25+
THE RIVER CONSERVANCY
QUESTION.
THE HONGKON WEEKLY PRESS AND
|
(Daily Press, 7th October.) The complete abandonment of the clause in the convention of 1901 which provided for the establishment at Shanghai of a local River Conservancy Board, wherein all interests, native as well as foreign, were amply provided for, cannot be looked upon otherwise than as a complete victory for the reactionary party. Under cover of restoring China's territorial rights in an affair where they were never questioned, it has gone back to the old system of seeking to control everything from Peking, which in the past has proved so disastrous to all. Of course the Foreign Inspectorate has been thrown in, and the work is nominally to be under the control of the Com- MISSIONER in charge at Shanghai; but the COMMISSIONER at Shanghai is but a figure heal under the command in every detail of the INSPECTOR GENERAL, and has neither say nor responsibility, but has in every matter outside the daily routine of his office to refer to the INSPECTOR GENERAL. Now, it is acknowledged that in the control of an office which ramifies through the whole of China, and in which perfect uniformity of working throughout is an essential feature, such a check is necessary; hut it becomes quite a different thing when the object to be gained is the control of a river. Although ver hydraulics are a thing capable of reduction to scientific rules; yet not only does one river differ widely from another, | but the same river under altered conditions varies so much that only those acquainted with its idiosyncracies are capable of forming an opinion offhand as to its require ments. This is so well known that it has become the custom in all civilised lands to leave questions of local conservancy to local control; and to interfere as little as possible from headquarters. To take a modern instance: the conservation of the Thames affects the Government of Great Britain far more closely than the conserva- tion of the Hwangpo d:es the Chinese Government. Imperial control has been tried, and the result is that as a highway of trade the commerce of London has been suffering so much that of its own motion the Government is preparing to hand it over to a board locally appointed by the various interests concerned, the Government taking its part as one of these. In Liverpool, Glasgow and the Tyne, the Government does not even assume this indirect control but leaves practically the whole to the local bodies. China herself has had an example of the good effects of such a system of devolution in the recent improvements in the navigation of the river at Tientsin. This urgently-needed work had been for years in the hands of the Government at Peking, with the usual results of procrasti- nation and pretended enquiry. During the short period when the Allied Commission was in charge, and without the necessity of going abroad even for an engineer, the much-needed work was put in hands; with the result that the bends which proved an
insuperable obstacle in the way of Peking were, iu a few months, in a fair way of Leing removed. The end is that now steamers can calculate on being able to proceed to Tientsin every tide,athing which for years had become
an
absolute impossibility. In Shanghai likewise the state of the River has been for the last thirty years steadily deteriorating. Remonstrances have been sent to Peking time after time with the one result; each time the Government has respon led that it was making enquiries, and as soon as they
|
most 80.
were completed it would, of its own motion, begin at once; and each time, finding that the Governments of those most interested the local traders and local authorities, were content to take the promise for the deed, the whole has been permitted cach time to slide back into the land where all things are forgotten. True, we have got the guarantee of the Inspectorate of Customs, and doubt- less certain diplomatic persons ask in all simplicity, what more can you require? Now we are not going an inch too far in giving utterance to the expression that of all the reactionary bodies in China the Inspectorate General is the Various circumstances have combined to bring this about. First, the law of self, defence and want of foreign support com- pelled the head of the office to range himself with the reactionary party momentarily in power. Secondly, recent events have forced the office into being the garnishee of China's foreign indebtedness, for which the Customs revenues have been hypothe. cated. Had the INSPECTOR GENERAL been acquainted with the first prin- ciples of political economy he would have protested against the suicidal policy which is underlying the whole of the present system. China has for instance lost entirely her tea trade with Great Britain and the whole of the British colonies through her shortsighted fiscal policy. Iustend of warning her about its evil results. we find him actually interfering to make these defects permanent. There seemed some prospects of manufactures taking root in China; new fiscal blunders, aided and abetted by the counsels of the Inspectorate General, are blighting these in the bad. Look at Shanghai Cotton Mills; look at Shanghai Docks; and ask those concerned in the management whence their difficulties proceed? The answer will afford por gratification to those interested in the trade of the chief comm_rcial port, of China, when alongside is placed the most recent conven- tion placing in the same hands the control of China's most important harbour. It is no secret that the chief actor in bringing about the denunciation of the convention of 1001 was the DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL; and that it was mainly owing to his repre- sentations to the VICEROY of Kiangnan that the false agitation about the infringe- ment of China's sovereign rights was brought about. We do not willingly bring to the light of day these amimadversions because the Inspectorate in its day has done splendid service to both China and the world at large; but the more we admire the past the mors we must regret tlie present. The new Convention may be a matter in itself of secondary consideration; but it is an unmistakeable symptom of evils ahead both for China herself, and for those concerned in the foreign trade of the Empire.
