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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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us from generalising; even while we go on | incomprehensible; but, as we have tried to to look at a characteristic which is almost show, there is a certain blatant egotism at general, the characteristic of egotism, Peking which renders the tempted unable which in China is JOHN BULL's insularism to discern the arrière pensée of the tempter. was blamed Thus, though China has had many things hyperchromaticised. Russia for China's "cheeky" request for representa- to complain of, much she has brought upou tion at the Peace Conference; and there is herself. The curmudgeon in society suffers no doubt that the serpent whispered in the many a slight; China has played the the nations. The ear in that case. But the Chinese cannot curmudgeon among escape blame. The ear had first to be national trait, if it continues to sway the inclined. EvE's curiosity and China's national councils, must subject China to egotism were both necessary before the more of the equivocal conditions in which tempter could succeed. It looks very much she now finds herself. Some sympathy is as though the same factor has been at work due to her, and she has it; but her faults when China (as is alleged) has allowed may well be pointed out, even as HORACE herself to talk of demanding an indemnity indexed the blemishes of RUFILLUS aud from the belligerents for trespasses and GARGONIUS, without being suspected of damage in Manchuria. That is precisely | carping. Japan's intentions are strictly one of the things which the discoverer of honourable; but she might be goaded into Discretion, most careful, the obvious jumps at; and, as a matter of changing them. fact, has jumped at. It seem only fair, he rather than such indiscretions, is China's It has happened in the thinks: it fair, he says; aud the upshot | best cue just now. of the matter is that the trustful reader is past that the necessary discretion given the idea that anything else would be secured only when som gag was applied. grossly unfair. Ouly a little thought, and It is to be hoped that she has by now that of the mildest, shows that this latest learned how to do without that safeguar 1. claim, or suggestion, is as presumptuous as the other. With regard to Manchuria, China is very much in the position of a person who has lost his purse, aud asks the honest finder to pay him interest on the money for the time it has been in his possession. Au American-manufactured but not to be boycotted exaggeration tells of a labourer who was blown up into the air at a powder mill, and who was "docked" by the foreman for the time he speut going up and coming down. This Chinese suggestion that an indemnity is owing just now is about as reasonable as the action of the apocryphal foreman. There was a time when it might have been made against Russia with some reason; and that was the time that China trafficked with the enemy; and with some cunning decided to wait until the chestnut should be picked out of the red-hot bars for her. That cun- ning policy was knowably detrimental to Japan, practically foreing upon that country After the duty of rescuing the chestnut. the war began, China (seeing that here was her coming chance) very willingly consente l to remain neutral, and to regard Manchuria consequently as territory in which
war could not be avoided. It was, ipso facto, not Chinese territory; to continue the polite fiction would have been to make impossible the policy which all the powers agreed was the best in the peculiar circumstances. The obser- vance of neutrality, it should perhaps ba pointed out, is not merely laisarz faire. With Manchuria admittedly Chinese territory, the paradox arises that China could not be called neutral while she refrained from attempting to drive both Russia and Japan out of that province. This would have been a Euclidi in absurdity, so China waived her undoubted right of enforcing neutrality in that territory; in effect renouncing her ownership and making ita no-man's land. It is at present practi- cally Japanese, because held by Japanese. The Japanese, it is admitted, strictly endeavoured to make things as little uuconi fortable as possible for the Mauchus, so no indemnity could decently be expected from them; and while it is uncertain that the Russian invaders behaved as well as they ought to have done, no claims against them upon the part of China are admis sible until the prior claims of Japuu are settled. So the Jiji very naturally com- plains that China's conduct towards Japan has of late been incomprehensible. Russiau suggestions, cunningly whispered in the Chinese ear, may somewhat explain the
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„[August-28, 1905." bravery " of the Japanes and by the " The Japanese civilisation is practically as old as that of China, and it is perhaps a It almost looks as finer child for its age. though the reproach of the Japanese were just, that the Christian world was unable to admire them until they proved their capacity for killing people. Another phrase illüstra- tive of the comments we had in mind is one appearing in a reference to "the elementary right of the most humble-to be master in China has been deprived his own house." of this right; therefore China has been badly treated; and when she learns the'. lesson that Japin teaches, she will avenge the yellow peril her injustices. Is that not
