August 21, 1905.]
give rise to endless trouble, so that Viceroy Shum was asked to postpone the question for a year to see what remedy could bo devised. He says there are in all at present 28,804 men in the army and navy of the province of Kwaugtung, drawing wages amounting to over six hundred and ten thousand taels annually, excluding rice to the quantity of more than twenty two thousand "shek," which are distributed among the soldiers and sailors. Thus a heavy sum is drawn annually from the treasury of the Canton Government to keep the navy and army, the latter being evidently composed of people of not much value. l'he military department in Peking has again sent instruction to the Canton Government asking it to form immediately - 8 new army composed of strong and brave men selected from various districts to be drilled according to modern methods; and to abolish all the old army corps stationed at varions places so as to utilise the expenses to keep the new army. The Viceroy says that the reformation of the army, which he was compelled to put aside for a time on account of the financial difficulty, is of the utmost importance at present. so that the old army corps must be abolished without delay. The provincial treasurer and the directors of Sin-Kau-Kuk, the board of
local affairs, have been consequently ordered by the Viceroy to take steps to abolish the old army crps and to devise means to give protection to different places, the question of which must be answered within a month.
Our own correspondent at Canton announced some days ago that a large number of Japanese military instructors had arrived.
AMERICAN BOYCOTT AT
HONGKONG.
CHINESE ANGRY.
14th August.
On Aug. 14th a meeting of Chinese to organise a local boycott of American commodities was opsaed at the Chinese Commercial Union's premises in the City.
(CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
.. Oh no
was the reply there is patriotism even in the breast of the coolie."
"
The reporter ruminated on the subject., but his knowledge of the Hongkong coolie and his ways makes belief in this extraordinary story of self-denial very difficult.
A few placards have been posted in the Colony counselling Chinese not to patronise the lower level trams, the authors of the placard assuming the trams t be an American eater. prise. As a matter of fact, the trams are owned by a British syndicate, and all the plaut is of British manufacture. These placards were not printed, but written, and it ought not to be impossible for the police to discover their author.
17th August.
COMPRADORE'S LIFE THREATENED.
measures are
Already a secret society is in existenc+ locally for the purpose of pressing the boycott, and unless active
taken for its suppression trouble is likely to follow. The society terms itself the "Anti Exclusion Act Society, and its posters, which are growing more threatening, are hand written.
On Aug. 16 the attention of Mr. G. Hogarth. Chief Excise Officer, was attracted to the wall of a house in Bonham Strand West at which a crowd of coolies were gaping. On approaching he saw a hand written poster, and learned that it was in connection with the boycott, and threatened the life of Mr. Fung Wa Chun. Tearing it down, he took it to this gentleman who had a translation made. The placard reviled and most infamously libelled him in a way which, even with his permission, we cannot He never publish; and it then went on: looked after his owa countrymen's interests re the boycott. If anybody will get his head they will be awarded $2,000; if they shoot and kill him they will get $1.000; if they wound, burt or frighten him to make him sick, they will get $500. We never swallow our words. This notice is issued by the Anti Exclusion Act Society."
121
taken with regard to the boycott of American goods, Mr. Fung Wa Chun on Aug. 18 received a reply from the Colonial Sacratury to the effect that His Excellency could not consent to the holding of such a meeting.
As part of the local Chinese press has been publishing scurrilons articles anent certain Chinese gentlemen in coanction with the boycott. Mr. Irvine, Registrar General, yester- day called before him the ed.tors who per- mitted such articles to be published, and warned them to be more careful in future.
A representative of the Daily Press was informed yesterday of the supposed reason why the Chinese billposter has so far evaded the detectives while posting up boycott cartoons. The man with the brush carries along with the cartoons other posters advertising businesses or goods. The boycott cartoon is first posted on the wall, then paste is put on the four corners of the advertisement poster which is stuck over the cartoon, and the billp›ster passes on. There next appears a long robed gentle min with his umbrella, presumedly a member of the Anti Exclusion Act Society. The umbrella is run in behind the advertisement postar, which is ripped off leaving the boycott cartoon
in full view.
This fanciful theory may be warranted in some cases, but certainly not in all. A written placard was posted in open daylight yesterday morning, at a place and time where and when there was no policeman in sight. The rascals watch the police.
21st August.
AN ANTI-TRAM CARTOON: COOLIE
REMANDED FOR ENQUIRIES. Before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Police
Court on August 19, Inspector Smith charged a coolie with having posted a boycott cartoon on the wall of a house at Praya East without the permission of the Registrar-General.
The cartoon exbibited a drawing of an electric tram, the seats of which were occupied by beasts, vermin and reptiles; while the Beware! Look at writing underneath was,
P.S.-The Lower Level Tramway Company was started by Americans, and Fung Wa Chun is this." were
that company's manager. All our compatriots ought to show their patriotic feeling by refusing to patronise the tramway."
