184
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
methods of the petitioners if we seek for Hongkong trade which really centres in the probable motives; but we cannot combat a Gulf of Pechili. From geographical causes! auspicion that there is justice in the saying the external trade of Chinu of necessity that "United States Consuls in the Far ranges itself into three zones, which again East are at the mercy of American Mission naturally concentrate about the mouths of Boards, who are powerful enough to have the Canton River nod the Yangtze, and the any Consul removed unless he takes steps cutrance of the Gulf of Pechili. From on every occasion to show sympathy with geographical causes likewise, there is at their work." These missionary libellers have present no commanding port in the Gulf to relied upon legal practice to justify their act a similar part to Hongkong in the so ith unique procedure: legal practice would excuse and Shanghai in the centre. The trade of us if we were to suggest some like motive for the two more southerly zones has already so this action of theirs. How any useful in far developed as to have assumed definite vestigation could be made on the strength lines of flow. The trade of the northern. of such an empty indictment we are unable most is still wandering in an unsettled to understand; nor can we conceive that channel, and is practically in a still inchoate such a memorandum could ever be enter-condition,-s0 much 80 that the vas tained for an instant by British authorities. | inland trade of Manchuria and Mongolia It would seem that the empasise loyalty has hardly yet been scratched, much less of these gentlemen "to the flag" was as to tapped. It is this fact that increases the quality somewhat strained; and that their present importance of the position political loyalty to the principles outlined in the ly and conimercially. Germany and Russia, New Testament was at the time of writing each in its particular way, have not been more than shaky. For ye are yet carnal: slow to recognise the fact; and hence both for whereas there is among you envying, have made serious attempts to obtain a and strife, and divisions, are ye not carual, fixed point d'appui in this same Gulf of and walk 88 men ? PAUL to the Pechili; and both have spent literally CORINTHIANS is surely also PAUL to F. R.millions-tens of millions, indeed—to render GRAVES, Missionary Bishop Protestant their footing secure. Germany in her port | Episcopal Church, when he says: “If theu of Kiaochow and her plauned railways in¦ ye have judgments of things pertaining to Shantung, already open to the capital, this life, set them to judge who are least Tsinan; and Russia in her twin ports of esteemed in the church. I speak to your Port Arthur and Dalny. These are facts shame." Are the subsequent verses a dead which even the depreciatory letter ot S:r letter in the Episcopalian body? Now FRANK SWETTENHAM cannot explain away, therefore there is utterly a fault among you, and it is well that our Government, before because ye go to law one with another. listening to such foolish talk, should really Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why ask itself why Germany and Russia should do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be take such pains to acquire what it, with defrauded?" American politics, we have cureless indifference as to the future, would. been told, are not always as clean as they actually throw away with childish reckless- might be. In meddling with politics (for this is probably a bit of political jobbery), the reverend memorialists have associated themselves and their calling-in a marked manner with very dirty politics indeed.
WEIHAIWEI.
16
!
ness.
There is a legend current on the other side of the Pacific that Washington, the fairest State of the American Union, was deliberately abandoned by the British Government of the day because the British Commissioner sent out to investigate re- | ported the country 29 useless "The salmon would not even rise to the fly." On similar childish grounds an equally sapient Government would willingly abandon a position which would give command of the trade of Manchuria, a trade, it may be noted, as yet werely in its infancy, but which with the introduction of settled government in a country not exceeded in fertility and resources by any on the face of the earth, must increase a hundred-fold.
concerned.
|
[September 10, 1904.
•
means
ance, would train it to centre in Tsingtao. She has already spent her money on a rail- way, open as far as Tsinan; she is at the moment playing a little obstructive game at Chefoo aimed at British interests. Is there any possible doubt as to what she would do wêre un insoucieuz British Govern- meut to leave her an open door in Weihai ? She has at least made no false pretences, so that even the poor pretext of Teutonic per- fidy would not in this instance be available. Of Ru-sian methods of trade surely our Government has had sufficient experience to comprehend that it merely strangulation. Russia—or rather shall wa say the Russian Government?-has no love for trade as such. Trade requires com- munication-and communication is what the conscience of the country most detests and the destruction of which engages the primary iustincts of Russian administration. Practically Russia has lost her key to the situation, and with an open Manchuria, and an increasing and industrious population, the future of Manchurian trade is not to be judged by its present condition, hampered and bound as it is on every side.
