July 20, 1908.]
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nately the last mouth's weather has been throughout China markedly inclement. Kwangtung, which till now has escaped the famines and distress which have marked other parts of China, has suffered heavily from inundations, and a more or less ex- tensive famine is threatened. More serious it probably is that the regions of the lower Yangtse and Yellow River, which for the last two years bave been suffering from famines and scarcity brought on by the excessive flooding of the fertile plains, are this year again troubled with an excess of rain. It is true that a large part of these recurrent inundations must be referred directly to the insane folly of the people themselves, who may be said to have accom- plished within the last ten years the final deforestation of the rising grounds. The worst feature of this wretched business is that the Government, though often warned as to the consequences, has not taken a solitary measure to put a stop to the waste going on under its eyes. But, however, this may be, the fact remains that for the future agriculture in these regions, formerly the most productive in the Empire, must for the future always be carried on with the depressing certainty of recurring famines, whether from excessive floods or complete absence of rain. For the last two years the purchasing power of China has sensibly diminished owing to these causes, and though this was not the sole cause of the financial crisis, which has not by any means been confined to China, it has certainly aggra- vated its incidence in Shangbai especially. One cause in these affairs always reacts on another. Financial troubles in America have reduced the demand for silver with a cor responding fall in price, and cheap silver in China rendered sales of imports, unless at a heavy loss, impossible. Famine on the other hand used up the products available for export, and the result was a stagnating market; and as imports, ordered during better conditions, came on, they were found unsaleable. A stagnant market called for less tonnage, and steamers instead of carry- ing freight were laid up, and so as a natural consequence the Docking and Repairing business fell off; so the depression went round, every country on the face of the earth feeling it in turn, and now we find it reacting on England, where the new Chan- cellor of the Exchequer has to lament over his lost millions. May we hope that the certainly more satisfactory position of the Shanghai Dock and Engineering Company may be taken as an indication of the turn of the financial tide; and an earnest of approaching more favourable conditions of trade. This is the useful lesson to be learn. ed from the vicissitudes of this, one of the most important of the foreign industrial undertakings of the Far East.
RACE DISTINCTIO VS.
converse
as
(Daily Press, July 18th.)
37
This end
CHINA ÖVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
which calls for serious reflection. As long notice-namely how the white and dark as the question (so far as the generality of races more immediately how Europeans people cared to trouble about it at all) was and Asiatics can find a modus vivendi which between the downright blacks aud the down-will be just and reasonable to both. Like right whites, the matter appeared to be most large political problems this question is extremely simple. Nature herself seems to likely to be solved by circumstances rather have made a mark of separation between than upon any general principles, and in the two classes such as cannot be ignored. point of fact the solution has been found It is easy to perceive that an ebony native of upon a modified scale in more directions Zanzibar is not likely to amalgamate socially than one. In India and China, and, of course, or otherwise with a person of European or still more so in Japan, the line of demarca- American descent. But the distinction is tion between European and “native" is far by no means so clear between the large less strongly marked than it was in former number of people who are somewhat times. Common interests and a better uncomplimentarily called "yellow" and understanding of each other's political and let us say, the inhabitants of some of the individual characters have worked this southern parts of Europe. Some of the result, and it is reasonable to hope that, as darker Italians or Spaniards might be put time goes on, it will be found that the dark by the side of Chinese and Japanese, and an artist in painting them, would have to use necessarily different in many respects, can and the light races in the world, though more of his dark colours for the Europeans still work together with mutual respect for than for the Asiatics-so that a mere division of the human race as to colour what on either side may appear to be pre one another's views and feelings and even must, as time goes on, fail, the distinction judices on the part of the other. being only one of degree. Mere broad territorial distinctions also, such as that of cognition that there is a difference between is most likely to be attained by a frauk re- Asiatics as against Europeans are equally them, and by thus avoiding, on the one side unsatisfactory. It is truo there are certain the error of certain enthusiasts who hold characteristics which are found more frequently among Asiatics than Europeans side the equally mistaken idea that because that all men are alike, and on the other and vice versa, but markedly Asiatic the white and the coloured races differ in qualities and their corresponding faults, are often found among Europeans, while the state of antagonism, and cannot find a many respects, they must always be in a
