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188
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
game. For one thing she is not likely to and China so ready to fall into the snare, and for the next China has as yet failed to produce a second LI HUNG CHANG. Any strengthening of China here is really in Japan's interest. Beyond this, England is at last alive to the importance of the issue, and cannot, and apparently will not, permit the lessou of Lhassa to be forgotten.
THE CHANGSHA QUESTION.
(Daily Press 14th September).
[September 18, 1905. requesting me to inform you that he had just heard of an intention on your part to open a foreign hong in the city (for banking purposes it is reported) and that to-morrow, the 20th, has been fixed for the opening. He desires to say that the site for the foreign settlement for the port of Changsha is outside of the north gate and that foreign hongs may not be opened in the city. He requests that you will conform to treaty requirements and desist from carrying out your intentions as reported to him.
I trust that you will think it well to comply with the request hereby conveyed: at any rate until you have referred the question elsewhera - and been officially instructed how to act.—I am, sirs, etc.
(Sgd.) A. H. HARRIS,
creased upwards of fifty per cent., and now amounts, by last census, to not far short of forty eight millions, or at the rate of con- siderably over 300 per square mile, and is annually growing at a rapid rate. One of her needs is land, and this was one of the main reasons for her anxiety with regard to Korea. Saghalien is a richly wooded country and is within the forest zone of Asia. The Japanese have alys been a timber loving people, and the rests are a valuable asset. Still with all the care exercised, the forests of Japan within the last ten years have decreased in area some nine per cent, and now cover rather less than forty million acres. With the fate of China before her she has naturally grown anxious; so that with the growth of her population and the diminution of her forests she was deeply concerned in the recovery of her old province. The anxiety of her government for peace before her home industries had begun to feel the effects of a long and draining war is plainly shown by its consent to actually take a retrograde step, and surrender territory actually in her hands. On the other hand Japan has gained much by the war, much more, indeed, than is represented by the value of the indemnity and the territory waived. In the first place she has secured the evacuation of Manchuria, all the more tions, which mentioned his name and the interpretation of the treaty is that Changsha
The case of Mr. H. BENNERTZ, the British merchant who has suffered heavy losses as a result of the refusal of the Chinese officials to allow him to engage in business at the open port of Changsha, has been twice referred to in this column, on the strength of hearsay -vidence.
We are now in receipt of a long detailed statement from the victim himself, as well as copies of correspondence that has passed in the matter. The trouble appears to be every whit as complicated as it has been repre- ser.ted; and we are inclined to think with Mr. BENNERTZ that it is full time to awake Lion." "the still slumbering British According to Mr. BENNERTZ, the trouble began with some hostile Chinese proclama-
Acting Commissioner of Customs Naturally, Mr. BENNERTZ, who has un. doubtedly suffered great injustice and loss, is not quick to grasp the possibility that Mr. HARRIS was doing what he conceived to be his duty to his Chinese employers. Mr. BENNERTZ thought he had no inatter that
*
business to meddle in a had more to do with politics than
the Customs. He was doubtless unwise to tell him so; but we cannot entertain the suspicion that the merchant's trials and misfortunes are in any way attributable to the neglect or lack of sympathy of any British officials at Changsha. The British
matic
The
effectually that she has actually paid for it
name of his hong. Mr. E. FRASER, H.B.M. and the debt has been acknowledged. In Consul-General at Hankow, is said to have the next place she has strengthened her expressed the opinion that Mr. BENNERTZ position in Korea with the acknowledged was entitled to reparation for the injury consent of Russia and the other Powers, and insult of these proclamations; and that city is not covered by the Treaty; and Mr. in any case his right to trade in the city of Changsha was to be upheld. He urged Mr. BENNERTz, according to the latter, to take up cargo as recently as February of this year. It was in the previous Novem- ber that Mr. BENNEETZ's claim was filed, the active interference with his rights having begun in July. In April last, "with the full authority" of the Consuls at Han- kow and Changsha, Mr. BANNERTZ essayed again to establish, on his own behalf and on behalf of other British merchants in Shanghai, the right to open trade "in this mos anti-foreign province of China." Mr. A. H. HARRIS, the Commissioner of Customs at Cuangsha, whose view seemed to
