The-Hong-Kong-Weekly-Press-1904-12-26 — Page 4

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change of policy. Another has recently been given. An application made by the representative of a French syndicate for permission to construct a railway between Hsian, the capital of Shensi, and Talyuan-fu, the capital of Shansi, a distance of nearly seven hundred miles, has now, we hear, been refused. The petition was referred by the Waiwupu to the Governors of the two provinces named to report upon, and they replied that, considering the in- portance of the route through which the proposed line will pass, it would not be politic to allow foreigners to control or work such a railway. Moreover, there are plenty of gentry and merchants in the two provinces quite ready to raise the funds required for the construction of the line without resort- ing to foreign capitalists at all. The fear of foreign interference is strong in China, and it is not too much to say that it has originated out of the aggressive action of the Russians in Manchuria. As a con- sequence, we fear, the development of the material resources of China and the exten- sion of her means of internal communication will be delayed no doubt to a consider able extent by this mistrust, inasinuch

while it is true that great deal of unemployed or hoarded capital in China, it will always be shy of investment in enterprises which may and would be at the mercy of the mandarins. Meanwhile, too, there is reason to expect that those enterprising foreigners who have, after much trouble, obtained railway and other concessions in China will find that, from one cause or another, it will be difficult to make substantial progress with such under- takings. At the same time, it is more than likely that any neglect to comply with the conditions of such concessions, or failure to construct a projected railway, will be eagerly seized as pretext for cancelling a concession. Will the British and Chinese Corporation please take note?

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there is Я

RUSSIAN OUTRAGE AT

SHANGHAI.

(Daily Press, 22nd December.) War is having its effect upon the universal nerves. It is brutalising the participants, brutalising the behold rs; and it is chang- ing the intellectual focus of all and sundry. Its neuralgic effect upon some of the actors in the great international tragedy has just been illustrated in a distressing manner at Shanghai, with fatal result to a Chinnman, and with disturbing effect upon the mental ialance of our fellow nationals in the northern port.

How

THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND

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non-

coolie, these same men would have grinned amiably, even after vodka, and shown no evil temper. Now, since self repression of that kind is not called for in the trenches, or behind the gun shields, they had lost the knack of patience. With a mob of jabbering Chinese coolies behind them, some even impudently plucking at their garments; and remember. ing that they were prisoners of war, with liberties recently restricted, it is small wonder that they should be goaded to viciousness. A weapon lying unfortunately 100 handy, one of them, according to our con- temporary, swung it behind him, obviously to rid himself of his annoyers. Whatever his intentions were with regard to the coolies, it seems clear, from the report, that he intended no hurt to his actual victim. That is, if it be true that the Chinaman killed by the swung adze was a interested passer by. How is it, in face of this admission, that we find our hitherto sober contemporary clamouring for ven- geance ? It must be that the war fever has got into it also. Since Russian law prevents the Russian consul trying a Russian sailor when that sailor's officers are available,

does because presumably, it and trust the Russian Court Martial to make the punishment sufficiently northern contemporary abandons a prio- ciple that is as old as foreign residence in China; and would have these two foreigners handed over to trial by Chinese. It is very bad, and very alarming, of course, that evil-passione! Russiin sailors should be allowed to wander through the streets of Shanghai. It must make some of the old ladies there quake in their beds. But a little while ago, there were Japanese youths running about Shanghai, with knives, and using them. This was bad, too, but we do not wish to make too much of it. It was, as we say, one of the painful concomitants of a close-by war. There was no outcry, however, against the principle of extra- territoriality in that case; no demand that the foreign delinquents should be handed over to the tender mercies of a Taotai. Why this difference!

not

severe, our

We can

After the North Sea affair, we have no great love for the Russian sailor. never trust him now to behave like a civilized creature. At the same time, he is a foreigner, and we know something of Chinese criminal procedure. We remember things that this war and this incident ap- pear to have made Shanghai forget. Not having forgotten, and not having succumbed to the fell influences of the war, we cannot join our otherwise esteemed contemporary in its latest demand. Instead, we protest, and strongly protest, against it.

