62
THE CHINESE DIN.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
derstood that he is ill-bred, and has the defective qualities of low-breeding. He is an egotist of the worst type, self-opiniated, hectoring, self-conceited, and, to use a well understood idiom, ."unclubable." We are aware that the Chinaman has been well endowed with a good self conceit, that he is not of the humble and meek sort who are to inherit the earth some day; and we do not see any sufficient reason to go hunting much further afield for explanations of a characteristic that is unfortunately too painful to be
[July 29, 1905.
Russia
able, without the necessity of going abroad, to feed from her own internal resources the first beginnings of her new undertakings. She was fortunate in her first attempts, and this gave her confidence to go on. had no such advantages: her people had never been industrious: they did not take kindly to industrial life; and, what was per- haps worse, they were heavily handicapped by having, on all sides but one, peoples far more advanced in these arts than herself. The exception was the most dangerous of a subject for successful all. Lying east of her European territories jesting. The Chinaman, let us say, is noisy ranged a vast area of fertile steppes thinly because he is simply inconsiderato of the inhabited, but capable of development; and feelings of others; and the habit of raising Russian statesmen, and M. DE WITTE the voice is oue of the most catching. amongst the number, conceived that could she only get possession of those territories
M. DE WITTE'S APPOINTMENT,
(Daily Press, 25th July).
(Daily Press 24th July). People with sensitive tympanums, who have noticed and deplored the unnecessary noises of China, would no doubt read with some interest the ingenious explanations evolved by Mr. ALLEYNE IRELAND in an extract published in the last issue of this journal. Mr. IRELAND reviewed the fire- crackers, the gongs, the shouting, and the other noises everlastingly resounding in this island and in China, and then endeavoured to show why these things should be. The purely hypothetical nature of these explana- tions seems easily discoverable, and, indeed, it is admitted that they are nothing more than speculations, although the writer seems to believe that in them truth may lie concealed. When it is suggested that the high tone of Chinese conversation is to be accounted for by the badness of Chinese roads, there is considerably more plausibil. ity than truth, we think; for although it is admitted that many or most of Chinese roads require walking in aingle file, which would cause two conversing pedestriaus to shout to each other, according to Mr. IRELAND, we remember quickly that similar conditions are present in Japan, where the conversational voice is by no means an approach to the Chinese bellow. "Walking thus," according to the theorist, "means that peripatetic conversation must be loud to be audible." We can only repeat that it is not observable in Japan, where there are countless paths through the padi which cannot be traversed by two abreast, and where even the ricsha coolies quarrel sotto
noises of As for the voce.
Chinese cities causing the Chinese to talk in the loudest tones they can command, it would naturally be expected that the people of other large cities would be similarly affected. Yet in London, where the roar of traffic might be supposed to cultivate among the people the Chinese voice, there is a uniform alto which never rises to the stentoriau tones of the north countrymen in quiet villages where there are no city noises and no narrow roads. Mr. IRELAND advanced still another "reason why the Chinaman shouts instead of speak- ing in what we should recognise as a conver- sational tone." He says that most China- |
deaf
through the practice of shaving the small hairs inside the ears. Here again we have to direct his attention to Japan, where the common tonsorial practice is to shave or rather pluck the hairs from both ears and nostrils. Sup. posing that the absence of these auricular excrescences were to weaken, instead of, as
strengthen more likely, to
the faculty, we are confronted by the fact that the Japanese sense of hearing is very acute as a rule, and conversation carried on by them in a tone much less distressing to refined ears than the distracting sounds produced by the Chinese gossips. Theu again, comes a more far-fetched explanation still, in which we are treated to a picture of a China where "mutual suspicion is the most striking characteristic of the whole people" and where a man who retires into à corner to whisper with a friend lays him- self open to all sorts of accusations. Hence, "the aim of every Chinaman is to say nothing during the whole course of his life which cannot be heard by everyone within a radius of fifty yards." Humorously as this point is put, it is meant apparently as another explanation of the extraordinary yelling habit of almost all | Chinamen, high or low. When a European But more than this, Japan fell on pros. an immediate habitually pitches his conversation in a voice perous times. There was that rises above the rest, it is usually un-opening for her industries, and she was thus
men are
seems
|
