March 20, 1909.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
there to abundant room for reformation. | two-Power standard; he promised a margin
Up to this point most people will fully of 10 per cent superiority, and this is agree with the writer, but, certainly, very regarded in Naval circles as an integral few will be found at least let us hope 80 -- part of the two-Power standard. Conse- to agree with the means by which he quently the Government programme is evidently hopes that a reformation will be likely to be condemned as inadequate, brought about. His suggestion in this for it does not keep pace in capital respect is almost undisguisedly revolution- ships with what Germany is doing. ary-and he seems to think that foreign | Germany is to go on systematically nations are greatly to blame for having laying down four ships a year in the next always done their best to support the Chi- few years, and as we have had President nese Government against movements of this TAFT declaring himself in favour of a big description. His remarks on this point are navy the probability is suggested that the specially worthy of notice. "It always as- United States may not be satisfied to build tonishes me," he says, "that whilst the in future at the comparatively modest rate Presa in Europe daily exposes the rotten of two ships a year. In calculating what ness of the existing Chinese Government, it programme is necessary if Great Britain is does its best to uphold it. Whenever there to maintain the two-Power standard, we is a slight movement against the Govern- think it was the Naval correspondent of the ment, be it anti-dynastic or revolutionary, Times who was recently insisting that intervention is at once talked of, as if the consideration must be given to the fact that struggle for freedom of four hundred mill-
our present naval superiority depends in ions of souls were nothing more than a great measure on the inclusion of a large football match, which cannot go on without proportion of elderly ships in the list, and a referee. It is evident that the writer of that weeding out must begin for Great the article estimates very lightly the effects Britain sooner than for either of her of overturning a government, however de- competitors, and would have to be carried fective that government may be. It can out more thoroughly" than has been the hardly be expected that foreign nations will case heretofore. This writer therefore be otherwise than disposed to do their best found it difficult to believe that even six against the overthrow of all government, in ships a year would suffice to maintain a bare a country where they have such large inter-equality in the near future. ests as in China. There has no doubt been The Navy Estimates for the coming year, aome inconsistency in the position they have more than once been forced to take up; and certainly they have not been dis- posed to adopt it without regret. But a defective government is better than none, and it has been manifest that most of the revolutionary movements that have taken place in China would have resulted, if suc- cessful, in little short of anarchy. This is clearly not what the writer desires, though he advocates with a somewhat, light heart measures which would certainly bring this about. His con- viction is that the real salvation of Chinais with her people and not with her government"; but this surely is only half the truth. It must rest with both, and there are not sufficient grounds in the present day, whatever may have been the case in the past, to conclude, as the writer does, that
the Chinese
Government is absolutely beyond hope. On the contrary, it is only fair to admit that of late they have shown sigus of a desire to improve matters, and of a recognition that the charged condition of China calls for changes in the adminis tration; and while such is the true
state of the case, no greater mistake can be made by those in favour of progress than that of advocating anything in the form of rebellion or risings, which can only have the effect of affording the reactionary party every excuse for continuing the high- handed system to which exception is justly
taken.
THE NAVY ESTIMATES.
(Daily Press, March 16th.) We doubt whether the Naval Programme for the ensuing year which was laid before the Imperial Parliament last Friday comes up to the expectations entertained in Naval circles at Home. Only four capital ships are to be laid down in the coming year whereas six, at least, were hoped for. The argument for six was that Germany is laying down four this year and the United States two, so that if the British Estimates made provision for only six battleships the result would necessarily be no more than a maintenance of the existing situation. Mr. ASQUITH promised something more than the actual
as they have been presented to Parliament show an increase of £2,823,200 on the Estimates of last year, and less than half that sum represents the increase in new construction. Though the total of the Estimates is higher than it has ever been before, it only exceeds the ross estimate for 1905-1906 by about ever, in that year
The actual expenditure, how- was not more than £33,151,841 and since then there has been steady reduction until last year when the net estimate of £32,319,500 was
£70,000.
any other Power.