It appears that Shanghai has been for some time offended by the bearing and behaviour of the Russian sailors going ashore from their interned ships. much the local bias in favour of Japan and against Russia has conspired to exag- grate their misdeeds, we can only guess. It does seem as if someone ought to point out, even after the latest disastrous incident, the need of making some charitable allow ance for the tame tigers so recently excited by te smell of blood. The inherent sava- gery of the human brute has been dragged nearer the surface in the soldier. It is but held on leash in time of peace: in war time, he is admired, and praised, for letting it out, aud called a bero if he lets it go at the right moment. Here at Shanghai we have a lot of human fighting animals, whose tushes have been whetted, and who have been withdrawn and held back from further scenes of carnage. They have not yet had time to get back to the old peace footing. Before, teased and tormented by the ricsha' mised “

OPIUM.

Боше

(Daily Press, 23rd December.) When the war is over, we are to have another agitation against the opium traffic.

free literature So we gather from which has reached us from America. The fact that the date fixed for it is so uncertain | places it among the future troubles that seem to have but little concern with us to-day; but a little cold water poured on them at the outset should not come amiss to these ardent sprits who wish to do something for China when the war is over.' The International Reform Bureau of Wash- ingon claims to have shown considerable patience, forbearing to trouble England with the matter while she was occupiel with the other Boers. In October last, however, the Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour had a long letter from them, for which he pro- The letter,

&

careful consideration."

""

[December 26, 1904.

with a certain degree of tact, besought the British Government to cancel its "dishonor- able treaty" with China, and went on :-- You doubtless know that the opiu revenue from China is diminishing toward a vanishing point, and this would seem to be from every point of view the strategic time to create a favourable impression on international public opinion, before the cry shall be raised that China, having been delivered from the paw of the Bear, must be delivered from the more destructive paw of the Lion." The writer, Mr. WILBUR F. CRAFTS, strokes the British Premier down neatly by assuring him of "my very high and opinion of the British Governinent"; proceeds to quote Wu TING FANG, Chinese Minister at Washington, to the effect that although China now raises much opium, "because otherwise it must have it froni

would be

outside, the entire business swiftly suppressed if Great Britain would give the Chinese a free hand." There is room for more than one opinion, we sup- pose, as to the honourable or dishonourable character of our old treaty. As to it being particularly an opium treaty, we know of no greater reason for so calling it than the fact that the Emperor of China agreed to pay the value of some opium that was.

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delivered up at Canton in the month of March, 1839, as a ransom" for certain Englishmen then imprisone I and threatened with death. To speak of the "compulsory sale of opium, (particularly) enforced by British treaty," is as false as it seems to be fashionable. It is worth while to note the remark by Wu TING FANG, which the anti- opium people quote so glibly, China, which at present "raises much opium, because other- wise it must have it from outside," is said to need only a free hand to suppress the use of the drug altogether. If ever two mutually exclusive propositions were linked together, they are linked together here, surely? In any case, there is little likelihood of China refusing to import opium while it enhances her revenue as it does at present. The objection in the first place was probably to all foreign imports, and not to opium particularly; and it has to be remembered that opium was an article of trade at Canton in the middle of last century." To call it the white man's poison is nonsense. It was introduced by Chinese from Java, and the white man 'long felt want." He is catered to a still catering, in competition with the enormous native growth; and providing a much purer article than that prepared by the Chinese themselves. ful work for the Reform Bureau, to push the sale of the less injurious article!" As to facts, the Reform Bureau mentions the desire of the Chinese Government to pro- hibit its use, while the Shenpao of Shanghai it is "loth to give up this source of says revenue." A Chefoo missionary is reported to have written that "the opium habit is draining the resources of the people and consequently their purchasing power." Apropos thereoff there is a story worth re- telling of the anti-tobacco crank and the smoker.

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蒙着

Here is more use-

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What does your tobacco cost you a week?" the smoker was asked. "About half a crown," he answered.

"How long have you smoked at that rate?" was

About ten years the next question. said the smoker "Has it ever occurred to you that with the money so wasted, invested at compound interest, you could now have owned the house you badgered man removed his pipe to ask : "Do you smoke?

"No."

Do you own "No." " Well, the house you live in?" then." Perhaps there are some other reasons for China's poverty.

live in?" The