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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
causea.
"one man's
con.
The presence of foreigners in China will for years to come be the red flag to Chinese malcontents; and to him, he says, it seems a sort of madness on the part of Statesmen and Ministers to ignore this phase of the question. Viceroy YUAN he accepts as a present safeguard, but, in- consistently with his reference to the constraining" hand of the EMPRE88 DowAGER, he points out that life, however, is surely not good enough as a sole proventive against so terrible a tingency as the repetition of 1900." He makes a better point when he assails the optimistic platitudes about showing con- fidence and trust in the Chinese. If it were only the better sort of Chinese to whom foreigners have to look, that might be all right, but, he ejaculates, for Heaven's sake, as well as for our own safety, do not let us think that relations between the Chinese proletariat and the foreigu residents of China are on all fours as those between two Westeru peoples. They are not.' Our sympathy is with him, because we have no faith in the constraining hand of
scious; it seldom or never occurs in such a manner as to afford occasion of official com. paint; yet, it is acknowledged on all side, it occurs. Now in some of the stipulations which have apparently been put forward in the present negotiations on behalf of Japan, we find similar proposed measures openly put forward, and preferences the order of the day. The curious thing about these proposed stipulations is that Japan bardly seems to recognise that under existing conditions most, if not all, would come under the most-favoured-nation clauses in existing treaties. Now Japan is not so unsophisticated in the methods of diplomacy as not to comprehend the full meaning and force of these clauses, and we can only suppose that by introducing them in her new convention she really has the design, so soon as she has the opportunity, of throwing in her influence with China to have these favoured-nation clauses abro. gated. That Japan should stipulate for the opening of mines, for the establishment of Consuls and Bauks and for residence, is natural and proper, as also for railroad extensions; most recent treaties contain ́ückle such clauses, and China has commenced to wake up to the fact that she herself is But apparently Japan has been going further, military attaches' offices, control of salt taxes, the appointment of commissioners of customs, the right of felling trees, and the demand to interfere in engagements with other nations exhibit a strange inexperience in international relations. Doubtless many, if not all, of these demands have been misrepresented by the Chinese organs, but we may as well admit that Japan's real expectations point to subsequent pre- ferential treatment in Manchuria. Great Britain, in opening the door to the acceptance of Japan as one of the Great Powers, had certainly no intention of making her Arbiter of the East, yet this seems to be the position to which her not altogether unnatural ambition is driving her to aspire.
concerned in their beneficial effects.
FOREIGN TROOPS IN CHINA.
!
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nor
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EMPRESS (who was privy to the attempted murders of 1900) in the power even of a few culightened VICEROYS. Academically, we are prepared to go as far as anybody in recognising the rights of China in this matter; and do not suggest that her past sins should be pun- ished indefinitely. But it is only five short years since events which shocked and dis- gusted the world took place; and the antipathy which inspired them is less transient than the impressions made on the outside world appear to be. Peking within
"memorial the last few days receives a asking the Government to encourage the training of Chinese railway engineers. Excellent! But does the memorialist give a reason?
He does. It is in order that "it shall not be necessary to retain the services of foreigners." It is as if a con. victed criminal should urge his fellow criminals to seek after righteousness, in order that police and judges may be abolished! Even Japanese influence and advice cannot prevent such outflares as the recent affair at Linchow. The fire no real still smoulders, and there is
China feels remorse, if at repentance, all, only for the failure of her misguided efforts to be rid of the hated foreigner. There has been far too much foreign toady Iting of the DOWAGER-EMPRESS, in view of her record; and it will certainly be an action misunderstood if the Powers magnan- imously withdraw the troops just now. it is not actually settled, let us talk of it in If magnauimity and a five years' time. strange forgetfulness prevail, it is to be hope I that the next best thing will not be overlooked; that is, a practical revival of It will be needed. the volunteer movement.
Our contem-
If
(Daily Press 7th December). We have understood in the South that it was settled that foreign troops were to with- draw from China; but our Tientsin con- temporary, the P. & T. Times, now tells us that the matter is "by no means so cut and dried as some would have us believe." will probably depend, we are told, in very great measure on the results of the present negotiations in Peking, and the future relations of Japan and China. porary appears to anticipate an alliance, approved by Great Britain, "and probably on the understanding that Japan undertakes to keep China more or less in order." This, while not quite utrageous or far-fetched, would appear to be more of a hope than a conviction; and prompted by a nervousness
CHINESE MONEY. at the prospect of the talked-of withdrawal.
