Atigust 8, 1909.]
We
If, however, such should be the case suggest that the money eventually obtai: ed by the sale of that ground should be ear-marked to reimburse the cost of the Mong Kok Trai scheme, if the Government are determined to proceed with the work,
We are, however, so convinced that the Government's proposal to spend $1,500,000. on ■ Harbour of Refuge at Mong Kok Tsui is unnecessary and unwise that we would again urge His Excellency to reconsider the whole question before finally committing the Colony to the expenditure of so large an amount of public and private money.
We are sending a copy of this letter to the Chamber of Commerce, also to the Chamber's representative on the Legislative Council and to the Press.
We have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servants,
*
F. J. ABBOTT, Acting Superintendent, P. & O.
0. 8. N. Co. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, Agents, Ocean 8. 8. Co. Ltd., China Mutual 8 N. Co. Ltd., China Navigation Co. Ltd.
+
JARDINE MATHESON & Co., General Managers, Indo-Chins 8. N. Co: Agents, Indra Line. DODWELL & Co. Ltd, EDGAR G. BARRETT,
Manager.
The HONGKONG & MACAO STEAMBOAT Co.
Ltd., W. E. ( LARKE Secretary. For the CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY, D. W.
CRADDOCK General Traffic Agent. DOUGLAS, LAPRAIK & Co., General Managers
Douglas 8.8. Co. Ltd.
DAVID SASSOON & Co. Ltd., E. SHELLIM,
Manager, Agents, Apear & Co's Calcutta Hongkong Line.
GIBB, LIVINGSTON & Co., Agents, E. & A.
"
8. 8. Co. Ltd., Agents, Ben Line of Steamers. SHEWAN, TOMES & Co., General Managers, C. & M. 8. 8. Co. Ltd, General Agents, A. A. 8. 8. Co.. Agents, "Shire" Line of Steamers Ld.
Per Pro MCGREGOR BROS. & Gow. E. H. HINDS, General Managers, Glen" Line of Steamers.
AN APPEAL.
Among the sufferers of the last Typhoon in Hongkong the Home for the Blind in Kowloon deserves especially to be brought before the public, as the inmates of this institution have been made homeless by the fury of the hurricane. For the two Sisters and the seventy blind children under their care it must have been a terrible night, when the storm took off their roof, and they had to find protection from the merciless elements in the downstairs rooms of
the house, every moment expecting to be buried by the débris.
At daybreak might have been seen a long procession headed by the two Sisters marching to the Victoria Orphanage, where they were kindly allowed to stay till some temporary lodg- ings for the homeless children could be found.
A house has now been rented on the Hong kong side and the children are expected to move into their new house this week.
The Sisters are at a loss to know what to do with their old home. It is situated at a cool breezy point, but seems to be too much exposed to the typhoons, and the foundation does not seem to be very safe. They intend to consult an expert about the house and will decide in ac- cordance with his advice. But whatever the decision may be this last typhoon has rushed the Sisters into quite unexpected expenses, as the repairs will involve several thousands of dollars and the temporary shelter they have costs 'hem $150 a month.
We are asked to bring these facts before the public, trasting that they will appeal to the hearts of sympathisers with this institution, whose splendid service needs only to be men- tioned to deserve the publio charity.
44
Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Donations for the "Blindhome" sent to Rev. 1. Genabr, 22 Bənham Road, will be duly seknowledged.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
THE FAKUMEN RAILWAY
QUESTION.
HISTORY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
Peking, July 22nd.
105
general rule existed on the subject. Moreover the Japanese plenipotentiaries declared that ander no circumstances would Japan do any thing to restrict China in future from any steps she might desire to take for the extension of means of communication in Manchuria.”
The above passage is reproduced in the pam phlet written by Mr. Bland in answer to the recently published Japanese_Official Statement of the case against the Fakumen Railway Scheme.
AN IMAGINARY CONVERBATION. As a matter of fact, I understand, no such Conversation ever took place, and the statements alleged to have been made are entirely without substantial basis. The Chinese Government must- be labouring under a grave misapprehension in this respect, for neither the protocols exobanged between Japan and China nor the detailed proces verbaus kept by the Japanese Govern. ment contain anything like the alleged con-
Yon in the South of Chins recently took great interest in the diplomatic negotiations between the Chinese and Japanese Govern- ments regarding the" Tatsu Maru" affairs. But that question did not attract nearly so widespread interest as the Fakumen Railway question is doing. And much of this interest is due, in more ways than one, to a British firm being implicated. This firm is Messrs. Pauling & Co., who contrasted with the Chinese Go vernment for the construction of the proposed Fakumen Railway. If this contract should be broken by the Chinese Government on account of the construction of the line not being pro-versation. ceeded with, the proper procedure for Messrs. Pauling & Co. would appear to be to seek com- pensation from the Chinese Government. But instead of this Messrs. Panling & Co. are persecuting the Japanese Government by means of a press campaign. If in this they had confined themselves to faots, they would not have done any harm, though they might not have done say good from their point of view.
