) Some correspondence was read at the last monthly meeting of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, with regard to the question of explosives on board steamers in the Harbour, which is of considerable interest to the leading shipping firms out here. Mr. HEWITT, as chairman of the Chamber, wrote ou the 16th September urging the Goverument to alter the law respecting the flying of the red flag on all ships entering the Harbour with explosives ou board. The Colonial Secretary replied on the 22nd September that the Guvern ment saw no sufficient reason for altering the law. Mr. HEWETT wrote again on the 19th October, his letter being that publish- ed in our columns yesterday. Herein the unwillingness of the Chamber was expressed to let matters rest without urging the Government once more to amend the exist ing regulatique. It was pointed out that in the Treaty Ports of China it is permissible for ships to carry small quantities of am- munition, as 100 lbs. of gunpowder or 20,000 rounds of cartridges, without being obliged to conform to any special regulations, although in China itselt it is necessary to take the greatest care to prevent illegal importation of munitions of war. The Committee of the Chamber of Com- merce gave its opinion that it would be sufficient protection to Hongkong if, instead of the red flag rule and the cbligation to lie in the Dangerous Goods auch rage, it was simply required that the masters or agents of ships carrying small quantities of ammunition should deposit with the Harbour Master written particulars of the dangerous goods carried. And they also suggested that, while the red flag should be retained for all vessels with sufficiently large quantities of explosives on board as to necessitate their lying in the special anchorage, another signal should be introduced to convey information to the Harbour authorities of the presence of ex plosives, without interfering with the move- ments of the vessel. Finally Mr. HEWETT's letter pointed out that, as matters now stand, a vessel with even one case only of safety cartridges on board must fly the re flag and must proceed to the Dangerous Goods nichorage unless permission to the contrary be received from the harbour au- thorities, and that this in most cases means the loss of several hours before the steamer
can enter the harbour and proceed to a wharf or lor moorings. The Colonial Secretary replied on the 24th October stating that H.E. the Governor was still of opinion that no su. h alteration of the law as the Chamber proposed was necessary, and that the Acting Harbour
Ordinance a restriction is imposed on them cívilisation which they had at one time which did not exist in the past, does not attained, till in these modern days there is exist in the Treaty Ports of China, and little to choose between Turk and Rayah. hampers the freedom of vessels. The Acting So far it might appear that the coast is Harbour Master has stated that in nine clear, and that any measures that would cases out of ten the shipping agents send basten the departure of the Turk from bin manifests of the dangerous goods on European territory could not but be hailed board before the vessel's arrival. It is pre- by all Europe as an unmixed blessing. But Were the inhabitants cisely in the tenth case that the hardship herein comes the rub comes in, for it is usually the case of the of the Balkan Peninsula to be left to work large mail steamer, whose agent is unable to oat their own salvation, the departure of the send particulars, in advance, of such danger. Turk migt be accepted as the first harbinger ous gods as may be carried. A mail steamer of a better dawn for Europe and the world, may pick up a very small quantity of ammuni- but unfortunately all the schemes for the tion, perhaps a case or so of cartridges, at soothing of the exodus are marred by the some intermediate port between home ambitious desires of the Powers for the and Hongkong, and by the existing regula-control of these populations in their in. tions she has to approach the Harbour dividual interests. Russia, careless of the flying the red flag and proceed to the remote interests or feelings of the peoples, would Dangerous Goods anchorage to awnit the see in the situation only the means of still Harbour Master's permission to go to her further increasing her already over-grown moorings, thus losing several hours. This empire; Germany, equally careless of the "tenth case," therefore, causes a delay to well-being of the inhabitants, would strive the very class of vessel which it is most to take advantage of it to advance her own necessary should not be delayed, and which private schemes of an impractical Pan- would not be delayed in any Treaty Port Germanism; and Austria, placed thus, as it in China for such a reason. It is to be were, between the upper and the nether hoped that the Officer Administering the mill-stone, would endeavour to utilise it Government will take into consideration in establishing her own control. the fact that the exceptions mentioned by no particular ambitious of their own, the the Acting Harbour Master are just those western nations could not but see in which are the most important, and will there any extensions of the other Powers, & fore consent to a reconsideration of the danger to the stability of Europe which question by the Government. We under might perforce lead to an armed interven stand that, in accordance with the deci- tion. sion at the November meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, a letter has been addressed to the Colonial Secretary, urging the reality of the hardship which Sir HENRY BLAKE failed to see. That this letter may have the desired effect is trusted not only in shipping circles, but in all quarters intere ted in the early arrival of mail steam irs.
THE "NEAR EAST,”
With
Unfortunately, too, there exista ini England a puritanical school, which, under and simply peace, the pretence of for sentimental ideas of their own, would
into acts cor country drag
worse complica- tain to produce still tions even than those at present existing.
the
Such are the conditions of the Macedonian question, and it is easy to comprehend how grossly they would be exaggerated were the apparently simple solution of the evacuation of Europe by the Turk to enter into It is the field of practical politics. in such circumstances that each succes- sive Government in England, to what- ever party it belonged, has on entering on the responsibilities of office, no matter what ita avowed utterances may have been when in seclusion, adopted the apparently in consistent course of seemingly backing up the government of Turkey for the time being not that it sees anything to admire in the position, but in the fear that worse may come.
!
(Daily Press, 1st December.) That all Europe, or at least those countries which desire to live in harmony with their neighbours, and have no wish to see the con- tinent embroiled in a deadly struggle on the off chance of getting some personal advantage from the misfortunes of their neighbours, coes without saying. More especially would Great Britain be glad to get rid of her
Now the present Sultan ABDUL thaukless responsibility to lend seeming support to an administration which seemed HAMID, weak and incapable as he is as an to her to be the acme of all that was bad, administrator, has yet sufficient knowledge. and a continual menace to the peace and of statecraft to see the advantage this good order of Europe. In the customary position of affair gives him in resisting all demands for reform by whomever urged. language of the day, the Turk is an
and in this he is still further helped by the anachronism in Europe; but he is far more than an anachronism, he is an intruder, truculence of the insurgent leaders. It is and lacks the prescription that original unfortunately the case that, bad as is the Master
possession alone can convey. The rest of Turkish soldiery, that of the insurgents; had informed the Government that
Europe was not only Christianised but had it but the power, would not be a whit in nine cases out of ten the shipping civilised, when, taking advantage of the better, and that were the situation reversed agents send him a copy of the mani- weakness of the later Byzantine Emperors, there would be as much occasion for an fest of the dangerous goods on board the Turks crossed the Dardanelles and outcry against Macedonian atrocities as now before the vessel's arrival, upon the finally obtained possession of Constantinople, exists for the deprecation of Turkish cruelty. receipt of which manifest the Harbour At first, indeed, they possessed in a large In the absence of any real knowledge of the Master's instructions are issuel forthwith, so
measure those virtues which go far to nature and extent of the reforms urged on the Sultan by Russia and Austria, it is of that no delay is caused by the pres nt re-reconcile the world with a conquering race; gulations. H.E. faile 1 to see any hardship they were brave, generous, and treated the course out of the question to pass judg. in the necessity of flying the red flag. The subject peoples with justice, and almost ment on their probable effects, but coming Committee of the Chamber of Commerce on with magnanimity. As the centuries passed as they do from so very questionable a
7th Nosembər, after hearing the last and the race of OTHMAN settled down on
source we have certainly room for doubt as letters read, disagreed with Sir HENRY the rich lands of the Balkan peninsula, the as to their quality and efficiency. No due
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.