ཀ^ཡས་--,
November 27, 1905.)
see exactly how this can be brought about, and are really only resorting to their old policy of putting off the evil day, while making a sbow of advancing. But the Japanese may see further, and may be able, with tact and management, to at last lead the unruly team of Chinese officialdom in the right direction.
"A DECENT REGARD FOR THE OPINIONS OF MANKIND."
(Daily Press, 25th November.) THE International Reform Bureau, located at Washington, in America, has again favoured us with a lot of literature dealing in vigorous style with its ambition to reform-other people. Although America lately has been simply humming with matters appearing to require reformation, and although there is a well-known in junction referring to motes and beans, this International Reform Bureau appears to confine its efforts entirely to decrying the British "Opium" treaty with China. We do not propose to deal again with this particularly, but with the excellent text they supply for a little secular sermou. These Christian Reforiners" have taken a phrase from the lips of the late JOHN HAY, and are praying that Great Britain will amend her ways, if only out of "a decent regard for the opinions of mankind." young century is the way in which what One of the most striking features of this were once purely Sunday topics are figur- ing in the secular press. The old taunt that piety was for one day a week only should now be abandoned, in face of this encouraging sign that the Sabbath is to be observed seven days a week. For surely matters regarded as vital and appropriate on one day cannot be out-of-place on the other six. The Daily Mail recently devoted half a page to a discussion of a theological book by Dr. AGAR BEET, a distinguished Wesleyan who had to resign his professor- ship at Richmond Wesleyan College because he refused to believe that mortal sinners must become immortal sufferers. His book was written to show that the Bible was by
no mean so definite on this matter og
us.
were
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
$65
A notable book is about to be published in Berlin-perhaps by this time is already on the market-describing what is called the the Far East. We who live in the Far East sensational development of Germany's trade in
in German commerce in this part of the world are well aware that in recent years the growth has been very great indeed, if it may not truly be described as phenomenal. It is not my intention to discuss the broad question in this column but to draw attention to just one statement which appears in an abstract given in a London newspaper by a writer who had ment I refer to is that "Even in Hongkong seen an advance proof of the book. The state-
there are now three times as many German as British firms."
tions of the White Man. Every land has its intoxicating liquor of some kind, native to the soil, and we suppose that China had samshui and opium long before it saw a White Mau. We will waive the point, however, and merely venture on a mild suggestion that another objectionable importation of the White Men would be the odium theologicum. | China has its different cults and creeds, but we doubt if any one of its teachers ever had to resign because his opinion of the Great Learning was not identical with that of others. In fine, the Chinese have generally, other conditions being favourable, shown a decent regard for the opinions of man- kind"; and would doubtless have been more tolerant of foreign missionaries if
It is not the first time that I have come their policy had not uniformly been one of across the statement that the Germans are more intolerance. The message of the missionary numerous than the British in Hongkong, but was: You are all wrong, and in deadly sent in the imagination rather than on the the foundation for that statement rests at pre- peril" (iguoring the opinions of Theolo-obiter dicta of a census retura. These reflections gical Professors who disagree about the peril). Then he would seize an
serve to remind me of another kindred question and say:
"idol," many may have heard discussed recently, name- You must not worship this. ly whether there are sufficient Englishmen in See," (as he handled the joss disrespect- Hongkong to give a Ball on the same scale as fully) it is powerless to protect itself." our friends the members of the St. Andrew's This is a faithful sketch of what has Society? Can it be true that the Scottish occurred not once but many times; and Society is largely comprised of Englishmen those who have a decent regard for the
whose title to membership consists in the fast opinions of mankind will be struck, and Sassenach libel? Another question I should like that they are of Scottish descent, or is this a probably shocked, by the similarity of a to ask is.-Into which fold are the Irishmen biblical incident in which the apparent athered? I noticed in a Daily Press paragraph inability of a supposed false god to save
recording the decision to give a St. George's Chinese sometimes backslide from their Irish, like the Germans, a nation apart? Or Himself was jeeringly pointed out. If the Ball in January next that all Englishmen and Welshmen are invited to subscribe. Are the habitual tolerance, under such provocation, does the supposed fact that St. Patrick was a who can feel astonished? The wail of such
Scotsman born and bred entitle the St. people, that " young China thinks to prove Andrew's Society to welcome the Irish s is progressiveness by smoking cigarettes, brithers? whistling, and drinking beer," appears an impertinence after that.
