412
the limits of discussion.
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to be
or
(June 11, 1908.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
country required a distinct understanding | Government is blindly plunging.
To add abnormal. – To mention the increases would that in respect of its engagements abroad to the difficulties of the case we learn mean giving practically the whole list, fróm the agreements of its predecessors should that China has just come to an under- ashes to wood-poles. Timber exports of nil be respected. How in affairs connected standing with Rossi, and that this has kinds, by the way,showed remarkable with her colonies the engageinents entered some concern with Tibet. Now almost development. It is perhaps of interest to into by Mr. CHAMBERLAIN are regarded by | accidentally Great Britain found that five note that the export of tea almost doubled his successor, Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL, year ago Russia had manœuvred a hostile itself, the respective quarterly out-turns. may serve as an object lesson even for a intrigue with Tibet, of which this same being:-1905, black tea, 3,414; green, 201 Russian statesman, but for the nation at Chinese Government must have been and stalk, 130 piculs. 1906, black, 6,420 ; large they sem to portend a distinct Lower-conscious, but of which it did not give any green, 147; and stalk, 218 piculs. ¿There ing of the former prestige of a nation whose inkling. We know that in spite of were no re-exports; and the total revenue boast has been that for good or evil an Britain's distinct understanding with Tibet, collections show a steady, persistent increase, engagement once entered into was always Russin is at the present moment nothing the figures for this quarter of 1906 being to be held a sacred thing, and one outside abashed seeking to get up such another nearly six thousand taels better than in-
intrigue with the DALAI LAMA. The 1905.. Notoriously the contrary has ever been British Foreign Office appears the rule with Russia; the Foreign Office ignorant of these facts, and of the engage. had power, it is true, to enter into solemn ments already entered into between China treaties, and the TRAR as Autocrat hai full and Russia on this very subject. Of course power to ratify. But the weakness of the it is open to Russia by and bye to plead treaty making power became at once that these engagements were already entered apparent when it had to be put in prac.into at the time of her understanding with tico. The army had always" ideas of its Great Britain, and therefore must stand in own, quite outside the schemes of the spite of all stipulations to the contrary civil Government, and the latter had its made previously. This is only a single own views as to what was necessary for example of the entanglements which must its own existence quite beyond and often turn up in a one-sided agreement such as contrary to those dear to the TSAR himself. the present British Government is seeking It does not need a prolonged search in the to spring on the nation. records of the British Foreign Office to dis- cover the numberless instances in which en- gagements have been given to refrain from encroachments in Asia and South Europe, which were simply ignored the next day, and generally without remonstrance from head- quarters. The numerous promises made in 1903 to evacuate Newchwang ars only a single case in point: The very evident intention to totally ignore the Treaty of Portland, almost before its ink is dry, is but another example of the same absence of any effectual system of control.
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[
But is there any need for an agreement į which no one believes can be effective in restraining Russia's
:
Lappa's figures are less uniform. Apply- ing the same comprehensive totalisation, and iguoring native sun-dries; the imports for the first quarter of 1906 appear twenty- five thirty per cent. more than-in There were 546 piculs of Patun 1905. opium as against 379. Cotton imports show little change in the aggregate, one variety ~ of English profiting at the expense of another, whites being more popular than greys; and Japanese cotton flannels apparently forging ahead. A feature of this district'a imports was a big leap in woollens. Metal imports were just
Sumatra oil made thousand picula ·less. big strident the expense of American band? Russia is kerosene. Hers also native coxports, were perfectly aware of British requirements, much bigger, the increase being fully and does not need any explanation whatever twenty per cent. on former figures. Sugar on the subject; she is besides not given to is among the decreases, dis 'also»-ten-:ud provoking a needless war, and understands tobacco. very well that all ber advances have been made hitherto by taking advantage of diplomatic errors on the part of her opponents. Under the circumstances it is little short of the height of folly to place in her hands the very weapon that she is most skilled in wielding. In fact Russin could not desire anything more in consonance with her dearest wishes than an alliance with England.
SOUTH CHINA TRADE INDICATIONS.
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The Customs revenue at Lappa · fluctuates more, apparently. It was seven- teen thousand taels more than in 1905, while the 1905 figures were considerably less than those for the first quarter of 1904.
