July 10, 1909.]
ready enough to sell his country, yet refused to affix his signature to the formal docu- ment, and died leaving it unsigned. not- withstanding the urgent pressure of the Russian Minister at his death-bed.
CHINA OVERĻAND TRADE REPORT:
FOREIGNERS AND CHINESE MORTGAGES.
од
27
gained by the FRENCH MINISTER's protest against the new regulation? The Wai-wu. pu's objection to the regulation is that it (Daily Press, July 7th.)
gives to foreigners valuable priveleges that We do not know what are the special they do not possess under the Treaties, for It soon became evident what had been the circumstances which caused: H. E. the the regulation would enable foreigners "to instigating motive of the previous prepara.
VICEROY OF CANTON to issue new regulations take up mortgages of leasehold properties all tions. Japan and China had been fighting governing the mortgage of Chinese property over the interior of China." As the Treaties for supremacy in Korea, and Japan had to foreign subjects, referred to in the allow foreign subjects to travel for purposes won the day, and had thus come into un- interesting despatch from the Wai-wu-pu, of of trade to all parts of the interior under friendly competition with Russia, who in which our Canton correspondent sends us a passports, it is conceivable that in the pursuance of her imaginary claims on translation. This despatch orders the ordinary course of business, properties have Manchuria was now seeking a prepondera cancellation of the regulations made by the been pledged to the trader as security for ting influence in the affairs of the peninsula. VICEROY, the Wai-wu-pu having (most debt, and unless the Treaties sanction such She had been negotiating for the acquisition agreeably apparently) been moved to assignments outside the Treaty Port limits, of Masampo. as a convenient station for this action by the FRENCH MINISTER it would appear to be clearly to the advant- her fleet midway between Vladivostock and in Peking, who is stated to have pointed age of the trader to have such security as Port Arthur, and it became plain to Japan out to the Chinese Foreign Office that the the VICEROY's regulation was designed to that her success, and its inevitable conge- matter is one which is already governed by confer upon him. Uutil, however, a clearer quence-Russia's establishment of a chain of Treaty provisions. When the VICEROY of statement of the FRENCH MINISTER'S repre- fortresses all along her western coast-would CANTON in February last gave his instruc-sentations in the matter is forthcoming, render Japan practically powerless in the tions the subject to the Provincial judgment had better be withheld. If the event of Russia's next step being directed Treasurer he commenced his despatch with interests of the foreign trader in the matter against herself. That such was her inten- a statement to the effect that the Treaties are adequately protected, that is all that is tion Russia made little attempt to conceal;
made between China and the Foreign needed; and if the Treaties secure this they having formed an incorrect idea of the true
Powers contained no word whatever with are to be preferred to the provincial regula- character of Japan's military and naval respect to the mortgaging of land and tion. But if the Treaties do not (and the strength and conceiving that, as in the houses to Foreigners by Chinese subjects. Wai-wu-pu says they do not), what is the case of China, Japan would on the first Nor can we discover in either of the pullish. position of the mortgagee now that the threat of active hostilities quietly submited Treaties any specinc reference to the provincial regulation is cancelled ? Appar. in the face of the advanced warlike pre-matter, and it is not a little surprising that ently there are a good many of these parations of her gigantic neighbour. the Wai-wu-pu's despatch omits to inform the mortgages in the Province of Kwangtung, What followed needs little recapitulation. Viceroy in what particular Treaty and in and an uneasy feeling must be created in Japan saw that to yield to Russia's demands which article the provisions are to be found. the minds of mortgagees by the dispatch meant her own effacement as a nation, and
As in all Chinese despatches there is sent by the Wai-wu-pu to the VICEROY, this she was not prepared to take into con-
so much writing around the subject that sideration. Russia's responsible ministers the main point is obscured. We understand saw too that they had been underestimating the position to be this: that the VICEROY the military power of Japan, and had prac objects to land or houses being pledged to tically come to an agreement very much to foreigners by deed of mortgage, and he the advantage of Russia. But the TSAR's objects also to the title deeds of the property irregular advisers, ALEXIEFF and BESABRA-