AMERICA'S POLITICAL
INFLUENCE.
(Daily Press, 9th October.)
One of the most noticeable of the changes in the political position in the Far East which have been brought about by recent events, is the altered position of the United States in its relations both to China and Japan. America is now recognised as au active factor in respect to all questions which arise either at Peking or Tokyo, and, though the fact has been but partially real ised, it has undoubtedly exercised a domin aut influence in all the diplomatic questions which have arisen both before and during the war.
This has been due to two causes;
[October 16, 1905,
first the change which has of late years come over the United States themselves in respect to matters of foreign policy, and secondly the increased importance which recent developinents have shown to attach to the Far Eastern question in its bearing upon the possession of a strong, if not a dominant position in the Pacific. The old traditional doctrine that the United States should abstain from mixing up in matters of foreign policy and be content to throw their whole energy into the development of their internal resources has become very much modified of late years. Such a policy, admirable in theory, has proved impossible with a nation having such large commercial interests in all parts of the world; and it is now generally recognised that safeguarding and furthering interests abroad is as much a part of the stan ling policy of the United States as of any other nation. Still there is, and for very sufficient reasous, an antipathy to anything in the way of foreign conquest; but even this idea had to give way to the force of circumstances after the termination of the war with Spain and the aunexation of Manila. The step was justly regarded as a new departure and was looked upon with little favour by American statesmen of the old school, while in Europe it was generally looked up on as the inauguration of a new phase in American foreign relations, and as bringing the United States forward as an active element in the affairs of other
nations, and even with regard to Euro- pean political questions. How far it will tend in this direction re naius still to be seen; but one effect of the change has been to largely increase the interests of America in maintaining her position in the Pacific and seeing that no other uation obtained a predominant or, at all events, a menacing position in that direction. From her known traditional antipathy to anything in the form of foreign conquest, the United States naturally commanded a position of confidence in the counsels of the Governments both in China and Japan; and there is no doubt that her influence has done much towards the preservation of the integrity of the former country, and also that it has formed no small factor in inducing Japan to adopt the firm attitude which she assumed against Russian aggressions and her pretentious to become a dominant power on the Pacific.
It is somewhat noticeable to how small an
extent the United States has been taken into consideration in the general discussio 18 in European journals with respect to affairs in the Far East. Speculation has been rife as to the position and netion of all other great nations, and the various combinations or ententes as to future policy have been fully discussed with regard to them; but little has been said with respect to the nation which has been very largely the moving force in all recent diplomatic movements in regard both to China and Japan. This has been in part due to the characteristic absence of display which has marked American action. The United States bas been specially careful not to thrust herself forward in any way calculated to induce undesirable opposition. The only instance of late years in which she took a prominent part in diplomatic affairs in the East was with regard to the Trenty she concluded with China just before the outbreak of the war, declaring Mukden to be open to foreign trade. The step was of far-reaching importauce, but was an accomplished fact almost as soon as it was heard of by the outside world. The position thus main- tained, which virtually declared the con- tinued territorial iule of China in
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.