February 10, 1906.]
become traditional. It is true circumstances have changed, even in Russia, since the eighteenth century, but it would be too much to expect of the TSAR NICOLAS II. that he should comprehend this; his is not a mind to originate anything new, and his favourite advisers are such as night be anticipated. How far even Count DE WITTE has been able to see into the gloom is uncertain; but DE WITTE, who is the only man who could possibly come to the rescue, is a horror and detestation to the TSAR, who believing that the worst is over returns to his cronies of former days, POBIEDONOSTSEF and BESOBRASOF. It is perhaps but natural. "He who couforms," said old BUTLER, "against his will, is of the same opinion still," and under the influence of his two evil genii NICOLAS returns to the old fleshpots. This is probably the explana. tion of the otherwise inexplicable and seemingly silly activity of M. POKOTILOFF at Peking. It is the old story, Russia wants some special rights somewhere or other, little enough in themselves but care- fully set out in ambiguous words; she wants undefined rights of mining, e.g., Manchuria; she wants the most favoured nation's treatment in Mongolia, where there are, of course, no other natious for a comparison: she wants just a little strip of no consequence south of the Amur; she would like to rectify her agreement with regard to Ili, etc. Every one of these can be read by Bussia in her own interpretation. The time looks favourable; Japan is not likely to engage in another war to take China's chestnuts out of the fire. England, too, is hardly likely to undertake a cam- paign against the elements in Siberia, however, little she may think of Russia's prowess, and China from some occult influence probably best comprehended by the ex-manager of the Russo-Chinese Bank is always ready to enter on negotiations with her northern neighbour.
算
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
In any case there are dangera abead, and if HIS MAJESTY's present SECRETARY OF STATE can avert them, he will have deserved well of his country,
LONGEVITY.
tr
E6
VERY LITTLE CHANGE.
95
To
(Daily Press, 8th February.) How unsound many conclusions regarding China may be, even though derived from promising data, is well illustrated by the (Daily Press, 7th February) Age and death are ideas that should not, connection our Canton correspondent sup- question of railway development, in which and very rarely do, obsess the minds of plies us with perhaps one of the most the young; and now we find M. JEAN interesting sidelights hitherto published. FINOT, in the Contemporary Review, assur- It will astonish and, we trust, enlighten dis- ing us that their presence is just as improptant readers more than it can affect local er in the thoughts of those who have lived residents, who have better opportunities of longer. Consideration will persuade most realising the youthfulness of our venerable people that the learned. Frenchiman has neighbouring nation. We read, for instance, disclosed a psychological truth of very that "under the hegemony of Japan, China. considerable importance. The late RICHARD will proceed to the development of her JEFFERIES in one of his beautiful books
resources in an entirely different spirit from bewailed the fact that deaths from true old that which she has shown in the past." age were far fewer than they used to be talk of "China" and "she" like that is to So far as our recollection may be depeuded emulate SAIREY GAMP: evidently, to judge upon, he took no cognisance of M. FINOT's by the spectacle at Canton," there aint no point; but was pleading timely on the lines sich pusson." Where is the Japanese in. of the modern cafch-phrase, for the fluence, the entirely different spirit, the new
Life." in Simple
This simple life
method ? Is it not the old-time Chinese gospel is very attractive, HS it has spirit that animates the comedy at Canton, ever been since mau found himself kicking with its hyperbole and ad captandum against the pricks of civilisation's complex- methods? "China for the Chinese "---it ities; but it has not been regarded. ns reads much more like. Kwangtung for the practical politics. M. FINOT's suggestion Cantonese. The secretary of the American is on a different plane, and comparatively|| Asiatic Association has recently written in easy. Brielly, he holds that by self-sug the Iron Age that now the commercial gestion we may, within limits, influence the and industrial nations will have free period of our own existence. A man gets and full opportunity to compete for their into the way of thinking he has not long to share in the work of equipping China live. He makes himself the victim of ill-with the appliances of Western civilisation. directed suggestion, and as a consequence Commercial Intelligence, better advised, does dies somewhere about the time he has not admit that the inveterate opposition of expected. If he had kept up his heart, the Chinese is so easily removed; and this laughed at death, and gone on with his has over and over again been demonstrated work determining to complete it, death for us at Canton. That opposition, an would probably have been long postponed. instinctive antipathy, does not need the How about your ninety-two years?" national unity (about which the boycott asked M. Finor of M. RIGAUD, the senior gave rise to so much prating) to make it mayor of France. “I never look at them,"|| effective. We have consistently doubted was the good-humoured reply. The man of the existence of this ninety-two was still personally superintend- present, and have also pooh-poohed the ing his workmen. As with him, so, M. too optimistic estimates of what Japanese FiNor argues, with most abnormally long influence would do. It only needed the lived people. They do not think of their knowledge that such an instinctive anti. years. They begin studies and enterprises pathy existed and such knowledge is easily at an age when it seems impossible they come at-to be convinced that the Chinese should proceed far 101 them. Keeping millenniumr was not and is not a matter of their eyes on the present, they live a to-morrow. If the commercial and industrial genuine life in its every moment.
