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PORTUGUESE AND FILIPINOS.
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(Daily Press 20th May.) Arising out of what we believed to have been a mere school boy squabble, we have received a startling communication, which appears to us of sufficient importance to demand further investigation. A trust. worthy Portuguese gentleman, whose letter appeare elsewhere, las submitted for our inspection a lethal weapon, and told us a story about it, which we regret very much to have seen and heard. In vouching for his trustworthiness, we mean that within customary human limitations we can rely upon the truth of all he says; allowing after that for the ex parte sympathy that his nationality compels him to give to one side as against the other. The pregnant points of his story are these, that one of our most popular and useful international colleges there is an almost constant feud between the boys of two races, that purely racial quarrels quite frequent, and that some of the fighters are in the habit of carrying lethal weapons. That is to say, that at St. Joseph's College, the allegation is that the Portuguese and Filipino pupils cannot agree, and that some Portuguese parents are alarmed for their offspring now that they believe that some of the Filipino students carry knives of a sort for which no other purpose is conceivable but attack. During a recent fracas, it is alleged that a clasp-knife was taken from a Filipino youth at the moment that he had t raised to strike. It is a big, round-handled affair, with a broad, spear-shaped blade and, so far as we can see, of no use for any. thing but thrusting. With it, the owner could have cut nothing, although he might have managed a fatal stab or hara-kiri operation. The blade is four and a half inches long, and considerably over au inch broad at its widest; and it is sharpered like a spear, a pocket asegai, in fact. What does a boy, even a Filipino hoy, want with a weapon like that in Hongkong? We feel sure that the Brothers at the College would be distressed to think any of their pupils carried such things. Our correspondent suggests that as the owner was a boarder at St. Joseph's, the supervision there cannot be very strict; but this comment we do not endorse. Such incidents are not helpful to the college, however; and we feel sure that the trouble will now be thoroughly sifted. We are informed that at present considerable feel- ing exists in the Portuguese community, which, an the case of our correspondent, takes the form of regarding the Filipinos as dangerous interlopers. He is, of course, wrong in supposing that St. Joseph's was intended solely for Portuguese and Chinese Catholics. Although at one time the flow of Filipino immigrants was not foreseen, we take it that no College under the ægis of the parent Christian Church makes any racial barrier. All human beings within the great family of the Pope are, pre- sumably, eligible and entitled to send their children there for training so long is available accommodation. American evidence goes to show that the Filipino still needs a lot of civilising but, on the other hand, there is more than one kind, and we have been led to suppose that most of those who settled in Hongkong were quite a superior class, far removed from barbarism, having, in fact, mostly absorbed the teachings of the Church. If, as the writer of the letter suggests, it is still the nature of some of them to resort to the cuchillo to set'le their differences, we
28
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hope that no time will be lost by the Brothers, and by our own authorities, in making it plain that such a practice is out
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SZECHUAN AND YUNNAN,
[May 29, 1905.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
of date, and not permissible, at least in this | respective statesmen will see where mutual Colony. Of course there is still the other duties and mutual advantages are offering side of the story to tell; and we would be in Western China; and proceed to make gla-l, indeed, to hear something that would hay while the sun shines. French enter- remove the painful impression left by the prise is already very busy between Indo- China and Yunnan ; but Yunnan's murderous implement exhibited.
prosperity hangs to a great extent upon that * of Szechuan. The French line to Yunnan, A most costly undertaking, would be immensely appreciated in value if Szechuan were opened up. If France and England were to lay their heads together, to offer satisfactory assurances to China that the enterprise is void of all political ulterior motives, we should see in the develop- ment of the West a remarkable impetus to general trade. The necessary тар prochement was forthcoming in the case of Siam and her loan. It would be just as easy in the case of this desirable move- ment. The " French genius for initiative and the "British business capacity go well in double harness. It is quite evident, from the existing spread of the Anglo- French entente cordiale as already reported, are_postulating no impossible that we arrangement. We do not dream; no visions are about. The only point to emphasise is that there is uo time like the present. It is, for the benefit of all parties, including China, a case of "the sooner the better."
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THE TREATMENT OF ALIENS.