|
£900,000 in excess of that of the pre- vious year. Regarded as a preminm for insurance on the mercantile shipping of the Empire, the naval expenditure of Great Britain has bean calculated to be less than 3 per cent, which is much below the cost to The gross tonnage of the Mercantile Marine of the British Empire totals about 18,000,000 tona, which carries the annual value of nearly £1,500,000,000 The latest statistics we have at hand, those for 1906-7, show that other nations spend as follows (in millions of £):-U.S. A. 251 to protect 4,241,590 tons of mercantile shipping; Japan 5.2 for 1,000,000 tons; Russia 124 for 913,133 tons; Germany 11.4 for 3,810,353 tons; and France 12.8 for 1,741,195 tons. From figures such as these the British taxpayer may derive much satisfaction, and they reconcile him to the additional burden which the mainten- ance of a two-Power standard involves. How the additional revenue for naval and other purpuses is to be obtained we shall very soon learn. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has already told the country that he does not contemplate adding to existing burdens on the industries of the uation, and there is possibly something in the rumour that he meditates the taxation of race courses. But that, we imagine, will not go a very long way towards meeting cellor of the Exchequer has had to meet in the largest defect that any British Chan-
a time of peace.
A shop coolie was arrested by the police on Wednesday for having in his possession a volver and 150 rounds of ammunition without & permit.
231
OPIUM QUESTIONS IN HONGKONG AND SINGAPORE.
(Daily Press, March 18th.) Sir JOHN ANDERSON, the Governor of the Straits Settlements is in agreement with Sir FREDERICK LOGARD, the Governor of Hongkong, when he claims that it is obvious that, to give effect to what is the settled policy of His Majesty's Government, the steady and progressive encouragement of opium smoking, the Government of the Colony must retain a free hand for the adoption of restrictive measures as the need for them becomes
apparent and the opportunity arises.
But the two Governors disagree as to the means best adapted to secure that course. Sir FREDRICK LUGARD says that beyond doubt the creation of a monopoly in Chinese hands is the most effective method conceivable for controlling the smuggling, sale, and use of opium in the Colony of Hongkong. Sir JOHN ANDERSON endorses the proposal of the Straits Com- missioners that the Government monopoly of the preparation and distribution of opium should be substituted for the existing Farm system. The main objections, he says, taken by the witnesses to the existing system are the lack of adequate supervision over the re venue officers of the Farm, and the supposed efforts of the Farmers to encourage the use of opium. With regard to the laiter objeć- tion the Governor in a despatch to the Secretary of State says there is no evidence whatever to support it, and His Excellency regards the first objection as marking an un. doubted evil, "though its extent is greatly exaggerated." To His Excellency's mind. the main objection is that when the Farm is let for three years the conditions as regards opium smoking are fixed for that period, and any action on the part of the Govern- ment to discourage the use of opium, imme diately gives rise to an exaggerated claim for compensation for the Farmers. Sir FREDERICK LUGARD in the able Memoran- dum which we reproduced a few days ago,. set forth many strong reasons for his opinion that the Farm is to be preferred to a Government régie, and these reasons are as applicable to the Straits Settlements as they are to Hongkong. The fact that the retail price of opium in both places is very much higher than it is in China naturally encour- ages smuggling, and Sir FREDERICK LUGARD is entirely convideing when he says that in a free port, having no Customs Preventive Service it would be impossible to check the smuggling of raw or prepared opium as effectively as the Farmer can do when his own pecuniary interests are involv ed. A monopoly by Government has been tried in Hongkong and "resulted in a year decrease in the receipts in the second to less than half those of the first year, due to the impossibility of coping with the smug- gling and illicit preparation of opium. The revenue lost by Government was there. fore so much additional profit to the smuggler, instead of going to the farmer who provides the preventive service, and to the Goverument which uses its profits for of Police, Sanitation, the maintenance
There are other objections Education, &c.
to
a Government Monopoly which Sir FREDERICK LUGARD mentions. It is more likely to tend to venality and corruption of incur the odium of the search for opium subordinate officials; the Government would
which is now made by the Farmer's excise officers, and the use of spies and informer, both to check smuggling and to detect boiling of opium, should, when possible be avoided by a Government on any extend- ed scale." It must be allowed that all these are very sound objections to the Govern-
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