It does not speak well for the approaching Peace Negotiations at Washington that Count MOURAVIEFF should at the outset he made to tell a childish fib. He has resigned, so the telegram informs us, the post of Russian Plenipotentiary on the score of illness; and M. DE WITTE has been appointed in his stead. M. DE WITTE, it is notorious, was all through opposed to the policy which brought on the war with Japan, and possibly his appointment was sorely against the personal wishes of the Tsar. At all events the TSAR has done his best to smother him; but like Jack-in-the- box he evidently has a trick of appearing when least desired, and least expected. Still it would have been more reassuring had the truth been told, that Count MOURAVIEFF's appointment failed to satisfy any one in Russia, and a rather embarrass ing change had to be made at the last moment. Many unacquainted with the inner spring of Russia's recent diplomacy have found in M. DE WITTE's appointment an indication that the Russian "Govern- ment." is at last beginning to sincerely desire a peaceful solution of its difficulties, and that the new appointment is an indica- tion of returning consciousness. For our owu part, it seems to savour somewhat too strongly of the dose of poison which legend tells us was administered by Queen ELEANOR to the Fair ROSAMUND. M. DR WITTE 18] his Own ambitions. He recognised the fact strivings after territory had been neglectful of her own internal progress; and he made gigantic efforts to introduce home industries He succeeded to a very considerable extent. He pointed to the example of Japan. Here, he pointed out, a nation had suddenly acquired western methods of industry and had entered successfully into competition with the most advanced nations. Why should not Russia do the same? But he went too far. He forgot, as Mr. WOLFF VON SCHIERBRAND, a writer decidedly sympathetic.with Russia, has pointed out, the differences between the two countries. ¦ "Japan had had a very old industry, generally diffused and brought to the highest point, though in methods differing radically from westeru ones. Japan's popu- lation is one of the most diligent and ambitious on earth. Her agricultural con. ditions are sound, and none of the peculiar difficulties have confronted her in bringing about an industrial transformation from which Russia suffers and suffered. Besides, the lower class Russian has not the nim. ble intellect and the quick powers of the Japanese, nor has he the latter's bold initiative.”
that Russit in her
|
and keep them to herself, there would arise an unlimited demand for those commodities that she could supply. The world, it is true, has never yet succeeded in making a compulsory trade remunerative; but Russian statesmen are not generally students of his- tory, and above all of industrial history. Trade begets trade, and where egress is throttled circulation becomes impossible. This is the less01 Russia has proved incapable of learning. Instead, she has been seeking to force Russian trade and Russian industries into regions which she has herself hermetically closed; and this is the policy to which M. DE WITTE stands irrevocably committed. A consideration will show that it is directly conducive to war, and was the real reason why Russia overran Manchuria, and was hoping to extend her influence over China. It is quite true that, personally, DE WITTE would have preferred pence, but His policy that does not alter the case. could only be carried out by continually enlarging the capacity of the receiving vessel, and this could only be done by And this fact must have recourse to arms.
been evident to him bad he paused to think. This is plain if we come to consider the industries evoked. Referring to our former authority we find :-
Between 1894 and 1899 some 927 stock companies were chartered by the Russian government, their joint nominal capital Industrial being 1,420 milion (rubles), production rose correspondingly; from 1877 to 1887 it increased almost fifty per cent. But within the five years of 1892-1897 under Wrrre it climbed up to 1,816 millions. Between 1894-1899 WITTE expended in the construction of railways and the manufacture of rolling stock a matter of 1,273 millions. The two statistical facts are intimately con- nected with each other. A very large portion of Russia's new industry was, and is to-day, dependent. on government railroad The swelling of Russian construction. industry produced, of course, new revenue import duties, excise taxes, commercial dues, stamp duty, revenues from increased postal and telegraph facilities, &c. This gave an increased revenue of 236 millions (rubles),"
But the worst of these artificially hatched industries was that they had no foundation in the wants of the nation. They were primarily intended for easing the construc- tion of railways, and railways were built everywhere with or without any justification from anticipated traffic. Naturally they did not pay--were in fact a heavy charge on M. DE WITTE's financing ability. The government wanted iron, to move about and control its overgrown army; it wanted iron to build ships to carry out its pro- gramme of advancing its frontiers; it wanted chemicals to manufacture its explosives; it needed cement to strengthen its fortresses; so the FINANCE MINISTER, with a light heart, found all these things. Such light-
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.