December 9, 1907.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
way
has been some great catastrophe, or when of suppression. As our readers know very someone near and dear has been taken well, the Cantonese idea of subscribing away, complete consciousness of the trouble money for gunboats with which to police rarely bursts upon the afflicted; while it the river themselves, without the resented insinuates itself. man has time, us it were foreign assistance, is merely a pretty argu unconsciously, to get used to the idea, toment thrown in to make weight and brace himself for the culmination of horror demonstrate their patriotism. If they that would otherwise be overwhelming.
Of course the thing works both ways. It is not an unmixed blessing; and there are times when our slowness to reach complete realization of the full significance of events permits avoidable things, like war, and crime, to take place. Just as the scene possible to one glance or
fixed gaza
is coufined within a frame whose shape may be called a horizontal oval, so the brain per- ceives clearly to begin with only the objects in immediate focus. If there be any virtue in the proverb "look before ou leap," the injunction must be obeyed with a deli- berately roving ere. We must look around to get a sense of proportion.
Sympathy with the contemporary sorrows of our neighbours suggested these reflec. tions, but the real inspiration of the preambulatory train of thought was a Budden though belated recognition of the change in China indicated by the last published minutes of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. One has been hearing of the progress of railways in North China, but the immediate effect was to turn attention to the comparative backwardness of the same development in South China; and it required something concrete, like the letter of Noel, Murray and Co. Ltd. to the Chamber, to awaken us to a realization of the extent of the real changes that have been taking place in the Empire. When it has become necessary to agitate for the collection of statistics of imports moved by rail from the port to the interior, it is easier to grasp the fact that the old ways, the slow, leisure'y ways, have heard their own death-knell. To come at once to the pragmatic aspect, it is satisfactory to note that the Railway Commissioners expressed willingness to co-operate with the Chamber in securing such complete figures as alone make the information useful. In the beginn- ing they propose to charge nothing, but when the work increases to auy extent, as it undoubtedly will do, they will expect the Chamber to bear the cost of such extra clerical assistance as may be required.
The minutes referred to will be found on page 373.
WEST RIVER PIRACY.
(Daily Press, D. cember 4th.) There can now be little doubt, notwith- stand ng Dr. MORRISON's tolerant cautions at the China Association dinner, as to the correct view to take of the Cauton agitation concerning the armed patrol of the West River. Peking takes the same view of it that foreigners do. The central authorities have told the Cantonese that their interven- tion in this matter is impertinent, and a merely futile stirring up of bad feeling, So, though we have periodically reminded our- selves in the manner of Dr. MORRISON that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, we may safely and without any qualms of conscience « go the whole hog in denouncing the men and the manners of this latest manifestation of chauvinism. It may be comfortable for the Canton Viceroy to point out helplessly that there have always been pirates on the West River, but that is not the spirit in which the British tackleʻa nuisance. There had always been pirates and slave traders on the African coasts, but there are not many now, wher- ever British sailors took a hand in the game
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were allowed to have their OWN in this, and had no lack of money to spend, the piracy would still continue, simply because the evil has never been tackled in the right spirit by the Chinese officials. Their attitude toward it is sufficiently revealed by the Viceroy's remark that it has always existed. It is not as if the Chinese had not had the gunboats, for we have heard from time to time of their presence, when the very criminals they were supposed to be looking out for boarded and pirated them! The samne gunboats or guard boats, manned by British, would have sufficed to restore order long before this. They would have been made to suffice. Even with their native crews, they could have done good service, if well.fficered. It
was this or some such reflection that must have prompted the arrangement by which the officers of the Imperial Maritime Cus- toms were to supervise and conduct the campaign against the law-breakers. That solution of the difficulty must also Lave been welcomed by the diplomats as an excellent way of avoiding any such Chinese loss of as the Cantonese are now pretending face
$1
363
sounder than one of the illustrations with which it is buttressed. The Mercury comments:
We must confess to a good deal of sympathy with the Cantonese. We should hate to bare foreign gaaboats patrolling the Thames. How the Americans would be pleased if there were a dozen German vessels keeping watch and ward up the Mississippi we can easily guess. And, perhaps, our Canton friends may ask why is it ships watching over British interests in French that there are none? Why are there no British
ports ? We have pointed out the answer before. French ports are safe. Did danger threate i there would within twelve hours be French ships of war at hand to protect trade and pasish the wrong oer.