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He forgets that that elementary all over? right is a conditional onė, with the nation as with the individual. The master must conform to certain standards of mastership, or the neighbours will interfere. passage as translated from the Economiste Français is so appropriate to our previous remarks that we cannot help but quote it approvingly. It says "the same liberties were not taken with Japan that were meted out to China, but then she did not display the same arrogant qualities as her great neigh- hour, China, and she was not for ever mak- ing the egregious blunders in the inter- national world of politics that ignorance and arrogance were the cause of China being Ignorance is not constantly led into.” quite a fair term to apply, for there is a great store of very real wisdom in China : it was the arrogance and it; consequent blind- ness to consequences that did all the mis- chief; that is still working harm; and that will continue to do so while the present government holds the power. There are noue so blind as those that will uut see, and China has persistently refused to see thạt any good thing could come out of Nazareth. That is where Jipan differed, and why Japau has beaten her in progress and power The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; and if Japan had relied upon her bravery and physical prowess alone, she would have been where China still is. If China could but drop her arrogance and dissemble, she could become a real yellow soon as she likes. Boxerism in peril as spasms will not do it, nor boycotts, nor even the ingenious method of granting conces. sions aul treaties and theu disregarding We honestly believe that if ever them. young KWANG-SU comes to his own, and the enlightened Chinese find that they can open their mouths without losing their heads, that then will begin to arise a China that will hold up its heal amongst the nations with a pride infinitely legitimate and becoming than its present arrogance.
(Daily Press, 25th August.) Yesterday we wrote of China as a "most distressful country," which it undoubte.lly and bigger is, having perhaps more grievances thau the country to which those words were first applied. We referred at the same time to the comments of the sentimentalists, and mentionel the egotism of the Chinese as something which prevented them from being regarded as altogether irresponsible for the equivocal position into which they have, as a nation, been thrust. M. PIERRE LEROY-BEAULIEU appears to have contributed to the Economisté Français an article which provides timely support, both positive and negative, of some of our statements. An English summary of his article represents him as using some of the hasty generalisations that are so in discussions of the attitude of China and the foreigners. He follows countless others in speaking of the Chinese and the Japanese in one breath as if they were almost one one language," their people. Tusir
"one" character one colour," and their and disposition," are ideas that by this time ought to be explo.led. There is about as much sense in juxtaposing the Malay and the Negro, or the Highlander and the Eskimo, as the son of HAN and the subject But for this lumping of the MIKADO.
yellow together of "the Asiatics." the " peril" would perhaps never have been heard of; and perhaps if we can become convinced that Asiatics are as heteroganeous as are Europeaus, we may hear no more of i.t It has to be grasped first of all that to the average Chinaman the Japanese is at the French- much of a foreigner as
is to the Englishman. An not งง much surprised Englishman is
he is by a by a Parisian's ways as Cossack's; but the Frenchinan is still a It is stupid to say that batuse foreigner. Japau drew so much of its language fron China that the two natious are drawa together by the tie of language," a has(Secretary). The English "language" and been said.
langage" are both drawn from the French " the same source; but at Brest an I at Ports. mouth recently, with all the gool will in the world, the sailors could not express their mutual ententes cordiales.
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Between China
and Japan it is extremely doubtful if there be any such entente to express. BEAULIEU is impressed by bulk and the ancient civilisation
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HONGKONG SANITARY
BOARD.
Dr.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 22nd August in the Board Room. F. Clark (President) preside, and there were ko present Hon. Mr. W. Chatham (Vico- President), Major Josling, Dr. Macfarlane, Mr. E. Irving. Mr. F. J. Baleley, Mr. Fung Wa Chan, Mr. Lan Chu Pat, Me H. W, Blade, Mr. A. Runjahn, and Mr. W. Bowen-Rowlands
A DRAINAGE QUESTION.
The further reports of the M.O.FL. and the Sanitary Surveyor with reference to drainage of houses on I.L. 1569, state1:- drainage system is at present inefficient these reasons:-1. (a) The storm water fi the hillside and lane is led into the disconnect-
ing trap at the end of the sewer provided to M. LEROY.
carry off the sullage water from these houses: the great (b) Somewhat more than half of the rain water. the of China," falling in this lot is also carriel away by th
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