,
The quarterly report for Canton shows that the total shipping entering and clear- ing was about two hundred thousand tons less than in the same quarter of 1905. Opium imports rose from 2,551 piculs to 3,381 piculs, the increases being in Patna and uative. The latter is finding a growing market, as the following (quarterly) figures show: 1908, 1 picul; 1904, 9.07 picula; 1905, 185.28 piculs; 1906, 527,92 piculs. (Throughout these comments, we hope it is un lerstood thas where a year is mentioned, is meant the first quarter of that year.). Cotton pieces were imported in greate. number (138,584 against 110,642), while Indian yarn fell from 19,245 piculs to 17,058 piculs. In this depúrtinent it is worth noting how steadily cotton imndker- ohiefs appear to be gaining favour. The that there was netually a satisfactory in very progressive net of figures indicating creuse of business to compare with the dozens) : 1903, 12,222; 1904, 14,884; corresponding quarter of last year. Opium 1905, 28,665; and 1906, 27,418. All imports were sightly greater, a trifling woollens (except a variety called “Spanish decrease of Patna being more thau covered, stripes") increased; metals fell away, with by an incita a I import of Malwa. Ou the the exception of tinued plates (tinplate ?), sanie rough reckoning, cot on goods passed; which was represented by. 15,476 picuis through in rousiderably less quantities; the against a previous 11,187 piculs, The alling off in English pieces and boycott did not prevent: a small increase of the improvement was Japanese fards; dyed shirtings and Indian | flour, although cotton yarn were appreciably more popular, nothing like former consistent, augment- The fall in Japanese cotton cloth was considerations. Apparently it is more efficacious ably over four thousand varde. Woollens and where substitutes offer themselves, na in worsted yarn reverted to 1904 figures, the oil; American kerosene fell ucarly fifty per while Sumatra rodo feurly: ¿wu quantity exportert in the earlier months of cent., last year having been an extra one. The hundred thousand gallons, There wAR import of metals of all sorts for the quarter very largely increased import of sugars.: was nearly five thousand piculs less. With the exception of cattle and pigs, shoes and boots, and brown sugar, native exports generally showed a truly remarkable in crease. The quarterly figures for silk and cotton footgear, 147,979 pairs in 1904, 77,613 in 1905, and only 51,075 pairs this last quarter, appear to make a dwind- ling industry. In the case of oxported sugar, the decrease scarcely means much, as the figures last year were quite
Now if it be self-evident that it requires two to make a quarrel, it is no less undeni- ably true that it needs two to make an agreement, and that if one of the parties be Wcapable of fulfilling its part of the engage. inent, the agreement is a positive hamper to the party entering it with the intention of carrying it through. It was a wise enough remark made the other day by a French
(Daily Press, 8th June.) statesman à propos the Anglo French con. There is a good deal that has interst for vention than treaty of its utture demand-South Chint in No. 149 of the Customs, ed some concess.com on both sides. The Gazette, covering the first quarter of the danger in the pres ut case is that the con-
current year.
The imports recorded at cessions will be altogether on the one side, Kowloon seem to show a general falling off, and that on the other will be vague promises if the figures be casually glanced over; but beyond the power of Russia, or ra ber the the perhaps unconventional method of treaty making power of Russia, to fulfil.lumping together piculs and pieces shows Notoriously the British Foreign Office is so constituted that it is one of its most usual weaknesses to rush into engagements the bearing of which it does not co prebend. This is an old story, and inevitable when the Secretary of State is selected, not for his knowledge of foreign affaire, but mainly for his political influence and opinions; and although it may be freely acknowleged that compared with his colleagues Sir EDWARD GREY stands at au almost infinite height over his colleagues, it is no secret that his office is not by any means unham. pered. It has been announced that the pro jected angreement includes such extremely techni al matters as the mutual relations of the two countries with Turkey, Unfor- Persia, Afghanistan and Chiya, tuoutely an engagement in respect to all these matters on the part of Great Britain is possible; but in the present position of affairs in Russia is it equally possible on her side? There can be no doubt as to the answer which could be given by any
well informed and impartial states. man. Yet this is the dilemma into which an inexperienced and, as far as many of its constituents are concerned, wrong-headed
Was
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5
Exports from Canton, to foreign countrie and Chinese ports, not counting re-exports show a net increase, the mostźnotable features being fans, fireworks, and mate. The silk exports, lumped together, show a diminution of about two thousand piouls. This includes an increased export of steam filature silk of 8,071 piculs against 6,425 piculs; it was in raste or “iefuse, that the decrease occurred: Exported sugar dropped from 26,000 odd piculis to four thousad
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