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THE WAR STORES SCANDAL.
(Daily Press, 24th February.) It is somewhat surprising to read that one of the results of the enquiry into the mili- tary stores scandals in South Africa is that the system adopted by the Japanese will be in all probability followed in future by the British Army. What that exact system is is not stated; but it may be presumed to be something not beyond the powers of average business talent, if backed with average faithfulness in the discharge of duty. That a proper system of check could be devised, as to the issue of military stores, even without the assistance of Japanese methods will hardly be considered beyond the powers of English business men, if they really intend that the best shall be done to safe guard the interests of the Government in the matter. What really is required is that a higher standard of honour, or, to speak more plainly, of honesty, should be enforced in matters of the kind. The weak point of the whole thing, as displayed by the evidence which has been elicited by the Commission, is really in a nutshell. It is nothing more nor less than general accep: tance of the idea that it is not disgraceful to do towards a Government what anyone with the smallest sense of right would refrain from doing in dealing with an ordinary individual. In almost every instance that has been brought forward; there has been evidence of collusion between persons who were in duty bound to act as checks on each other. In some instances
this has been of the most flagrant charac- ter, and it is simply astounding how the various persons who have combined to defraud the authorities could have brought themselves to make the proposals necessary to attain the ends in view.
How, for; instance, any man could have the effrontery to ask the official in charge of a supply of sugar to condemn as much as possible, with the view of selling back a part of the rejected article, must be a mystery to those who have not had some experience of the effects which this "gin the government doctrine has upon people at once weak and avaricious. In an ordinary way a man who made such a suggestion to another would know that he did it at the risk of very possibly being kicked for his pains, or at least of receiving a moral rebuff scarcely less pleasant. The evidence before the commission, however, shows that proposals of this description were made in numerous directions and were in a number of cases accepted and acted upon. We are in the habit (and very justly so) of deprecating the ingenious ways of squeezing resorted to by the Chinese, but really after the revela tions of the War Store scandals, it is difficult to see that we have just grounds for 80 much indignation against our in- genious Eastern friends as compared with Western nations. The consideration is certainly bumiliating, but it can hardly be said that the facts which have been made public do not warrant it. Indeed in one respect the Chinese squeezing is perhaps more respectable. At least the latter is generally done by direct bribery, and rarely by means of elaborate combination and collusion as it is clear has been the case in many of the transactions which have been brought to light by the Commission. It is indeed this element of collusion that is the most discouraging in the revelations that have been made; as it displays in a most striking manner the low level to which any sense of honesty has sunk in respect to such matters. There is, of course, nothing per se more dishonest in combining with another to defraud a third party, than
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[March 5, 1906,
in defrauding him oneself; but as an indi-imperial family of the Tarros had by the cation of general tone, such combinations time of Tao Kwang lost almost all the are of salient significance. They show a virility of their great ancestors, and Hinn - full belief, justified unfortunately by the FUNG, although on his accession only event, that nefarious proposals of the kind nineteen, had already by debauchery ruined would be favourably received, or, in other his constitution. In 1850, when the allied words, they show that the estimate of French and English were knocking at the official honesty among men whose position gates of Peking this wretched sovereign, best enabled them to form such an estimate, instead of buckling on his arms to save his was of the lowest character, but still not capital, fled ignominiously to his neglected lower than the facts warranted.
palace at Jeho, where the following year on August 22nd he died, despised by everyone, and most of all by those about him. He left one son, little more than an infant, the former Manchu governor in Canton, and child of a concubine presented to him by a this son succeeded under the style of TuwG CHI; a regency being established com- posed of a younger brother of the deceased Emperor, I HIN, Prince KUNG, who had been born in 1833 and had taken an active part in the negotiations with the English and French; and conjoined with him, the actual EMPRESS DOWAGER, and Tax Hi, mother of the new EMPEROR
or, at
80.