even China, and this in itself is a valuable asset. Next, what may be described as an immediately available asset, she has obtained the full reversion of Russia's lease in the Liaotung peninsula. Beyond this she has obtained from Russia the engagement that her railway from Siberia shall never be used for other than mercantile purposes, and shall cease to be used for military ends. It is true, of course, that the other party to the agreement is Russia, and that good faith has no existence in the vocabulary of the Russian Government further than she has the power and the opportunity to break it. Japan has had the power to enforce the agreement; she retires from the contest with her power unaffected, and has the
be that Changsha city was not part of the
City is part of Changsh port; if it be not, it will be difficult to find the port. Chinese local officials (whose anti-foreign prejudice is notorious) maintain that the BENNERTZ is the shuttlecock in the diplo- the deficiencies of organisation or the lack game of battledore. He must blame of decision and firmness which are required to make the British Government insist upon its own interpretation. The Chinese Govern
bargain when it discovers that the bargainer of the ment never regards a bargain 'as a other part has no backbone. But even to say that is too much, in view of the fact that the British official representations have been effectual. They have established the justive of his claims; aud the Chinese Government has awarded a sum as compensation. This ¦ amount is insufficient to recoup the actual losses incurred: and if it has been accepted in final settlement by the British represen
means and the intention to have the agree-treaty port of Changsha, addressed Mr.tatives, without consulting the claimant (as
ment carried out. Although Japan has refrained from pressing her demands for Bussia's war ships interned in neutral ports she has apparently exercised a wise dis- cretion, as in the present temper of Russia's neighbour, Germany, the request might have led to unpleasant recriminations which to a nation just emerged from a hard, though successful war might have been un- pleasant. The nation most affected by the untoward terminat on of the war, it is thought, is not Russia but Germany, whom many suppose to have been looking forward to carving out a German Empire in the Far East. That dream has been dis- pelled by the retirement of Russia. Still the political temper of Germany has never been of the best, and Japan does well to consider her. On the whole Japan has not fared badly, and has perhaps acted discreetly in not leaving too many tags lying about for the gleaners of stolen pro- perty to get hold of. There is some reason- able probability that Russia will not in the immediate future attempt any glaring step in the extreme East of Asia, Russia, of course, as long as she continues to be Russia, cannot keep her hands out of
mischief, and apparentight by her
meddling in Mongolia. In this she has not the address to see that she is really playing Japan's
lesson has been trying
BENNERTZ
follows:-The copy furnished by Mr. BENNERTZ.]
1
is
he says) and can be shown to be so inude- quate, we presume that by further agitation the balance can be recovered, if not from the Chinese, then from the British Government. Changsha, 19th July, 1904. Though important to Mr. BENNERTZ, who
Custom House,
Messrs. H. BENNERTZ & Co.,
Changsha.
SIRS, -I beg to acknowledge the receipt, late this p.m., of your letter of to-day's date, inform- ing me that you are opening a hong as 8 British firm in the Changsha city to-morrow; an I also your invitation kindly requesting my presence. I beg to remind you that to the best of-my knowledge the city of Changsha is not included in the treaty port limits as a place of residence for foreign firms. The port is opened to trade, residence is confined to the port limits. In taking upon yourself to open a firm within the city without, so far as I am aware, Boy communicatious taking place between your consul and the local authorities on the subject, you are liable to all and any losses and incon- renience which such action, unauthorized I take it to be, will entail. I now beg to give you
formal notice of the same,-I am, sirs, etc.
(Sgd.) A. H. HAERIS, Acting Commissioner of Customs. Later in the same day, at 8.45 p.m., Mr. BENNERTZ received the following:
Custom House, Changsha, July 19th, 1901. Messrs. H. BENNERTZ & Co.,
Changsha SIRS,-I have just received a note from the Changsha Taotai and superintendent of Customs,
says that he has been financially ruined by this affair, the question of amount is immaterial to British commerce in general. The main thing is that the Changsha But if Mr. BENNERTZ is not given the ́obstructionists have been declared wrong. fullest justice, other merchants will not be tempted to meddle with the privileges supposed to be won as a result of this affair. The boycott of Mr. BENNErtz's goods was removed only when the Chinese thought a clearance sale would encourage him to leave the city; and it is only too probable that any other merchant going to Changsha after him would meet a similar fate-unless the British Government allows some sort of mailed fist to be really perceived by the Chinese. There is also the question still to settle, whether foreign goods must pay likin before entering a city which is now admittedly part of au open port. Although happening so far away from Hongkong, we think the case is one that would very properly come within the purview of the focal Chamber of Commerce, which has never taken a merely parochial view of questions of trade relationship with China.
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