188
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
{
which the Church of England had brought | junction with the Trans-Siberian at Harbin. to them. After a reference to the other iort tations associated with missionary work in Hongkong and pointing out that St. Paul's College was neve: 80 full as at the present times he alluded to his visit to Pakhoi which he had made on the "Flora" and where he found evidences of wonderful work. In conclusion he called upon the Ven. Archdeacon Moule who had been asociate with missionary work in China for nearly half a century, to address the meeting.
The projected line which the Chinese are desirous of building is surveyed from Hsinminfa 'to Fakamen; throughout its course it runs off the right bank of the river Lino which divides it from the territory at present tapped by the Japanese railroad."
Archdeacon MOULE, in the course of his address, said that he had seen China asleep and he had seen hina awake. He had s en it awake with the terror of the Taiping rebellion, and he had seen various movements develop in the country. It was said that the old people could not sympathise with young Chins, but be thought they could sympathise because they had seen new China. They had seen China awake. It was wide awake now and he did not think it would go to sleep again, though it might slumber The programme of the present reform party in China-he did not mean the revolutionary party-was the programme of the Taipings fortseven years ago. Every, SeL Bible idea in the programme of the reform party was anticipated by the l'aiping rebe's, including the bible in schools. That programme embraced schools, electric trams, steamers in all the inland waters of China, civility to foreigners liberty to trad», etc. All these were advousted at that time, and then China went to sleep again. Speaking ou the opium ques ion, he said that he did not think China was going to sleep again with the big pipe in her mouth. Ite believed China was in earnest now. The Gorerument of China was in earnest, and it beloved them now to urge upon England that it was her daty not to follow but to lead. China might, tell lies and open the opium shops again, but it was their duty to by honest and a.ow example to Chios.
The meeting concluded with the doxology.
RAILWAY MATTERS IN
MANCHURIA.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
a0
Mukdeo, February 13th. Fakumen? And where in China is Fakumen, and what is the international difficulty re- garding a railroad there? These questions are being asked to day wherever newspapers are read,
Fakumen is a city in Central Manchuria, 50 miles north of Hsiumiafa, the present northern terminus of the Imperial Railroads of North China. These lines havs their south.ra ter- minus at Peking and run from the cipital through Tientsin and Shanhaikuan, at wh ch point they pierce the Great Wall, up through the province of Chili to Hisminfa is Manchuris. These lines have been constructed by English engineers with money advanced by English banks and are being efficiently foperated by the Cuinese under English supervision.
It has always been China's intention since 1898 to continue the railroad through North Manchuria and Mongolia to the Chiness Eastern Railway (Trans-Siberian), aud in the agreement with the British Corporation, which floated the bond-, the Chinese Government has pr mised, in 188 of its own inability to finance the work of farther construction, to borrow the money from the English interests in the line already built.
The Japanese have forbidden the Cuinese to extend their railroad to Fakumea.
"Forbid" is a strong word to use in diplomatic relations; nevertheless "forbid" is the word used in the Japanese official protest against the so-called Fasumen extension,
Hsinminfu, the present northern terminus of the Chinese line, lies 4 mile due west of Mukden with which latter city it is connected by a branch railroad built by the Japanese during the recent war and pureased last year from them by the Chinese for Gold Yea 1,660,000.
{
|
|
|
|
|
|
[March 2, 1908.
exploiting a district of Mongolia and North Manchuria entirely untouched as yet by Japs- nese enterprise.
Taken with other anmistakable ovideos, of Japanese aggressi ›n in Manchuris, the Fakumea protest seems conclusive. But other evidence is available to render Buch a conclusion The peculiar interest in this case lies in the additionally sound. It has become knowɑ to international relatious it brings up. The your correspondent through the most reliable contract for the Fukumen extension was made sources that, since the new agreements wore at Mukden early in Novembar 1907 between the made early in November last, the Japanese representative of Panlings, an English railroad have intimated through official channels that if contracting firm of Londou, and Hsu Shih they were admitted to a proportion of at least Chang Vic roy of Manchuria, and Tang Shao | one-third of the financing of the project, they Yi, uvernor of Feation (Central Manchuria) would "allow "the railroad t› proceed. In other who happens to be the same man with whom the words Japan has clearly shown in this instance Hayashi Convention, upon which the Japanese her unwillingness to admit any other power, are bising their protest, was made in April even a power allied, into the political field to 17. The document was formally drawn up the Three Eastern provinces. She seems to in Chinese and English, signed by both parties, | have committed herself by an overt act to the and duplicate copies exchanged. The contract position that in Manoharia Japanese interests now lacks only the Imperial sanction to become are and shall remain paramooot. operative.
Furthermore, in dancing the projected extension the British Corporation, through its representative in Peking, undertook to raiso the necessary funds ani to this end drew up late in November last, with the same above mentioned Chinese signat ries, an additional agreement to advance the sum of £500, 00 for the construction of the line.
