456
been sown, and it is left for time to say when they will germinate, grow, and frustify. It is evident that the twentieth century will be notable for world-convulsing events in China and the Pacific, the future area of the struggle for the survival of the fittest.-Contributed.
CANTON.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. ]
Canton, 15th December.
RIOT ON THE RAILWAY.
On Sunday evening it was given out tha there had been a riot of considerable proportion on the newly-opened railway. The first report was that the guards (large numbers of whom are stationed along the line) had been ill treating and squeezing the coolice, who bad at length arisen and punished their oppressors. Later reports state that this was not the case, but that the coolies quarrelled among themselves and when their blood was up started to loot and burn everything within sight. A construction shed was barat down, and several of the European staff had to escape by swimming from their house-boats, and sustained loss 8 of valuables Two of the combatant coolies were killed, and many injured. The whole affair appears to have arisen in one of those unaccount- able outbursts of excitement which seem to occur periodically among the Chinese coolie class.
Later details as to the fracas are that it took place some few miles above Faishan, The two persons killed were not coolies, but Chinese women, who were unfortunate enough to fall in the way of the maddened mob.
THE FATE OF CAPTAIN YANG. The career
of Yang, captain of the Shameen guard. has at length been brought to a close by his dismissal from his position; he has furthermore been deprived of all his titles and dignities, and is compelled to retire into private life for (so the Cantonese junk people hope) the remainder of his days At the same time the dismissal is announced of another official of higher renk than Yang, but less krvyn to foreigners. The Vicerog has not departed from the policy of weeding- out, to which attention was drawn repeatedly some few months ago.
TELEPHONE IN CANTON,
For some time the institution of a telephone ystem in Canton has been talked of, but now at last it is a fait accompli, the working being in the hands of the Imperial authorities, who charge at the very moderate rate of $4000 per mensem. All the large yamêns will have the advantage of this new de arture, and many large dealers and banks will also be provided for. Canton is indeed going ahead. It may not be generally known that some years ago the telephone was started in Shameen, but very high charges were made and the thing proved a failure,
CANTON REGATTA.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
weather, a most enjoyable regatta should be held on a piece of water whica cannot be equalled in the old country.
FOOCHOW.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Foochow, 12th December.
WINTER RACE MEETING.
The Foochow Winter Race Meeting has on the whole been a successful one. Bright sun- shine favoured us throughout, and there were some most exciting finishes; whilst the defeat of Conon in the Champions, for which he was so unanimously and easily favourite, formed a most exciting climax The griffins were perhaps disappointin. and Mr. Reynell's Shangh pony Frolic through going lame after the Foo- cow Stakes took a ver: good place-pony chance. if not winner, from the Champions. It was the most widely expressed opinion of the meet- ing that the weak feature of the races was the lack of jockeys, and. it must be confessed, the very in lifferent riding of those jockeys who were good enough after all to help us out of the rather hopeless position of having only one real local rider. It is invidious to pass further comments perhaps, but this year our friends di not seem in form, and in some instances showed an absolute lack of control over their m nuts. May they have better luck next year. and may we have a few more of them! Shanghai was most generous, but we had not a single jockey from Hongkong, and no visitors either from such a large sporting community. Among "mere" visitors we noticed Mr. and Mrs. Willis from Swatow, and Messrs, Marshall, Thomas, and H-mpel from Amy. Visitors who might have come by 8, Haitan would have seen every race of the meeting The Rice Ball was held We had the Viceroy's Band, a very useful and at the Club last night and was a great success. too captiously criticised institution. Mr. G. Balloch lent his Apollo, which was attached to a piano kindly lent by a lady resident, and a second one lent by Mr. C. B. Rickett was also requisitioned. Mr. G. Siemssen's Race tiffin takes place to-morrow at Kuliang, and will doubtless prove as
usual a most delightful
finale to the meeting
PORT ARTHUR.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT,]
1st December.
SITUATION UNCHANGED.
The situation hera remains unchanged The feet is here, ready, waiting; and ever since the arrival of the 27th and 28th East Siberian Regiments which I spoke of in my last 1-tter, the preparations of the military (preparations carried out. I daresay, more with an eye to a certain winter than an uncertain war) go on briskly. Tho same cannot be said, I am afraid. of the negotiations in Tokyo, but, in cns these negotiations break down, it can hardly be said that Japan would be in a better position to fight than she was month ago.
At any rate this is an ominous season in which to wage war with Russia, In November, 148, the Tartars were vanquished y the terrible Russian winter and their
a
November, 1812, commenced the terrible passa:e of the Bersina. The At the time of writing, snow covers all the landscape and the entting north-east wind which will continus blowing till next March would alone make the landing of a large forca al. any expo ed and out-of-the-way point along this bleak coast a difficult matter. I think I may safely venture to prophesy that there will be no trouble here until next spring at any rate.