THE FACTS,
Let me state what the facts are. Something having come to Japan's knowledge on August 12 last she gave a first warning to China. This was repeated on October 12 and November 6, Despite this, on November 8, Chins entered into a contract with Messrs. Pauling & Co. Were Messrs. Pauling & Co. aware that Japan bsd objected to the proposed railway? lf they were, they have but themselves to blame if they consider themselves aggrieved and injured. If they were unaware of Japan's objections their remedy is against the Chinese Government and not against the Japanese, who cannot be blamed for standing up in defence of their own interests,
The Japanese Government, on learning in January of the conclusion of the con- tract, lodged, on the 20th of that month. with the Chinese Government s formal protest against the execution of the undertaking. China made no_ reply whatever till May 6, when she gent to Japan a despatch in which it was dogmatically asserted that the Hsinminton-Fakumen Railway did not compete with the South Manchuria Railway, and that, on the contary, the former would be a feeder to the latter in the same way as a branch line like the Kirin-Chang-chon line would feed the main line of the South Manchuria Railway. Another dispatch was sent by Japan to the Chinese Government on June 27. In this the Chinese contention was completely refuted. It was pointed out that the Hain mintun-Fakumen Railway would not be a branch line of the South Manchuria Railway, and that it would, of course, stand in a totally different category from the Kirin-Changchan Railway.
Of course what the Japanese cannot hide from themselves is the fact that once the line were built, the Chinese authorities would naturally by every means in their power, try to draw goods and other traffic from every part of the district. This affair is altogether a p oduct of the "rights recovery" policy now so popular in the highest quarters in Peking.
I
A MISSTATEMENT.
The Peking Conference of 1905 was referred to in the Chinese Government's despatch of May 6. The statement was made in regard thereto:-"At the time when the engagement in the Protocol-on the strength of which Japan now objects to the construction of the line in question-was made by China, the Chinese plenipotentiaries said that the word parallel was too comprehensive, and that a definite number of miles should be mentioned wi hin which no parallel should be built. The Japanese plenipotentiaries replied that if the number of miles were fired it might create the impression in other countries that Japan intended to restric Chinese railway enterprise, They were subsequently asked to agree that the distance should be understood to be such as would be usual in Europe and America, but objected to this proposal on the ground that no
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THE WORD "PARALLEL." At that time the Japanese plenipotentiary Baron Komars, said that, Japan having been allowed to exploit the railway in Manchuria, a prospect of due profit was necessarily to be seoared, and consequently an arrangement should be made to preclude any possible in. fringement of Japanese railway interests by China. After a short exchange of views be- tween the plenipotentiaries, the Chinese re- presentative, Mr. Yuan, replied that China would never build any line competing with the railway in Japan's possession, and that, should Chins ever try to do so, Japan might rightly raise objections, it being a matter of course that Chins should pro- tect the interests of the Japanese railway. Baron Komurs then asked to have this under- taking clearly stated in the protocol, if not as an article in the Convention. Hence the exist- ing self-denying engagement given by China and contained in the protocol. And indeed the word “parallel" appeared for the first time in the draft engagement clause presented by the Chinese plenipotentiaries, and accordingly there was no discussion whatever about the term at that time.
THE QUESTION OF COMPETITION.
The question of the possibility of competition between the two lines depends upon various factors, conditions and circumstances, and is not a mere simple question of distance,
To the last Japanese Note above mentioned China has not yet replied. But in the meantime the British firms of contractors interested are carrying on their
relations between Japan and China on the one press campaign and trying to embitter the
hand and between Japan and Great Britain on the other, and are trying to throw cold water on the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. And be it remarked with emphasis that Messrs Panling & Co. are not supported in their agitation by the British Government. It is certain, however, that the British Foreign Office would support its own nationals in such a matter if it thought they had a leg to stand upon.
It is exceedingly unfortunate that in the way I have indicated a hi drance is placed in the way of a friendly settlement of the question between Japan and China, the two parties in reality solely interested,
Dengue fever is reported to be more or less epidemic in the Ermita and Malate districts of Manila. The medical authorities state that dengue fever, like malaria, is caused by mosquitos, "One of the most common type of mosquito in Manila is the stegomyia variety which In Cuba is the general vehicle of yellow fever and this is probably the dengue-transmittin mosquito bere" says a Manila contemporary,
It is with deep_regret that we learn of the death on July 15 of Mrs. Vanghansmith "of Tientsin, as the result of an operation in London. Less than a year has passed sines the death of Mr. W. H. Vaughansmith, and it is to be feared that the anxiety of those days and her loss exercised an injurious effect upon Mrs. Vaughansmith's health. She left Tiontald few months ago on a well-earned holiday and the news of her unexpected death comes na i shock to her many friends throughon t Chins. Mrs. vanghan-amith had been connected with 'newspapers in the Far East since 1889, “
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