October 14, 1907.)
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
HONGKONG YACHTING
thus severely attacked. No abstract dictum can possibly be a guide upon the occurrence of a national emergency, and whatever principles might be agreed to at a Confer-
(Daily Press, October 10th.) once, it may be taken as certain that no harbour as Hongkong has got, it was inevit- With such a fine, outspread, land-locked nation would for a moment risk the chance able that yachting would figure prominently, of national annihilation or even serious if not pre-eminently, among the sports of disaster, if, when its enemy were attempting the Colony. It has done so. There are two some supreme movement, it could avert it yacht clubs, and about thirty yachts of by some other movement of a supreme various types. Just at present the inwards character, though the latter might not have of the stronger club are rumbling with the approval of the Hague or any other excitement over a rather pretty disputation. conference, who had dealt with it before- The stronger club happens to be the younger hand in times of peace upon merely abstract club, partly by reason of the very conditions grounds. Supposing, for example, it had which have given rise to the trouble. The been possible for the Russians to destroy premier club, the Royal Hongkong Yacht any serious portion of the Japanese fleet dur-Club, is dying of the disease of DIVES. The ing the late war by raining explosives upon newer club, the Corinthian Yacht Club, is it, does any one believe that she would have thriving on the crumbs of LAZARUS. More hesitated to do so because the Hague explicitly, luxury has proved the bane of Tribunal had decided that this was not a desirable mode of warfare ?
the R. H. K. Y. Č. It began with a fleet of If such an yachts that cost no more than about $250 opportunity of possibly averting complete each, and bit by bit, the type was altered national disaster presented itself, depend and amended and improved until now, with upon it, that with the passions which are perhaps some rise in the cost of labour and of necessity aroused in war, it would be material, a member has to spend two made use of Indeed it is obvious that the thousand dollars before he can have a boat failure to do so would be open to grave entitled to compete with those flying the censure not only upon loyal and patriotic R. Y. C. burgee. There are not many men grounds, but in some instances actually who can afford that much for such a luxury, upon grounds of humanity-as the disaster so the membership has dwindled, and the it might avert might be greater than the one fleet has almost disappeared. The Corinthians which would occur
were the desperate began with the excellent and approved idea remedy not resorted to. Under such circum- that there are plenty of keen sportsmen stances a commander might be excused if he available provided that a reasonable check adopted Midshipman Easy's principle and be put on the outlay. They therefore threw the half dead man overboard first adopted a pattern for a One-Design class of and then came aft and argued the question. boats, all of which were to be alike as far The only way to prevent this would be an agreement between
as possible in measurement, material, and all nations cost. that they would at once combine against anyone who was guilty of such a dereliction but does anyone believe that practical diplomatists would ever set about establish ing such a principle, or that there was any likelihood of its being acted upon, should the occasion arise? The most sensible remark which has for a long time been given utterance to on the possible diminu- tion of war is that recently made by Prince Bülow, who pointed out that this would by degrees be brought about by the increase
of common interests between nations, which
wdoul make them more and more averse to incur the evils which would necessarily result to both, whatever might be the issue
of the conflict.
Even with regard to minor matters, such as might fairly be hoped could be settled by international arbitration, the results are extremely disappointing. The attitude taken by Venezuela at the recent conference in supporting a proposition that no nation should resort to force merely to enforce a money claim, when Venezuela herself was in the position of having failed to pay up a miserable sum of £400,000 which had been awarded against it, defective any tribunal of the kind may be shows how even in a matter of this simple and prosaic description. This is, no doubt, an extreme instance, but it is none the less a marked illustration of the inherent weakness of the whole system.
Grand Secretary Chang Chih-tung advised the.. Empress Dowager on Monday to retire from public affairs and have a "good rest," for as the government has its hands so full," the Imperial health would certainly be affected by too persistent attention to the diffoult problems before the Throne at the present moment.” Is this a hint to her Majesty to resign the reins of Government ? Bat in whose favour as Chang and Yuan are both. opposed to the Emperor, queries the N. Daily News translator.