(Daily Press, 7th December.) This nervousness appears to have been as
By Article II. of the MACKAY Treaty, widespread as it is natural, if we may judge from the way the question has been debated China agreed to take the necessary steps to uniform national coinage in the north. One gentleman, signing provide for a hitself "Once Shot at Twice Shy," dreads which shall be legal tender in payment the contingencies that are likely "when of all duties, taxes, and other obligations Empire. To this end the strong, controlling hand of the throughout the
withdrawn." EMPRESS DOWAGER is
He Regulations have been drawn up by the course of Imperial Council of Finance; and these, a remembers that the whole recorded history shows that no subject is fortnight ago, received the sanction of the Throne. They provide for the issue of so pregnant with political trouble as a disputed succession to power. The intri. four silver coins whose denominations will gues of Palace factions often issue in civil be: 1 Ku-ping tael, 5 mace, 2 mace and They are to be coined in five war; and when this occurs, nothing is 1 mace. easier than for an astute politician to mints, and when they are ready for issue the Foreign Ministers at Peking will be direct the public discontent" against one single element of all the contributing | duly notified in order that they may issue
"
[December 11, 1805.
As soon
instructions to their nationals to use these coins; and at the same time the Viceroys and Governors throughout China will be ordered to issue similar instructions for the in- formation of the Chinese people. as returns have been received from the copper mints, additional regulations will be issued regarding the exchange of copper coins for the new silver coinage. It does not appear that a definite date will be fixed when the new silver coins and no other will become legal tender, for the authorities are permitted to receive or pay horse-shoe silver or sycee
if they cannot obtaiu the new eius." Bank notes of a corresponding value to the new silver coins are to be issued by the National Bank of China in Peking. This attempt to reform the chaotic currency systems of China is a sign of progress and reform which will be cor tially welcome. Now that railway construction is going ou in various parts of the Empire, enormously facilitating the communications with distant provinces, a uniform national coinage has become a desideratum which the great mass of Chinese people them- selves
can hardly fail to appreciate At present the conditions of doing business vary in nearly every province; in some localities no money is employed excepting copper cash and chunks of silver (sycee) which have to be weighed out by scales which each dealer or traveller keeps for the purpose. The adoption of a uniform coinage for the whole of the Empire is certain to lead to a rapid development of
To
trade and commerce with the interior. the outside world it is somewhat disappoint- ing that the efforts of Professor JENK8 to induce China to adopt a monetary systemi based on a fixed gold value has not been entirely successful, but if only the Chinese provincial authorities are equal to the task of honestly carrying out the present scheme, a great step along the road to progress and reform will have been taken. Many of the leading statesmen of China are not, we believe, without their misgivings as to the success of the scheme, it being feared by them that so radical a change in their financial system may not be achieved by a government which has so little real power over its separate provinces. Concomitantly, therefore, great political and administrative reforms are needed, and he who runs may read that these things are fully recoguised by the more fur-seeing of Chinn's statesmen and that these vital needs are at the present time engaging serious attention at Peking.
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WARFARE.
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(Daily Press, 8th December.) Never, perhaps, was a story with more point" told than that Eastern one of the three blind men who found an elephant. One, embracing a leg, said "I perceive that an elephant is like a tree.' Another, who had found the trunk, said: "Nay, brother. It is more like a snake." The third, who had encountered the animal's flank, declared them both wrong: that it was like an over- hanging rock The argument continued until they parted, and even then each knew that he was right. Col. PicqUART, the well- known French military critic, and the German authors of a pamphlet he criticises, appear to be in a like state of mind. The German General Staff some time ago issued
pamphlet entitled Kriegsbrauche in Landkriege (War Usages in Land Fighting). Following its translation into French, C.1. PICQUART criticises it in the Gazette de Lausanne. The Hague Peace Conference appears to have prompted the German view, which regarded that conference as achieving
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