qualities which
is equally true, namely that
means of working together with mutual are looked essentially European are found among
upon respect and for their common good. some Asiatics. Until recent times the truer line of demarcation, namely that of civiliz. | REFLECTIONS ON THE PLAGUE ation, was usually taken up to mark off the
EPIDEMIC, difference between the coloured and the whites. The former were looked upon as uncivilized; the latter as being blessed with the only civilization that was worth con- sidering as such. This good old-fashioned view has happily become a thing almost entirely of the past. The notion that civilization after the European pattern was the only one worth considering as such would hardly be found among any persons with the slightest pretence to education in the present day and even if it were, too much has been taken from our own civilization by nations with whom we bave come into contact, to make it possible any longer to take up this com- plaisant and comfortable, if somewhat patronising attitude. This is more or less the case both in India and China, and of course is markedly so with respect to Japan. While that country is steadily making pro- gress in all that belongs to our civilization and is adding it to all that is valuable in her own, it is impossible to draw a strong line of demarcation between the Japanese and European nations-nor would there be any attempt to do so except for the difference of colour; but, at that point, a distinction is undoubtedly drawn, however the fact may be politely ignored, and is likely to continue for long years, if not decades or eveu centuries to come. There caa be no question that the difficulty which recently arose in California with respect to the Japanese going to the public schools was greater than was generally doubt, mixed up with the more acute ques- supposed. The school question was, no tion of Japanese immigration and competi- tion with focal labour, but the colour ele- ment entered largely into the popular view of the subject aud had much to do with the strong feeling that was evoked. Happily by good sense and wise diplomacy the crisis evaded than overcome-and the outcome was got over; but the difficulty was rather did not go far towards solving the main problem which was brought prominently to
(Daily Press, 17th July.) In one form and another the question of the position of the coloured races in the world vis à vis those of European or Ameri- can origin has been coming to the front, and there can be no doubt that it will have to be faced, however desirous some may be to be put off indefinitely the consideration of what is undoubtedly a very difficult problem. Though it may be unpleasant to people who have been brought up in the accepted idea that the white races are essentially superior to the coloured and that the domination of the whole has been given to the former, the fact that the coloured races are coming to the front is being forced upon the attention of all who will not refuse to see, in a way
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A
Given a plague epidemic in a city of mix- Malays, Chinese, Filipinos and Japanese— ed Asiatic population-Hindus, Burmese, which section of such a community would be likely to suffer most? It is not difficult for anyone with experience of the various Asiatic races to return the correct answer to this question. The section likely to suffer most would be the Chinese. Experience indeed has proved it to gusiderable extent and that being so, all experience that emphasises the reasons of this greater liability to plague may be profitably studied by the leaders of Chinese public opinion in Hongkong and elsewhere. Our thoughts are directed to this question by reading some remarks on the incidence of plague at Rangoon. The Chinese popu-. lation in that city is small, but the Health Officer points out that they have suffered more severely this year, and last year also, than the Hiudus and Burmese. Why is it? "The reasons, those engaged in plague work." It is the he anys, "are obvious to
same old story with which we have long been familiar in Hongkong. The Rangoon Health Officer writes:-"The Chinese live in houses which are often divided up by the occupants iuto small very dark and ill-ven- tila ed cubicles. The houses are packed with merchandise and with rubbish of all descriptions, and are ideal places from the rats' point of view. Chinese people very rarely report the presence of rats in their discovered. Further, when a case of plague: houses, even when dead rats have been occurs the patient is almost invariably removed to another house before death, and it information can be got showing where the is with the greatest difficulty that disease was contracted. This attitude of passive resistanca is adopted not from fear,. having his business/interfered with by the but simply because the Chinaman dislikes Plague staff cleaning bis house, or trying to rid it of rats."..
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