Page
1
4
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[July 8, 1907.
Cuina
tree, and if the pulpit likes to insist on its share of usefulness whenever the flag is covered with blood and glory, we have but to remember the need of advertisement in this commercial age to find excuse. indeed did for a long time try to keep the Confucian theory of war in its proper place on the study carpet. Literal acceptance of his doctrines was opposed "as late as the eighth century," but in the eleventh, the morally indefensible" party got the upper I hand, and with the admission of the Suge's anti-war sentiments as guiding principles, China ceased to be virile. It could no longer ensure peace by being prepared for
o-and perhaps the implication is respon-wise man could wish for a more easy-going | remarked the man descending from the sible for the philosophy-we may honestly, government? It talks very big, and makes skeep in subjection our little brown brothers a brave show, and yet all men go their own may honestly stone John Chinaman, turn way just the same. Why should John away our Japanese visitors, and refuse the Chinaman wish to change? At present he suffrage to our Ethiopian fellow subjects. does not seem to worry about it, either in It will be mightily convenient so to do, that the north or in the south. The only is certain; but we do not agree that it discontent worth mentioning is that among should "help the American who is troubled the Canton cavalrymen, who complain of in conscience." That glittering dietum of the unreasonableness of mobilization just a glorious Constitution is either true or when they had let all their horses out on untrue as it stands. Our Manila contem-hire for agricultural purposes. porary straightly labels it untrue, but would apparently evade the disagreeable necessity of throwing it overboard by admitting its truth in intention. Theirs is the difficulty of the new theologians with miracle stories. We fear we cannot help them.
PEKING LOSES PRESTIGE.
no likelihood of such an interesting event for some time to come. On the other hand, this absence of active hostility to the reigning power does not indicate a state of genera' loyalty. Probably never in the long history of the Empire was the Throne at Peking regarded with less respect. The great light introduced by the missionaries and spread by the press, the return of the Chinese student and his airing of bis foreign smartness, the ghost of democracy that has most undoubtedly been walking, these and other things have had their inevitable effect, and eren plain John Chinaman has learned to emulate the
SERVING TWO MASTERS.
wise king should always win his enemy over
:1
14
War--
As
(Daily Press, 5th July). China owes much to CONFUCIUS, but
--the gospel as we now have it in the whether the debt is entirely one of gratitude West. We are now told that but for this is the singular question that some Chinese superstructure of acquired" sentiment-a thinkers may
now be debating. There sentiment that comes to all real fighters, as will be reluctance even to the mere framing witness the American general's dictum that (Daily Press, July 4th.)
of such a question, so much does it favour all war is bell-the Chinese would have a Even excitable people have now been of blasphemy; hut events are forcing it to
rare capacity for battle; that the warrior enabled to realize that there is no anti-the front. The Sage was largely responsible spirit is inherent. as, indeed, the Chinese dynastic rebellion disturbing the Chinese for the popular idea that soldi ra are neces- being human, we cannot for a moment empire; and it is safe to say that there is sarily bad men, and as China now realizes doubt. Their history shows that they were her need of soldiers, the philosophy of peace soldiers once, and what they have been, would seem in danger of losing its claim to it is possible they may become again. The unanimous approval in the Empire. "Aonly question is how far the lapse of time affects it; how far the long duration of this by his goodness rather than by his force,' Confucian anti-war obsession may have said CONFUCIUS, but China has discovered induce results difficult to remove. that her enemies- even those who academi-long as it took man, after abandoning tree cally admit that the merk are blessed-are life, to lose his prehensile tail, (assuming hard to win over. The meekness mentioned something for argumentative purposes) an seeins to appeal less to the foreigner than long, presumably, would it tak him to the contingent, promise about inheriting grow it again: and the Chinese have in re- "Peace should be the sole aimspect of soldiering a vast deal to unlearn and of a well-governed nation," and the nation learn. They will have to be more eclectic that has for so long been inning its faith in their Confucianism, less literal, thereby to such adages, helped thereto by a sub copying Western ways; and here we find a stantial leaveu of Buddhistic teaching, is difficulty in the fact that even while they now, under the successful example of Japan, are re-organizing their army they are turning longing eyes to the figure of au practically apothesizing CONFUCIUS. The effective standing army. It cannot be
two movements will not pull together. denied that there is ample opening for They mean humbug and failure of one it cynicism in the fact that this change or in-persisted in, just as in Christendom the cides with the alleged decay of Confucianism
success of one has spelt the failure of the and Buddhism and the spread of Chris- other. tianity-allegations made by those wo have been and are engaged in propagating a knowledge of the gospel of peace originate les academically, by the West. in the Near East and adopted, more or But in this connection care should be exercised lest the men from the West should be too severely scorned.