nations wait until their "share în the work concern is not with the future. They of equipment" is held out to them by * take 114 thought for the morrow, China with both hands, the appliances of Thus the unanimous acquiescence in the Western civilisation will not soon revolu. belief that three score years and ten is the tionise the vast empire now lying commer- allotted span," and sixty the retiring ag cially fallow. British railway concessions is a suicidal mistake. A man is as old as have been marked by no greater success he feels: he may feel as young as he wills, than others; “financial or political obstacles if he will bu: store up in the brain bene have delayed all of them "-except the ficent, sereue, and comforting suggestions;"Shanghai-Nouking short line. Considera- determine that resistance to death and disease is possible; keep the thoughts occupied with work that interests and pleasures that do not destroy; and men. tally decide that life is worth living. It seems that auto-hypnotism, the "fear" more deadly than cholera, mag, rightly directed, induce longevity. Unlike some panaceas, it must do good even if it does not cure.
Then there is another more subtle factor, but which nevertheless must be taken into consideration, and that is the influence of Germany. We have never alleged that there existed any settled understanding between the two Powers, but there is a natural bond which may even be uncon- scious, but which for that very reason is all the stronger. The possessor of a house wherein are collected priceless treasures does not view with composure his next neighbour's house in flames, and Germany does not like the sight of an utterly disorganised state on her borders. Nor does she, either, care to face the eventuality of trying to forcibly extinguish the fire. Instinctively then she has come to view with a complacency utterly incomprehen-, sible to us Russia's activities in Central Asia. But Germany's foreign policy is avowedly framed on merely selfish considera- tions, and though Russia's advances in Eastern Asia may seem to contravene some of her own pet schemes, she probably con- siders that she has herself so far become mistress of the situation that she can checkmate or use them should they become dangerous or threatening to herself. Then there is undeniably a sympathetic boud of union between the two rulers which has to be reckoned with. Two more dissimilar individualities than the. Kaiser aud thẻ TSAR can hardly be couceived-the one strong but impulsive, the other weak and reflective, they are apparently complement- ary to one another; and such unions have in all ages been instrumental in affecting the current of events-aud consciously or unconsciously bob feel themselves drawn into a practical accord, which boiles no good for the peace of the world at large.
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Their
when
The Southern Viceroys have jointly memo- rialised for the river defence works to be paid more attention to as being of much greater importance than the coast defence. The latter is only to 1 parl. against foreigners, which cannot be done properly. but the former is to suppress piracy which interferes with public safety and trade, and should be efficiently dealt with. Orders have, therefore, been given for the fleet of river patrol boats to be reorganised and proper officials appointed.
unity; past or
tions of finance have no doubt retarded progress; and the influence of politics has been always in evidence; but the obstruc- tiouists, overt and otherwise, have had an indispensable ally in the native tem- perament. Commercial Intelligence credits the Chinese Government" with the re- sumption of the Canton-Hankow concession. Whether it was the Chinese Government, the Canton Viceroy, or the merchants of Kwangtung, or unseen influences, we see the spirit of the past as plainly in the present, although it may be manifesting itself in more sensible ways. It is quite evident that while the foreigner is believed to covet the railway as a mere dividend earner, his capital will not be invited; it remains to be seen if exaggerations like the one mentioning five thousand per cent. profit will bring in from the Chinese all the capital required.
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