But there is another condition, which no statesman can afford to neglect, and which will of necessity be especially operative in North China. No country, not even except- ing the States themselves, is so well situated to take advantage of the opening of the Panama Canal as England; and no countries in Asia will be more affected than Japin and North China. The direct trade between Great Britain and these countries, at least, must perforce assume the new canuel. In this case even the most superficial onlooker must see the necessity of a distributing port for North China to answer the purpose that Hongkong has so efficiently filled for the south. It is singular that no British statesman, in office at least, has had the pre-vision to recognise this fact.
HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
(Daily Press, 5th September. The Coroner's Jury summoned to inquire how and by what means "the death occurred of a Chinese woman whose body was found
(Daily Press, 9th September.) Writing to the Times on July 13th, Sir FRANK SWETTENHAM, sometime Governor of Singapore, deprecates the spending of any money on Weihaiwei, which he com-
beneath the debris of a house which collapsed in Ming On Lane during the recent typhoon pares very much to its disadvantage with
might upon the evidence have added to their Hongkong and Singapore. Sir FRANK is
verdict a rider drawing the attention of the doubtless to be commended for his pious
Government to the alleged insecurity of life in jealousy for the interests of the colony with
Hongkong. The building inspector told the which he was so long associated; even the But it is not with the immediate present Court that there are numbers of houses whos prophet ELIJAH was commended for his so much as with the distant future that walls show small cracks similar to those he had jealous care for the charge committed to this Weihai question is
noticed in the house which collapsed, but he did not consider it his duty to warn the owners, him, though in his case, as in Sir FRANK's, Whatever be the result of the Japanese war,
as small cracks do not necessarily render a the jealousy proceeded from ignorance of the position in the Liaotung Peninsula will house dangerous." Nevertheless this expert the actual facts. Lately a certain section never be the same as before. England and witness had no hesitation apparently in ex of the Home Government has been collect- America will certainly insist on the trade pressing the opinion that half the houses in ing a mass of information regarding Weihai of Manchuria being thrown open. If Hongkong ought to be condemned. Coming from people who know nothing of it. It is Japan be successful this is quite consonant
as this opinion does from one of the build. not altogether easy to comprehend the with her commercial policy. Many com-
ing inspectors in the service of the Govern. as a warning alike distuste with which the pace is regarded by plain that an Englishtuan cinuot now innke ment, it ought to serve
to the owners of such property and to the these knight errants of British policy, nor a livelihood in Japan. Perhaps this way Government, who certainly incur a heavy respon- why they should entertain so very special be the case, but the strange fact remains sibility in allowing house property which “ought au aversion to this particularly inoffensive that British trade increases by leaps and to be condemned" to be inhabited to the danger little bit of territory, or why they should bounds: -the Japanese Government is suf. of the lives of tenants. In the opinion of this have become so rancorous in its condem- ficiently enlightened to leave the trade un-
witness all houses of more than ten years' stand- nation. As a fact the possession of Weihai fettered, nud the result is doubtlessing in the Colony are suspecté. If so, it is clearly has during the few years of its occupation economy. Is England to object to a system the duty of the Public Works Department to so materially affected the course of affairs in which results so advantageously for British have a thorough examination periodically made
in every case. North China that it is not too much to say trade, even if it render individual profits that, had it not been for the presence of our less? Such we may add is, the invariable The proposal of His Excellency the Governor small garrison there, the whole of not only result of healthily growing commerce. to form a Volunteer Reserve Association is Manchuria, but of northern China as well, Russia and Germany, each according one which finds a responsive echo in the breasts would by this time have been partitioned to her own peculiar lights, have been of the majority of Britishers in the Colony, for between Russia and Germany.
seeking to capture this promising trade here, above all places, such an Association ought So much for the past. With regard to the [ of the Gulf of Pechili. Russia would to exist. Many ex-members of the Volunteer future the advocates for withdrawal in- hug it to her bosom till she had crush- variably shut their eyes to the very large ed out its very life blood. Germany, proportion of the so-called Singapore and by careful propping and gentle guid.
i
Corps, will, I am sure, eagerly join the new Association. But why fix a maximum age limit? The grey-bearded old Boer on the velit proved himself as efficient a rifleman as his son
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