There through both an engineering and
& bank. ing concern Eaglaod is interested with bins in the prolongation of a line of railroad into one of the richest distriols of North China. The Fukumen road is a natural extension of the Chinese railways already in successful operation; it seeks to exploit a region of Mongolis and North Man- churis at present entirely undeveloped, and it s nds its rails northward on the far side of a commercially navigable river, entirely out of the legitimat zine of the south Manchurian Railway.
Against this natural and legitimate enterprise on the part jointly of the sovereign power of the country and their own ally, Japan not only protests,she forbids.
She forbids on the nominal ground as she alleges, that in April 1997 China agreed to build no line of railroad in future parallel to, and competitive with, the South Manchurian Railway. But it is impossible to find in the Convention of April 1907 the slightest basis for Japin's position; the matter of com- petitive lines is not one once alluded to. The convention was made in Peking between Con. suke Hayashi, Euvoy of Japan, and Tang Shao Yi, the present Governor of Central Manchuria, In the minutes of the Convention it is recorded that Japan earnestly stipulated for the very olause upon which they base their present mau- datory protest, but,and this is the important point, the Chinese Eavoy expres-ly objected against the inclusi a of such a clause in the agreement, and was 80 far accessful that the Japanese projot was only recorded as a minute of the proceedings. These minates were sub- sequently to the meeting, copied in duplicate, signed, and exchanged. According to the Chinese they have no binding power what- soever; according to the Japanese they are made the basis of "forbidding any further railroad enterprise, not their own, in M.. churia.
(
In this connection what has become of the Open Door Policy, and of signed and sealed treaty obligations looking to that end?
OUTCOME OF THE AMOY CASE.
NATIVE MERCHANT CHARGED WITH
19
PERJURY,
Asan outcome of a frial in a civil action heard before the Chief Justice, and known as the before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy Amoy case, Lam Tung-fai was indicted
on Feb. 28th on a obarge of perjury. Mr. F. B. L. Bowley, Crown Solicitor, prosecuted, and Mr. G. K. Hall Brutton (of Messrs. Bratton and Hett) appeared for the defendant.
Mr. Bowley traced the facts leading up to a recent trial before his Lordship the Chief Justice. The defendant, after being duly declared at the trial, had denied that he had sent, or had authorised to be sent, a telegram from the Wing Fang firm of Amoy to the Ng Yaon Hing firm of Hongkong. Council pro- posed to prove that the defendant had sent the message. The Chief Justice had ordered the arrest of all the Amoy witnesses.
Evidence adjourned.
W&B oalled and the hearing
CHINESE IMPERIAL DECREES.
A Daoreo dated Poking, February 14, says: Taking is densely populated and whenever there is an increase in the value of goods, the poor are greally affected. Recently the price of goods has been very much raised owing to the dearness of silver and the abundance of copper coins. Ia consequence of this, We hereby command the Ministry of Finance to pay Tls. 500,000, in silver, to the Governor of Peking, who is ordered to select a government or private bank to purchase back copper coins with this sum in order to prevent any further increase in the price of silver and at the same time to stop all the merchan's in Peking from selling goods a'. an unreasonable price. The Ministry of Pots and Communications and the Superin. In assuming this position Japan adopts a tendents of the Customs Bod Outrol of policy with regard to Manchuria identical Peking are also commanded to prohibit with that of Russia in 1897. At that time the practics of bringing in large qasat. Rssian policy, under the Lamsdorf regime, | ities was openly pledged to the exclusion of any foreign influence other than their own from Manchuria, M. Payloff even went so far as to object at Peking, for Lis Government against the employment by Chius of an English engineer not because he was an Englishman, but because he was not a Russian."
¦
of copper coins. Should any pers ins be found to have minted coins for circulation, they will be arrested and punished according to law through the Ministry of the Interior, or by the Viceroy of Chibli province, the Governor of Peking or the General Commandant of the Gendarm rie. When the price of silver comes to the normal standard, the said Governor of Peking shall refund the Ministry of Finance the sum of Tiɛ. 500,000, Chea Pib, President of the Ministry of Posts
Possibly there may b some ground for Japanese protest on ▲ supplementary treaty basis, because the Chinese have before now ben led into affixing their signatures to documents · and Communications, wbo bas practical which they either misunderstood or understood, acquaintance with such matters, is ordered to as not binding. But that the lin is competi- co-up-rate with the said Governor of Peking in By the Peace of Portsmouth Japan took over
tire withi, a s nad commercial definition seems carrying out this measure and tract in such a from Russia all the rights in the southern half | absurd when a glance at the map will show the way as to meet Our Wishes. of the South Manoburian Railway between new project not only at a minimum distanca of Dalay and Kuangchengisu, at which latter 40 miles from Japaness rails but as the far station the present Japanese line connects with side of a river already in use for freight the Russian section which in turn effects a1 transport from the interior to Newchwang, and
'
Auother dated February 15 says :- The Emperor will personally sacrifice at the Temples of Heaven and Earth on the 2nd day of the 2nd moon (March 4).
:
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.