went.
enlightened wits of the great centres of civilization, and to, 80
to speak, refer idsrespectfully to the equator. It is only an imaginary line-and perhaps, be doubt. less reflects, the connection between the great ones at Peking and the greater ones in spiritland is just as thin. Besides, he has the example of those in high places. Viceroy SHUM, peremptorily ordered to proceed forthwith to the Far West, never Later, ordered to hasten to Canton, where his great loyalty and splendid per- sonal attainments made his early presence indispensable in a crisis, he didn't hurry; and he has not yet started. Does not bis astute head still rest securely on his shoulders? Then there is Vicer y CHOU Fu, ordered to hold fast the seals of office until SHUM should arrive to take
his them. Knowing Sucм and
ways, if CHOU were anxious to get away, this must have seemed to him equivalent to an order to hold the fort till the dawn of the Greek kalends. Anyhow, having made preparations for his departure, H.E. CHOU persists, and after a little of that persistence and insistence, gets leave to go, turning over the administration to acting officials. This sort of passive resistance to Peking com- mands, however peremptory their terms, seems to be quite effectual; and is bound to have some influence on the minds of the proletariat. A great show is made of abolishing the opium habit. Rewards are promised, and the most severe penalties threatened, and even then the Edicts have to be repeated more than once, augmented promises and warnings. Final- ly, shops are closed, but the drug is openly "off the re- retailed for consumption mises," and John Chinaman's opinion of, the weight of the words that come from the capital goes down a few more point. By and y, doubtless, all this will lead to something; but at present it promises to preserve the existing state of things. What
with
the earth.
It is the universal fate of
JAPANESE ECONOMICS.
Daily Press 6th July).
The seventh financial and economic annual
Was
21
of Japan, which has just reached us, is fully as interesting as its predecessors. It is far too big to summarise. The normal expen- all noble ideals to receive lip bomage only. diture, having no connection with the war, The Occiden als have no monopoly of was £24,692,623 in 1906-7, but as a direct hypocrisy-if such a term can fairly be result of the war that
more than applied at all. Asiatica as well as Europeans doubled, and the total outlay was bave evolved the noblest possible ideale, ns
rewards, £50,614,754. Pensions and witness their great religions, and they too well as the cost of withdrawing the forces have always found it expedient to bow at
in Manchuria, swelled this total. Thus, times in the House of Rimmon. The much-although the population continues its talked of Buddhism of Japan is as truly steady growth, from 2,998,345 in 1906 to only a pseudo-Buddhism as the Christi nity 3,043,838 in 1907, the national debt per of Christendom is a pseudo-Christianity; and head rose from Yen 39-168 in 1905-6 to its place of second importance in the minds Yen 45 012 in 1906-7. Against thie, bow- and bearts of the people was recently made ever, the value of tital trade per head rose manifest by the gusto with which som ny of frou Yeu 1688 in 1905 to yen 17-24 in them set about the killing of Russians, aud 1906, aud waves all round showed an with which the rest applauded the killing. increase. The Government faced the new The anti-opium people have no sole or execunomical situation by curtailing where clusiveright to dub their brethren hypocrites; ¦ possible the normal expenditure, and it is at least open to the supporters of that streng hened its credit by establishing a unrighteous and morally indefensible trade sinking fund, to which at least £11,270,492 to animadvert on the patriotism of the is to be annually transferred from the pulpit, which, preaching the moral indefen-general account. Taxes imposed during the sibility of fighting, is generally ready to war are maintained, but the unparalleled offer prayer and praise for the success of prosperity of the country since the war We do not blame it for so-doing, permits this. The rise and fall of securities our arms.
see in its moral support a Las little to do with e condition of the although we resemblance to the attitude of the stler people, except that so much gambling is who climbed a tree while his brave wite another sign of the prosperity they enjoy.
attacked and slew an intrusive bear with a hatchet. "We settled that fellow fine,"
In 1906 there was an excess of exports over miports of £422,131, and the postal savings
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.