July 2, 1904.]
tribe of Judah were given Chaldean names. We get in the book also the Japanese account of the pedigree of the MIKADO and his nobles compared with that of EPHRAIM and MANASSEH, and the mythological his- tory of Japan is also compared with Biblical records, all proving to the satisfaction of the author the truth of his contention that the Japanese are descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. With regard to the ethnological evidence—of which most people who have dwelt a lifetime in Japan will, we venture to think, bave found not a trace -we are asked to take note that when the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned to the Holy Land they were accompanied by twelve thousand of the children of the ten tribes of Israel who had not worshipped the golden calves and who kept the covenant of circumcision. It is among the descendants of these that the author claims to have discovered the missing link in the ethnological evidence.
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This fairly covers the general scheme of the book, hut just now, when the world is speculating as to the future political com. plexion of Asia, we ought not to omit mentioning the author's prophecy that "the probability is China, Japan and Corea will again be united under the power of the Jewish race, with the Emperor of Japan at their head, as he can doubtlessly claim to be the head of the house of EPHRAIM, and as such has the best right "to the title of TENSHI."
So far as we are aware no authority on Japanese early history lends any countenance to the views put forward in this book, of which not many copies probably now exist, but in view of the recognition of the Japanese as Jews by the Anti-Semitic organisations of Russia this resumé of the grounds on which this theory of Japanese origin is based may not be found altogether uninteresting.
MINES IN NEUTRAL WATERS.
(Daily Press 1st July.) The laws of naval warfare in so far as they affect floating mines have naturally been much discussed by the experts since the sinking of the Japanese battleship Hatsuse after striking a Russian submarine mine ten knots to the south-east of Liaotishan. The fact that this mine was so far outside territorial waters, and that other mines have also been observed floating on the high seas, has led to a charge of "strewing the high seas with mines being preferred against Russia, and support is found for the allegation in the Russian official report issued from the headquarters at Moukden by Major-General PrLove, which plainly stated that the battleship "struck mines set for the enemy:" Curiously enough, the report of Rear-Admiral WITGERT, who is in command at Port Arthur, omits to state exactly where the disaster occurred, except that it was east of Port Arthur, nor
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does it claim the mine which the Hatsuse struck as one which had been "set for the enemy.' Admiral Tooo has no doubt that
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it was a Russian mine which sent the
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Times recently there has appeared some interesting correspondence on the questions raised by this allegation. ADMIRAL SIR CYPRIAN BRIDGE, the late Commander-in- Chief of the British Squadron in these waters, figures as one of the correspondents. Admitting, he says, the correctness of the reports that Chinese junks were used for mine-laying, there is no convincing evidence that either belligerent has laid mines in
the open sea
or outside strictly territorial or directly threatened waters. 'Anyone who has seen what happens, even in peace manœuvres, when mines are laid for a “brief period in unenclosed water, will know "the impossibility-after only moderately "had weather-of ensuring that the mines « will remain in place. It is quite common "to find that some have shifted their posi- "tion considerably.
Mines Inid in the outer anchorage of Port Arthur or at Dalny and "in the bays on either side of the Liaotung "Peninsula-whether by the defenders or the assailants--are likely enough to break "adrift in such gales as are common in the spring in the locality in question; and "some of them would probably drift out "into the open sea."
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Notwithstanding General PrLoUG's des patch, then, we may well hesitate to believe Russia guilty of so foul a crime against humanity as would be involved in strewing the neutral seas with explosives. The limit of territorial waters is three miles, though eminent jurists have been found to argue that the distance shifts automatically in accordance with improvements in artillery. An international conference seems desirable for the consideration of many questions relating to the rights and duties of neutrals which the Hatsuse disaster has raised, and not the least important of such ques- tions are the following propounded by Admiral BRIDGE in the letter we have already referred
de- to :-Is
20 anchor- fending the approach to age with mines, or trying to block it up with them, to be treated as a breach of international law? Is the "due diligence doctrine, of which we heard so much in con- nection with the Alabama, to be made applicable to the action of belligerent mine- layers for the benefit of neutrals: Is the value of mines, used either by the attack or by the defence. great enough to compensate for the direct risk to friendly ships or for the probable consequences of neutral resent- ment? How far does international law give a right of complaint to neutrals, after they have allowed a war to begin, if they experieure inconveniences the occurrence of which might have been foreseen?
HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
(Daily Press, 27th June.)