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at second hand, and put it intò his craft without consulting the committee. His argument was that as the One-Design specifications apply only to the hull, he was could not be persuaded that he was not not obliged to consult anybody, and he being harshly treated in having to replace it with the solid and heavier masts used by the rest. He rashly accused the majority of envy and of unsportsmanlike behaviour in depriving him of the advantage of his luck and forethought. It would have been more sportsmanlike to have bowed majority, and given them credit for honest intention. indeed of all society, would surely penetrate The curse of Suburbia, and even a One-Design Yacht Club, if he were allowed to persist. Every man wants to be as good as his neighbour. If No. 10 has a brass doorplate, the lady at No. 12 is unhappy till she gets one too; and one boat fitted with hollow mast and spars would set the others all striving for similar luxuries, which cost, by the way, when purchased new, more than the total cost of the present the matter is not hidden; it would involve type of boat complete. The conclusion of the conclusion of the Club.. The C.Y.C., breeding good sailors, would before long at present strong and flourishing, and become as moribund as its forerunner, the R. H. K. Y. C. Those who want to experi ment, and are prepared to demonstrate their superior knowledge at extra cost, can always enter for the handicap class, where there is absolutely no limit to originality and in- vention. But those who want a big fleet of One-Design boats, encouraging more men to take up the sport, and to keep alive the puts yacht racing on a laudable footing the waves, should work loyally together, This idea, properly carried out, cunning that made Brittannia the ruler of Competition is not between long purses and observing the spirit rather than the letter of short ones, but between brains. The keenest the rules that are meant to put competing and most observant sailorman, theoretically, it is, there is much room for improvement. and allowing for the element of luck-acts
belmsmen on a fair level at starting. As of God, so to say-stands the best chance Fully half the men who sport yachting of winning. True sailorcraft consists in caps know nothing of knotting and splicing ; getting the best from the material in hand many of them go aboard and depend upon and from the conditions existing; but keen the China-boy to make all shipshape for yachtsmen have got into the way of thinking the cruise, and leave him to do the same they should be boat builders, designers, and when lying-up. The object of such Clubs riggers as well. To a certain extent this is should be, not to encourage yachtsimen of possible improvements to the shape of his handy men; not to provide trophies and a good thing. A man who thinks out the LIFTON type, but to make sailors and sail, the size of his combing, the material of excitement for pot-hunters and gamblers, his keel, and so on, is a clever and a useful but to inculcate a love of the sea and a succeed himself. But, and on this point we wan, likely to advance the sport and to thorough, acquaintance with the wonders and glories that mean so much in the lives have no doubts, he is out of place in a One of them that go down to the sea in ships Design Club, unless he be sportsman enough After all, if two boats be caught in a squall to present his ideas to the rest of the boat-off Cape D'Aguilar, it is not the skipper owners at the proper time for considering amendments of the standard, for general adoption and use. If he thinks of some new dodge" or alteration and endeavours to
隐藏
steal a march on the others, in a One-Design class, he is going clear against the principle a pot-hunter than a sportsman. In the case of the combination, and he appears more of of the C.Y.C., it unfortunately appears that the standard was somewhat vaguely defined the earlier committeemen were reprehensibly as to some important details, and worse still,
slack in ignoring sundry innovations involv- ing departure from the principle. Suddenly awaking to the danger, as the evil grew, and they were threatened with such things as dearer materials, hollow masts and spars, and so on, the existing committee suddenly (this week) put their foot down, and for- bade, until such time as a majority of the boatowners ahall decide otherwise, the in- troduction of any more novelties. They did quite right, but by not doing it sooner, their action involves a certain amount of hardship on the innovatora. One man was lucky enough to pick up a hollow mast dirt cheap
with the best filled purse who shows up better, but the man who has been trained to cope with an emergency requiring quickness of eye and brain and hand, which, to be sure, may be acquired as well in a four- hundre l-dollar boat as in a yacht costing ten times as much.
MASTERY OF THE PACIFIC.
(Daily Press, 11th October.) There is a certain class of topics which when once started either in diplomatic circles or the Press are certain to be grossly exaggerated, and to be insisted upon as important long after the original_exaggera tion has been fully exposed. Needless to say this characteristic is usually found among subjects which afford a good opening for some popular catch-word. Free Frade Free Labour, Free breakfast tables--any- thing in fact that may be called Free-are among the salient examples at home; while abroad, "perils are especially popular as subjects for discussion and vaticination. We have Yellow perils and black perila
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