180
ilt. Her passengers discredited the reported Japanese losses at Port Arthur, as the Pro- vidence was stopped early on the 25th close to Port Arthur by the Japanese squadron, which was then apparently quite sound.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
|
A summary of the negotiations with regard to the Chemulpo refugees will no doubt be of interest to our readers, and we accordingly give one, as well as a brief explanation of the various international questions that have arisen in the matter.
[March 7, 1904. .
OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.
We understand that a very important official report on the fight at Chemglpo has been sent down by Captain Bailey, H.M.S. Talbot, but naturally it is of a confidential nature and not intended for publication.
The Sinwenpao gathers from a Kinchow despatch that upon the arrival of a reinforce. As is well known, on the 9th February, after
THE VLADIVOSTOCK SQUADRON. ment of over 10,000 Russian troops at Liao-
an unsuccessful engagement just outside With regard to the movements of the Rus yang, the Russian authorities ordered the Tar Chenlpo, the commander of the Russian war-
gian
ladivostock squvirau after the sinking of tar General Tseng-chi and his civil and military ship Koreelz blow up his ship, and the com- tho Nagoura-maru, Captain Enami, of that subordinates to 15 ve their Yameas and cross mander of the Varyag sank his vessel, declaring | vess·1, after his arrival in Japan, could not say over to Kinchow, as the Russians wished to use they int nded to take refnga on the neutral what the war-ships were doing during the four the Yamens tins vacated as store-houses for pro-ships in Chemulpo harbour-the British Talbot, days hows a prisoner on board until the visions, etc. The Turtar General has given no French Pascal, and the Italian Elba These squadron arrived at Vladivostock. as the reply to the Russians, as he did not know what vessels then sent their boats and took off the Japanese were kept clos· prisoners b-low decks. to say to this unreasonable request. It is fur-
men, mauv of them wound »l, and narmed. According to his judgment, ho vever, the ther said that Tơn -chi has decided to remain
This episode was entirely unprecedentediu ravi squadron crnised to and fro off the coas at his post, no matter what happens.
history, and quite naturally so b cause navnl ot Japan apparently without any special objet. A natics paper is informed by a Foochow engagements take place generally either in the despatch that a Japtuese squadron cousisting open sea, or on the coasts of one of the bl- of five warships has arrived at the const o' For-ligerents; drowning men are therefore saved mosa with the object of guarding that Island and preventing Kussian squadrous frou cum - bining!
THE JAPANESE-COREAN PROTOCOL.
The following is the text of the Protocol signed on the 23rd ult, between Japan and Corea :-
Mr. Gonsuke Hayashi, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenicntentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, and Major-General Totchi Yong, Minister of State for Foreigu Affairs, per interim, of His Majesty the Emperor of Corea, being respectively duly empowered for the purpose, have agreed upon the following articles :-
Art. I.—The Imperial Government of Japan shall, iu a spirit of firm friendship, eusure the safety and repose of the Imperial House of Corea.
.
GERMAN PRINCE IN HONGKONG.
—---བདམས་མན
of the 5th inst. German cruiser Hertha arrived at B-tween niue'and ten o'clock n the morning Hongkong, from Woosung, Amongst the junio Prussia, second son of the Emperor William of Germany. It will bɔ remembered that this young officer pass dturough Hongkong, voyag- ing from Germany to join the Hertha ut Shanghai, by th N.D.L. s.s. Konig Albert, on conformity with the German Emperor's desire, the 25th of last November. At that time, in
Now that he has joined bis ship, however, things no official welcome or raraption was given him.
nephew of King Edward; he is to remain may be different. Prince Adalbert is a grand
lieutenants on board is Prince Adilbert of
On tho China
.
Statin for
before returning to Germany.
tiv
years
SIX NEW STEAMERS FOR THE
CHINA NAVIGATION CO.
sither by their own or the enemy's ships. The only case that presents any slight analogy to the one under review is the one that happened in the harbour of Callao, Pern, on the 3rd July. 128, when the Italian man-of war Garibaldi picked up the survivor: of the Chilean trau-port Lou, which had been blown up, and afterwards gave them up to the admiral of the Chilean fleet blockading the barbour. But in that case the Lou had not been blown up either in an engagement with the Peruvians or by her own commander, but had been destroyed through carelessness in taking alongside a boat appar ut- ly laden with fruit and vegetables, but secretly Jaden with explosives. It might therefore be Art. I.-For the purposA
of maintain considered that the Lo had been destroyed ing a permanent aud solid friendship by an accident.
ΠΟ visible enemy had between
firmly taken part in the explosion, which might Japau and Corea, aud establishing peacs in the Far East, the Imperial re destroyed A Dentral ship impru Government of Corea shall placs full confidence dest enough to seize the sb:udoned craft. in the Imperial Government of Japa, and The precedented nature of the Chemulpɔ adopt the advice of the latter in regard to episode has given rise to many opinions here improvements in administration.
and elsewhere in the Far East, amongst which is one that the refugees should have been sat frea on parole by the nations whose vessels bad saved them; and another is that the cominanders of the three neutral veseels had no right to take on board the crews of the Varyag and Koreet. Though, as we have said, there is no parallel in uaval history, we may by analogy refer to military bistory, where there are many. cases recorded of hard pressed troops taikng refuge on neutral territory. In such
next vessol--the ss. Te An-is intended for the cases. it has always been customary to Hongkong-Manila un, to rua in coojnaction detain the refng es until the end of the war.