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I have heard recently of quite a small epidemic of robberies from houses in the Colony. and what is chiefly remarkable about them all is the paltrinass of the booty. A demand sams to exist for watches-gold, silver and even gun-metal watches and thieves have, it would seem, deliberately ignored articles of far greater value in the rooms they have entered. Though several of these so-called burglaries have been reported to the Police I have heard of no arrests having been made. According to the common tale these thieves invariably get up the water-pipe on to the verandahs, and, as people do not sleep with their bedroom doors fastened these hot nights, access to the house is easy. There is just a suspicion in some of the cases that the house-boys or house-coolies may know more about these larcenies than they profess, for the circumstances usually seem to point to intimate knowledge of the victim's
Hatsuse to the bottom, but the only evidence of its having been deliberately placed in that position by the Russians is in the tele- gram given out for publication by Major- General PrLOUG. As, however, telegrams from that source have so often conveyed untrust- worthy information, we can hardly accept this particular statement as one to be implicitly believed. Whether any official denial has been given by Russia to the ailegation has not been disclosed; but it would be incon- ceivable that the neutral Powers have failed to interrogate the Russian Government on the subject. In the columns of the London 'habits.
one.
While there is no system of registration for servants in force in Hongkong the servant problem" is always likely to be a troublesome The system of procuring servants which generally obtains in the Colony is one which does not give the employer that confidence in the honesty of the servant that should exist. There are undoubtedly plenty of servants to be had here, but the No. I will tell you he knows of only one, and the probability is that the one he knows is the one from he
If get the biggest the Government will not grant the prayer of the ladies of the Colony for a system of re- gistration, would it not be worth the while of some European-
-man or woman-to start a Servants Registry Office, say in partnership with a Chinese who would act as an inquiry agent? It is an enterprise that ought to succeed.
can
squeeze.
whom
Bearing upon this servant question I came across this passage the other day in a book written by a globe-trotting young lady :-" 1 did not perceive any yearnings among these ladies (European ladies] to enlighten the heathens [of China];
There seem-
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ed to me to be very little love lost between the Europeans and the natives." Quite true: there is not a great amount of love lost between them. And the main reason is that favours evoke no gratitude. Let me cite a case in point. A European lady catches a "boy" young, trains him in household duties, and teaches him Eng lish. When he feels his feet, so to speak, he deserts without notice in order to secure higher wages elsewhere. Of course, if his whereabouts can be ascertained he can be prosecuted for leaving his employ without notice, but few Europeans are found to put themselves to the trouble and inconvenience of prosecuting. The instance I have quoted represents an experience which is fairly common. It supplies an answer to the globetrotter I have quoted, and at the same time I may point out that a boy who leaves his employ without notice would stand no chance of getting employment through an such an office while it would be a great con- efficient registry office. Thus it is seen that venience to European householders, would be likely to exercise a distinctly beneficial influence over the general body of Chinese domestics.
Unlicenced hawkers have a little trick of taking their youngsters out with them when going their rounds, and should a policeman appear the hawker vanishes, leaving the child with the goods. The magistrates for some. time took pity on the juvenile hawkers and only fined them 50 cents or so, but they now see through the dodge and impose fines of $5 or 14 days' imprisonment on quite young children. If the parents pay the fines-and it is really astonishing how soon impecunious Chinese find money to pay fines-well, the bigger the fine the better. But now that the police are up to the dodge, it ought not to be difficult for detectives to secure the presence of the parent-the real offender-in the dock. It is distinctly hard on the child that it should have to serve the term of imprisonment.
In a case at the Magistracy last week, in which the secretary of the Hongkong and Kow- loon Wharf and Godown Co. was charged as representing the Company with failing to have certain houses at Praya East whitewashed, Mr. Looker objected to a Sanitary Board Inspector putting questions, which, he said, should be put through the magistrate; otherwise it would be putting Sanitary Inspectors appearing, not for themselves, but for the Sanitary Board, on a par with counsel and solicitors. It would, he added. not be allowed in the Supreme Court. a police That is true; nor would the chief department be allowed to cross-examine in that Court. Had the magistrate allowed Mr. Looker's objection it would have formed the precedent for other changes of a like character in the practice of the Court. On the whole I think Mr. Kemp wisely overruled the objection, but the Sanitary Board might well consider whether they should not instruct their clerk to appear for Had the them as similar Boards do at home. members of the Board been present in the Police Court while this particular case was in progress I am sure they would be convinced of the necessity for the change. I believe no parallel can be found in England for the prac
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