About 800 had assembled, and more being turned away. No business was done, as an official intimation was received at the begin. ning that such meetings were illegal anl forbidden.
We are informed that" the people were very angry."
A meeting confined to members of the Com- mercial Union is to be held August 14th.
15th August.
A preliminary meeting of Chinese, in connec- tion with the boycott of American goods locally, was held at the Chinese Commercial Union on August 14, about 33 persons being present.
Those present decided to petition H.E. the Governor for permission for the local Chinese to hold a meeting in connection with the boy- cott, as under an Ordinance passed in 1888 it is illegal for them to assemble together without that permission.
Many local firms are now publishing notices to the effect that having ho American goods in stock, they are unable to supply customers with the stuff.
16th August. Signs are not lacking that among the Chinese of the Colony the boycott of American products and manufactures which is in force in many parts of the Chinese empire is cordially supported here. Several of the Chinese newspapers are refusing to accept advertisements of American goods, while on the other hand it is to be noticed that Chinese tradesmen are giving prominence in their advertisements to intimations that their goods are of English or German or in fact any origin but American. A well known Chinese resident with whom a member of the Daily Press staff had a conversation on the subject yesterday remarked that he had seen American cigarettes being scattered in the roadway near the Central market to be trodden on.
"And the cigarette-loving coolies and small boys do they not look on these shower of cigarettes as manna from Heaven? Do they
not fall over each other in their eagerness to annex as many of them as possible?" asked the reporter.
In discussing the matter with a representative of this paper, Mr. Fang Wa Chun stated that his sympathies were with the boycotters, but he was not going beyond the pale of the law for them, no matter how many posters were posted about town, If H.E. the Governor consented to a meeting, then he would convene one, bat of that consent were withheld he would take no
further action in the matter. In conclusion Mr. Fung remarked that he did not think his hair would stand on end. or his slumbers be disturbed by the contents of the poster. He treated it, in fact, with the contempt it deserves.
STEVEDORES JOIN.
We learn that the coolies of Hongkong are a proposal to cease working cargo discussing in the harbour on any ship flying the American dag.
18th August.
A particularly offensive cartoon, torn down and brought to the Daily Press office, increases our desire that the detectives may soon be able to catch the boycott fanatics who have been break- ing the law in this way. The filthy, slauderous cartoons which are given publicity on the walls of houses are a disgrace to the Colony; and not only a disgrace, but a menace to one who, by the action he has taken, has shown that he has not deserved the resentment of the boycotters. We refer to Mr. Fung Wa Chun, who has been made a scapegoat in the eyes of his illiterate countrymen by a most obscene cartoon which was posted on a wall in Cleverly Street, and ogled by large crowds of coolies. The writing on the cartoon reads :—“** Fung Wa Chuu is a slave to the Americans. A great number of shares in the Electric Tramway Company belong to Americans; you must not travel by the trams, otherwise you will be American slaves."
19th August.
MEETINGS FORBIDDEN.
In reply to his letter to H. E. the Governor asking permission to convene a meeting of Chinese to consider what action should
he
ri
A lukong gare testimony. to the effect that saw the coolie post the notice; and Inspector Smith applied for a remand, as he had been unable to learn anything concerning the defendant.
THE BOYCOTT OFFENCES AT AMOY
The Foochow Echo says:-The facts of the insult to the American flag at the American Consulate at Amoy, ara as follows, Mr. Ander- son, the Consul, reports that on the night of the 18th July, the flag halyard of the American Consulate flag pole was pulled down and a nuisance committed at the base of the pole and
8
one
placard against Americans posted on the pole evide ncing a direct and intentional insult to the American flag. He wrote to the Taotai stat- ing the circumstances and he promised to punish the offenders but made no amends for the insult. Nor has he arrested any in this connection. He wrote to him again asking that the usual courtesy of a national salute be fired by a gun boat in the harbour and he was given informal assurance that this would be done. Later it seems that the Haifongting declared that the firing of such a salute would be taken as opposition to the anti-American agitation, whereupon the local officials refused to order the salute. They thus give their approval to the anti-American move- ment and to the insult to the American ag which has resulted from it. Mr. Anderson, therefore, reported the matter to the Ameri-
Rookhill Legation, and
took
can
Mr.
He also com.
it up with the Wai Wu Pu. municated with His Excellency the Viceroy, through Dr. Gracey, the American Consul at this port, who took up the matter with the Provincial authorities, with the result that on Friday the 4th inst. H. E. telegraphed in structions to Amoy that a salute should be fired at once, and a special deputy was ap pointed to proceed to Amoy to make further investigations, and report what measure may be necessary to insure peace and quietness in the port. Consul Gracey sent the following "His Excellency message to Mr. Rockhill. Tsung has ordered the firing of a calute to the
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