with the s.s. Sungkiung, now undergoing This custom has also been inserted as an articl, extensive repairs at the hauds of the Hong- of the Hagna convention, which expressly stipu. kong and Whampoa Dock Co. The other lates that neutral uations must detain nutil the four sister-ships which have already arrived end of the war the refugees from the bellige.here are the Anhui (now at Australia), Sinan, rent armies which enter its territory they must be internés, Le, sent. ¡u'o the interior of the country, away from the frontier where the fight. ing is going ou. This custom and the article of the Hague convention contain a complete answer to the opinions above mentioned. The commanders of the three neutral ships in Che. mulpo harbour T right in according refuge to the defeated Russiau crews, as th right of refuge is Low gouerally admitted. Ou the other hand, the countries owning the three vessels had no right to release the refugees on parole, but on the contrary were obliged by international prac.ice and by the stipulations of the Hague couvention to detain the refugees on their territory and under their surveillanco until the end of the war. As our readors all
Art. II.-The Imperial Government of Japan definitively guarantees the independence and territorial integrity of the Corean Empire.
Art. IV. In case the welfare of the Imperial House of Corea, or the territorial integrity of Corea, is endangered by th aggression of a third Power or internal disturbances, the Imperial Government of Japan shall immediately take such necessary measures as circumstances require, and in such case, the Imperial Government of Corea shall give full facilities to promote all action of the Imperial Japanese Goverument. The Imperial Gor ra- ment of Japan may, for the attainment of the above-mentioned object, occupy, when the circumstances require it, sich places as may be necessary from strategic poin's of view.
Art. V.-The Government of the two conu- tries shall not, in the future, without mafual consent, conclude with a third Power such au arrangement as may be contrary to the prin ciples of present protocol.
Art. VI.--Details in connection with present protocol shall be arrauged, as circunstances at maturity, between the Representatire of Japan
and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
of Corea.
་་
THE REFUGES ON THE "ELBA, No little curiosity has been felt locally as to what is going to be done with the Russian refugees picked up by the Italian cruiser Elba at Chemulpo on the 9th ult. and brought down by her to Hongkong. They uumber some 180 (as the complement of the Elba is only 250, it may be imagined that their pres-nce ou board her for nearly a month put the Italia us to no little inconvenience) and include some wounded. We are now able to state, on the most reliable authority, that the arrangements for the future of the refugees hare all been settled and that they will leave ou the Messageries Maritimes s.s. Australien for Saigon to-morrow, They, together with the refugees on the French cruiser Pascal, will then go on to Colombo, where the rest of the rescued crews are detained When the whole body of the refugees are gathered together, they will be sent back to Russia on parole. Probably this afternoon Captain Borea of the Elba will formally hand over the refugees to the Russian Consul.
|
case
know, the refugees on II.M.S. Amphitrite. who were transhippe from the Tulbot, were in fact sent to Colombo to be detained there until the end of the war.
The new arrangements, mentioned above, are due to special negotiations between the Govern- ments interes'ed, and we are not in a position to state anything further than that the Rus- sian Government has promised the neutral Goreruments of Britain, France, and Italy that the refugees will tak no further part in the present war, and in consequence the Japanese Government declared it had no objection to the refugees being sent back to Russia. This arrangement appears most satisfactory for all parties concerned, and reflects great credit on the Foreign Offices of the various countries which have so rapidly and smoothly settled an unprecedented international question, which might have led to interminable petty complica tions if dealt with in a less accommodating spirit.
The s.s. Tuuming, the last but one of six new twin-screw steamers for the China Navigation Co. (Messrs. Butterfield & Swire) arrived here from Cardiff, on her maiden voyaga, on the 3rd inst., leaving for Shanghai with her cargo, consisting of Welsh coal, yesterday morning. She is intended for the Shanghai trade, but the
Chenon, and Chen Hua. All these half-dozeu era t, with the excaption of t e Te An, already mentioned, ar to be employed in general coasting. To describe one is, of course, pretty well to describe the lot. Ou boarding the Taming one cannot but almire the
mo lern system of general arrangemouts, which, by the A way, are rather asique in themselves. spacious saloon, with fore-and-aft tables, has seating
accommodation for some
twenty
or DIORO persons, while the state- rooms,
bath-rooms, lavatories, etc.. are fitted up in the most up-to-date style. Ap- pliances for working cargo-steam winches and derricks-work well, and are favourably placed. She has a sp.r-deck, and top gallant forec istie; is schooner (wo masts) rigged; 300 ft. in length; 40 ft. beam; 213 ft. moulded depth; and has two sets of triple-expansion engines, her twin- screws being capable of propelling her some eleven knots per hour when deep loaded. She has two water ballast tanks, one at each end, so that should there be any necessity to trim her, or send her to sea without cargo, there will be no inconvenience.
Besides her cargo hatches she has three cargo ports on either side, so, wheu in coast ports whore cargo hatches are but little cared for by Chinese stevedores, there will be every conveni enco. Wha is most interesting to shore people however, is the passenger accomm .dation- Three cabins are placed on either side of the house, immediately abaft the saloon. Each of these have two bunks, fitted with spring mattresses. The floors are covered wi h Brus- sels carpets. The vessel has a carrying capacity of about 3,000 tons. She was built and engined by Messrs, Scott & Co. of Greenock.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.