It is not so ia the delta of the Canton and West River, There, hardly a day pass a with. that the Chinese of the Kwangtung province out its piratical raid. So long has this been 83,
have come to look upon piracy as upon one of those things described in bills of lading as "visitations of God," events which like thunder- storms, typhoons, and earthquakes must be expasted and insured against. A system of black-mail has thas grown up and has come to be considered in the same light as we look apoa fire insurance,
for generations to absolute immunity from such With the Englishman, of course, accustomed
raids, there is no such complieno. He reseuts the intrusion of the gas rabbir or the creek thief. Down with him! The country which tolerates him is silber too weak or too un- civilised to be counted amongst the nations of the earth. with the Peking Government.
Hence the arrangement com to
We have the power on the spot which China has nɔt, And the Canton geatry have been told in two words what the agreement is. ft is a mitter of "Matual Assistance." When Chias has become more acquainted with the manners and customs pertaining to International life she will see that this mutual aid is a very
creca!
WAS
to lament. It was Sir JOHN JORDAN who suggested it, and the Waiwupu who after a year's consideration seem to have appreciated it properly. The Customs officers are experience in hunting and catching smugglers, and so it seems natural and easy that they should now be expected to extend their organization to cover the common thing when circumstances call for it. Some time ago there was a very severe earth- worse offence, which has a very similar quake in the West India islands. It happened environment to that in which they have been that we had no warship close at hand. The regularly employed. The local officials, if Americans had, and the Captain immediately they had been honest over this question, offered his assistance. But it happened that we could not have thought of losing face by had as an official there a man who might have such an arrangement, for their co-operation been a Canton gentleman of the present day. on shore, whither the pirates usually betake He very brusquely told the American officer themselves when not professioually engaged, shrugged her shoulders, but England
that his help WAA not wanted. America or when pursued, could have been made furious, and very few days sufficed to teach that very valuable. The territorial officials, how-official how kindly officers ought to be received. ever, seem to have had their own гea80118 O miseras hominum mentes, o pectora for resisting the arrangement as long as
To liken the ex-Governor of Ja- they could, and it has been openly alleged maica, the sturdy, thoroughly John-Bullish that the recent Cantou meetings were SWETTENHAM, to a Cantou gentleman of the officially instigated and encouraged. The present day, and that after the ample reprimand from Peking which appeared in evidence that has since been given to show our issue of yesterday should alone suffice how he was misjudged, how far too hastily to kill the agitation; but this is a period of condemued! The comparison is odorous, tension and cross-purposes between the malodorous. The cases could not be provincial Governments and Peking; und more dissimilar. The American Admiral we should not be surprised to learn that the who “buttel in' when the English Go- British guuboats reported as detailed to the
vernor was busy only thought that the West River are going, not merely to co- latter might not be able to cope with the operate with the Customs boats, but going situation. His mistake was due to his own with the tacit consent of the Central Go- obtuseness, in not s uzing the hint that he vernment to see that its orders are carried
was coinmitting a grava breach of national out in good faith. At present, however, it etiquette, and in persisting in forcing his is all largely speculation; and the only assistance atter it had been politely declined. people in a position to tell us what is really It was the gros; lack of tact of a man who going on keep their lips tightly closed. doesn't know enough to gaze steadily at the We can endure unsatisfied curiosity, how opposite end of the ballroom while bis ever, so long as we are assured that the partner repairs damages - the crass stupidity nuisance of piracy is to be suppressed; and of the intruder at an informal levé who will the indications are that it is not to be
not understand that a brandished toothbrush tolerated any longer.
is an invitation to leave the room. Sir ALEXANDER SWETTENHAM Was quite able to do all that was necessary. The British must be fond of humble-pie who onu so readily assume that he was not.
The case of the Canton officials, however, is quite different. They cannot do all that ig necessary to make the West River sale for comme.co. They have admitted it; pioided their inability, in fact, when a plea seemed necessary; and even now, after twelve months
(Daily Press, December 6th.) "His decisions seem good enough until he explains them," was a shrewd remark made of a judge; and a Shanghai contemporary's references to the state of affairs with regard to foreign interference with the Cantinese attitude towards piracy on the West River remind us of the saying. The argument of our contemporary appears to us vastly
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