If any improvement is to be effected, it is at this point that something ought to be done. It is, of course, impossible, to make people ordinarily honest by any all events, extremely difficult, rules, regulations or even Acts of Parlia- ment. It may be doubted whether any system of checks or any enactments as to punishment can make people less disposed to unlawful collusion, if their self-respect will not keep them from it, but stringent rules fearlessly enforced would at least have the effect of making the more timid hesitate; and would to this extent reduce the evil. A large number of people regard an act which the law recognises as an offence in a
In 1873, the young EMPEROR having attained the age of 17, and being, appar. different light to acts which are not made ently of an independent spirit, be determined crimes or offences; and if it were known to take the reins of government into his that any arrangement by which a person dealing with public stores on behalf of the DOWAGER seem
own hands. Prince KUNG and the EMPRESS Government obtained a pecuniary benefit this act; not
to have coincided, in 80 the more ambitious in connection therewith would be a punish. Empress mother TSE HI, who chafed able offence, something at least would be done to check this gigantic evil in its initial and sought to thwart her son at every at the reins being taken out of her hands, stages. The Commission will doubtless do step. Disgusted at the restrictions at. flagrant offenders to justice, but, on the ments, the young EMPEROR acquired the some good in bringing some of the more tempted to be placed on his private move.
other hand, the Commission itself is a stand-habit of leaving his Palace secretly, and ing proof of the enormous trouble and going in disguise amongst his people; and expense that must be incurred in doing this led to a growing hostility between the A large number of minor offenders youth and his exacting mother, which all will, of course, escape, and after all it will the inner secrecy of the Imperial Palace appear that at worst there is a fair chance could not succeed in hiding from the outside duly taken to heart by very many. of doing so; a lesson which will no doubt be world. According to official accounts in
It is to be-hoped, therefore, that the matter will contracted a bad attack of smallpox from one of these excursions the young EMPEROR
not be allowed to end in the prosecution of a few of the worst offenders and then be January 12th, 1875. There are many well which he never recovered, and died on
investigation of the whole subject; and the where, who have always held that his death shelved. It should be followed up by a full informed people, both in Peking and else- enactment of such laws and regulations as
was hastened, if not altogether caused of the kind, if not impossible, at least so may seem necessary to render transactions artificially. The EMPEROR's private name was according to imperial custom TSAI entered into in the future. hazardous that they will not be readily TIEN, the former of the two names being cominod to all the Imperial Princes of the same generation. TUNG CHI's successor to satisfy the names of the departed should have been a Pu, that being the name selected for the succeeding generation. Seemingly to carry her spite beyond the grave, the. IMPERIAL MOTHER, who by force of charac ing role in the Regency, passing over the ister had already begun to assume a command-
families of the fifth and sixth sons of HIEN Fuxo, selected a young grandson of the sevenib, Prince CHUN, also a TSAI; he was of tender years, not yet four, and the EMPRESS MOTHER calculated that under the cloak of another long regency she would remain virtual mistress of the Empire for of a TSAI-as the new Emperor prevented the the term of her natural life. The selection proper sacrifices, which only a member of a junior generation can offer efficiently, being made to the names of TUNG CHI, who thus was made to enter the world of spirits dis honoured, and practically, notwithstanding that he was actually the son of HIEN FʊNG, an intruder.
THE CHINESE IMPERIAL FAMILY.
(Daily Press, 26th February:) The appointment of an imperial prince as successor to the present EMPEROR apparently again coming on the tapis at Peking, and looking at the affair from an outside point of view it is full time in the interest of China, as well as of the Imperia! family, that the present state of uncertainty should be put an end to. Although the principle of primogeniture is at the founda- tion of the succession laws of China, there adoption that it has practically become of are in effect so many exceptions to its rigid little account. The rule during the present dynasty has been that up to the present one of the sons of the EMPEROR actually on the throne has succeeded; but as to which, there has been left a wide margin of choice. YUNG CHENG, for instance, was the eleventh son of K'ANG HI and KIA K'ING was the fifteenth son of his father, the Emperor K'iEN LUNG. The Emperor HIEN FUNG ascended the throne on March 9th, 1850; he was the fourth son of his predecessor, but the three elder sons had died before their father without leaving issue, so that HI FUNG was really the heir by right of primogeniture. The
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both her husband and son did not pass So glaring an insult to the memory of without remonstrance, and as in
as in such cumstances one wrong usually begets an- other, the DOWAGEE, as she now styled herself, felt herself compelled to take further step. Rumour affirmed that TuxG
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