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The regatta will be held on Friday and Saturday next, the 18th and 19th inst. A long and varied programme has been published; and both spectators and competitors will no doubt have two most enjoyable afternoons. The rac- ing will begin at I p.m. on each day. The first race will be the Hong Pair Oars-for a cup presented by Mr. E. Gilchrist, of the Imperial Maritime Customs. For this race there are six-mination passed away for ever; on 26th entries. The are also International Pairs, a sculling race, which will be certain to produce some good sport, and many lesser races. chief events ara of course the International and | Open Fours. The German crew has been unfortunate c..ough to lose their bow within ten days of the reatta, but on the whole they hare been together for a longer period than the British (four, so that a good race is anticipated. As to the Open Fours, Hongkong sportsmen will be better pasted as to the crews than we of Canton, but it is understood that the Hongkong Rowing Club are sending up a very good crew. in which case Canton will stand a poor chance.
The course will be above Wong Sha-that is, between Belcher's Island and the right bunk of the Pearl River. The officers of the U.S. monitor Monterey have kindly consented to have the course measured, and the Harbour authorities will keep it clear, so that, given fine
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NO COMBINATION AGAINST JAPAN,
1+
Japan may feel easy, however, on ous point. There is no cambination against her as there was in 1895 The Novi Krai 'reassures l-r OD this point. "The Japanese Press it says. "seems to be uneasy last she ha confronted by the triple combination of Russia, France, and Germany which opposed her in 1895.. In the disordered imagination of the Japanese, the slightest cloud on their political horizon takes
[December 19, 1908. the form of a coalition of the Europeans against the seizure by the Japanes of Cor a.
44
But what mistakes the Japanese Press sometimes falls into! In the present instance, the fact of the matter is that a union with Germany for conmon action in the Far East would be anything but advantageous Mor Russia. It seems to us to be very probable that the change which has already taken place in international politics in the near East will extend to the Far East, but it will not consist in Germany drawing closer to France and Russia. It must not be forgotten that the Near and Far Easts have a common conneotion. A rapprochement between Russia and Germany for action in the Near and Far Easts would ouly be to the detriment of England, as the Japanese papers point out, but the interests of Rassiau and British Governments now coincide on many points not only in the Far East but also in the Near East, as we have already than pointed out more
Far-seeing statesmen understand this, but unfortunately the masses have not been sufficiently en- lightened on this subject.
once.
TO THROW LIGHT ON THE QUESTION. "In order, therefore, to throw light on this question as far as possible and at the same time to show the Japanes Press the groundlessness of its alarm, we shall permit ourselves to ay a few words about the colonial policy, which Germany has pursued of late years in the ear East." The Port Arthur paper then points out how Germany has gone rather against Russia in the matter of the Bagdad railway and seems to think that a Russo-Franco-Germa: combina ion against Japan is not likely to take place in the near future.
THE
CHINESE EASTERN RAILWAY.
The Novi Krai has published a series of articles from one of i s staff who has lately been all throuzh Manchuria making investigations. In these articles a bad account is given of the state of things along the railway line, especially in the Chinese town of Harbin, where Russian Jews are accused of first pandering to every depraved taste of some passengers and then fleecing the latter unmercifully. It is sug- gested that order be maintained by genda mes placed under the direct control of the Viceroy and having no connection with the railway company.
Port Arthur, 6th December. UNRET IN CHINA.
The recent slight display of anti-Russian activity on the part of China is exciting some anxiety here, the reports that have come to hand lately of the movements of the Chinese troops in the south of Manchuria being of a These rumours have nature to cause alarm. not yet been fully confirmed, but, on the other hand, it is a fact that the Russian Military Club at Harbin was burnt to the ground ou the night of the 1st December.
MOKE TROUBLE IN CHEMULPO.
Another facas seems to have occurred in Chemulpo, and two Russian warships have been despatched from Port Arthur to that port. No news as to the nature of the affray hs as yet leaked out. The Russiaus feel very sore about the last row in Chemulpo, of which a presumably impartial authority, a German, gives the follow- ̧ ing account Some Japanese establishment was celebrating its opening day, and when some Russian liberty meu happened to stroll into the vicinity they were invited to partake of the cup that cheers and also inebriates. After partak- ing, one of them got up and tried to buy some cigarettes at a stall in the premises, but, owing to the stall-keeper not understanding his gestures, he received instead of cigarettes a blow across the face with a bag said to contain stones. Thus the row began.
The Japaness police and population are alle ed to have done their best to make short work of the Russian sailors, who were very much inferior in number to their opponents, and a steam-launch belonging to the Shosen Yusen Kaisha.is alleged to have made a determined attempt to run down the Russian, at, which was the only means of escape the Russians bad. An Englishman is alleged to have poru ed a loaded gun at the Russians while the row w:8 going UD. A Japanese officer seized the gun, bat on the owner informing him that he wanted to shoot, not the Japanese, as the officer seemed to imagine, but their
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