""
HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
21st November,
A
Is that statement true or even approximately true ? I fancy five out of ten readers would be inclined to answer: "Well, if the German firms here are not three times as numerous as
the British firms, there are at least twice as
many, if by firms you mean import aud export houses. A few friends to whom I put reluctant to accept it, I have compiled from the the question inclined to this opinion, and being Directory the complete lists of German and British merchants in the limited sense indicated above. That is to say, I have omitted even wine and spirit merchants who confine them selves exclusively to that business; I have omitted steamship companies; banks, store. keepers, newspapers, engineering works, and, in short, strictly coufined the list to merchants in the generally accepted sense of the word. And what is the result? I find that the German merchant firms exceed the British by one, and if any reader would like to make an independent investigation it may be useful if I append the two lists on which my conclusion is based: and re-
German-(18.)
British (17.) Arthur & Co. Boyd & Co. Bradley & Co. Butterfield & Swire Dodwell & Co. Gibb, Livingston & Co. Gilman & Co.
or
Arnhold Karberg & Co. Blackhead & Co.
some of the Churches. He appeared to have leanings toward the Buddhist conception of souls struggling in the endless cycle, atoning in one life for the misdeeds in the life preced ing, and having repeated opportunities to acquire merit. He would, perhaps, repudi- ate this; but what we have gathered of his theology seems to be on the same intellec. tual plane. He is sure of one thing, how- ever, that
"the wicked who have not repented can never hope to enter Heaven." If they cannot repent after death, they presumably cannot "hope" or "suffer" follow any other mental process known to If, on the other hand, they can suffer, they can presumably feel sorrow, pentance, and so hope. We quote and comment thus, trying not to fail in "a decent regard for the opinions of mankind," in order to show that the opinions of man- kind are greatly varied, even among that section of it which sends missionaries to China. China is said to contain four hundred millions of mankind, and we are wondering when we may expect to see a decent regard for their opinions shown by these good people, who are not unanimous as to the consequences of error, but are in agreement on the one point that the opinions of Chinese mankind may be and ought to be disregarded. They tell us in their quarterly organ that "the next great war is to defend mission fields against the White Man's rum and opium." We were unaware that these were exclusive inven- ' true.
Borneman & Co.
Carlowitz & Co.
China Export & Import Co. Grossman & Co.
Lauts Wegener & Co. Lutgens Einstmann & Co. Melchers & Co. Meyer & Co. Meyerink & Co. East Asiatic Lloyd Radecker & Co.
W. G. Humphreys & Cɔ. Jardine, Matheson & Co. Hutchison & Co. Lapraik & Co. Linstead & Davis Lorley & Co. Reuter Brockelman & Co. Reiss & Co.
Sander Weiler & Co. Schwer Uffel & Co.
Siemsson & Co. Wendt & Co.
Alex. Ross & Co. Shewan Tomes & Co.
H. Wieking & Co.
If we count the German and British "houses of all descriptions in the Colony we shall find statement I have quoted as being given in the an overwhelming British majority, and the
new book is, therefore, more sensational than
to
The failure of "workmen's tram cars 13 realise the hopes that were conceived when the lower level tramway was opened serves to remind us of other dreams of a like nature which have failed to materialise. It may be remembered that when the propos.1 to make the road round the island as a memorial of the Jubilee of her late Majesty Queen Victoria
Was
first seriously considered there were conjured up visions of a Rotten Row for Hong- kong; a road which would also make bathing places easily accessible, and enthusiastic advo- cates saw visions of bathing machines running down over delightful sands into fresh and pare water, while others conceived that the road would offering attractions to many Chinese to have little tend to abate overcrowding in the City by country places outside the town as they have in other parts of the world. So far, alast
I do not notice any of these dreams in process of fulfilment. It used to be said in Hongkong that if you want to populate any of the outlying parts of the Colony, you must first put up a police station on the spot. Yaumati, for instance, was a struggling village until the police station was erected, and when once the police station was there the place grew rapidly. But surely it cannot be said now-a-days that the Chinese crowd into the centre as much
for the sake of protection as for the sake of convenience, What is wanted is a few speculative buildous who will put up cheap houses on the outskirts. and "workmen's cars on the tramway should do the rest.
|
We are having glorious weather, but the countryside is beginning to cry aloud for rain. We have had far less rain this autumn than usual, and many readers will doubtless be interested to glauce at the following records (in inches) for September, October and Novem- ber:-
1903
1904
1905
Sept. Oct. Nov. .16.535 1.660 1.090 .... 9.770
2.005 0.215 3.195 1.830
December, January and February are usually as dry as November, and it is therefore not sur prising that the Colony is being put on “short than last, notwithstanding that it now possesses commons "in some districts earlier this year
greater storage accommodation than it has ever had before. Thanks to this increasep
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