(Daily Press, 22nd May.) The riches of Szechuan have often been dangled alluringly before us by Mr. Hosie; but even the proposals of Sir JoHN LISTER KAYE, for overcoming the obstacles to navigation of the Yangtsze above Ichang, did not seem to bring those riches within The costly, risky, and practicable distance. very slow progress of any kind of lad-n craft through the upper gorges of the famous waterway must be, even under the most favourable conditions possible, a barrier to any adequate or steady stream of trade. It is, therefore, with considerable interest that we read of the results of Lieutenant-Colonel MANIFOLD's exploration of the upper basin of the Yang'sze. After four or five years surveying and investigating, in company with a carefully selected party, Lieutenant- Colonel MANIFOLD has informed the Royal 18 quite Geographical Society that it feasible for the railway engineer to success- oue of the earth's fully tap what he calls
Under the present richest regions." difficult conditions, British textiles and
(Daily Press, 23rd May.) Indian yarn to the value of £2,150,000 (or
The question of alien immigration at the ninety per cent. of the whole imports) managed in one recent year to reach the British capital has been lifted into the posi eager fifty millions of prosperous Szechu- tion of one of the most important moot The British Premier anese. This, however, according to the subjects of the year.
"are amply justi. enthusiastic officer, was merely touching declares that the British the fringe of Szechuan demand; and the fied in determining the conditions under question immediately arises, can British which we will or will not admit the citizens enterprise be stirred to act before it is too of other nations." America claims a like late? Lieutenant-Colonel MANIFOLD noticed right by deeds as well as words, and there- that the natives were friendly, the old anti- by sets mercantile China by the ears. foreign feeling apparently done away with, Australia, labour ridden, has long been and already there were frequent evidences notorious for its pronounced views on the of the presence and enterprise of non-subject. British Columbia tried to emulate An old Hong- British foreigners. Although the Chinese its American neighbours authorities up there seem to have taken a kong resident, apparently hot in the midst. fair share in the task of removing native of the London campaign, suggests that it is prejudice against foreign goods, a prejudice our duty to begin a similar agitation in now replaced by a consuming anxiety to Hongkong. obtain the previously tabooed articles, we cannot entertain much hope that they will smooth the way for a much needed British railway. It is not only the always apparent vis inertiæ of Chiuese officialdom that is to be reckoned with. In the case of railway enterprise they may almost be counted upon for active opposition. In theory, their idea that the Chinese themselves
should
AS we
the
are
There are doubtless some
British tradesmen and other subjects who, feeling the stress of business competition, would approve of such a movement locally; the way of restricting but except in
beachcomber"
the immigration of the class, we do not at present see any necessity to take up such a position. So far, the arguments of those who resent the presence in London of foreigners, so far as they have come under our notice, have failed to enlist It it be our sympathy with the agitators true that the alien population of the United Kingdom is only 300,000, England has the lowest percentage of aliens in Europe. That a great number of those 300,000 congregate in London must make their presence a conspicuous fact; but it does not prove that they are doing any excessive amount of harm. It is recorded that only exclusive | two per cent, of these foreigners obtain poor law relief, while the prcentage of the whole forty two millions receiving relief is put as high as eight per cent. That these humble. guests are sweated" does not prove that they are taking bread from English mouths, since without their particularly cheap "sweaters" would labour many of the
be in busines« On presumably not ethical grounds, the general question is not easy to debate. It is simply a matter of politics, in which we entirely agree with Mr. BALFOUR's statement of right. America and Australia exclude coloured labour frankly on grounds of self interest ; and if
own the railways and reap profits is eminently praiseworthy; but
that know
in effect such enterprise left to them might be looked for during the Greek kalends, we bound to regard their probable attitude as "dog-in-the-manger-ish." On top of all that, there is the handicap of political jealousy, the sort of jealousy, for instance, which caused the Anglo-French mutual
по seek undertaking advantage, privilege, or monopoly either in the province of Szechuan or in the adjoining province of Yunnan." Supposing that both natious athere slavishly to such a ridiculous stumbling block in the path of both, the dog will more than ever fill the manger. Each ass will cast longing eyes upon the bundle of hay, and, so to speak, starve while the wholesome fodder is allowed to
rot.
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There is, happily, a possibility, now that the Entente exists and apparently endures, of England aud France agreeing to some sensible joint procedure in this matter; and we earnestly hope that the
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