being handed over to foreigners as security SOFF, at the last moment turned the tables for debt. What HIS EXCELLENCY wants is The offer of Japan was rejected. and that the debts incurred to foreign merchants nothing remained but war. Under the cir- shall be secured instead by a document of cumstances Japan lost not a moment, and guarantee, or promissory note in which the within the next twenty-four hours actual properties pledged shall be specified, and hostilities had been commenced. It had been the document duly registered at the Regi- Russia's favourite policy to be hitherto tration Bureau. The Treaties impose au invariably the firet in the field; and the case
the Chines authorities the obligation to of Sinope warned Japan what she might do their utmost to effect the arrest of expect in such an event. The cases in the absconding dehtors and enforce the re- present instance were reversed, and Japan covery of debts, and the new re- had the advantage of striking the first gulation which the VICEROY put into force before approval had been obtained from the Central Government designed to protect China's sovereign rights beyond the limits of the Foreign Concessions, lent sanc would conceivably facilitate the recovery of tion to the validity of the assignments and such debts by the Chinese authorities. The distinction between a documentary guarantee given under such conditions and a deed of mortgage seems somewhat subtle, but the the foreign creditor that he cannot foreclose intention presumably is to make it clear to except through the usual Chinese official channels. The only provision in the Treaties which appears to have any bearing on the foreign trade, foreign subjects shall be question is that at the ports opened to allowed to carry on their mercantile pursuits without molestation or restraint, and that
blow.
Now in all this Russia had no ground for complaint. What Japan did she would have herself done, had she been ready. The fact was she was not ready; and bence Japan had all through the war the advan tage. But the lesson that Japan then learnt she has not forgotten, and that is, always to be prepared for eventualities. It is difficult to see what grounds for complain: Mr. LosoFF, and others like him, can find in this. After all, in the interests of peace,
it is the wisest course for each nation to adopt, not only in its own interest, but in that of the world at large; and it is not difficult to see that the present unrest in Europe is due far more to the unprepared ness of the western nations bolding out a
temptation to adventurous spirits, than to any real aggressive intentions on the part of Austria and Germany.
The funeral of the late Mr. See Ewe Boon, compradors of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, at Singapore, was attended among others by Messrs. T. S. Baker, manager of the bank, G.C. Murray, R. C. Edwards, H. A. Courtney, A. Boyd, F. H, Pantycross, C, Holland, F. Rickett, H. E. Nixon, C. J. Cookes, A. Gair-Smith, Tso Ping Lung, (Chinese Consul-General), and a large number of Chinese friends, Wreaths were sent by Mr. T. S. Baker, Mr. G. C. Murray and The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Mess.
THE PLEDGE OF THE IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT.
they shall enjoy certain specified privileges and advantages including the buying or renting of houses, and leasing land at the open ports. What the FRENCH MINISTER's contention is we cannot quite make out, unless it is that this provision in the Treaty covera a right conferred on the Chinese wherever foreigners are permitted to trade to give a mortgage on land or honge property to a foreign subject as security for the debts he incurs in his business relations with the foreigner; but the Wai-wu-pu says that the Treaties do not permit this. What then is
(Daily Press, July 8th) The precise value of a pledge given by the Imperial Government has recently been the subject of a good deal of discussiou in the Legislative Council. It was suggested that His Majesty's present Ministers might possibly place upou a promise made through H.E. the GOVERNOR to the Colony a somewhat different cons truction to that put upon it by the ordinary plain-speaking, single-minded mau. A byone who doubts the possibility of such a conting- ency should read carefully the speech made by the PRIME MINISTER on the resolution brought forward by Captain CRAIG in the House of Commons on the 26th May, dealing with the definition of
Two-Power Staudard. report in The Times of May 27th makes Prime Minister stated that the Government it clear that on November 12th the defiuitely accepted the Two-Power Standard as meaning
the
The
cent, over the combined strength in capital a preponderance of 10 per ships of the two next strongest Powers what- situated." ever they might be and wherever they were the official effrontry calmly to say that Yet on the 26th May he had
when he made that definition he did not include America among the Powers. By and confusing the issue, be scoffed at the way of drawing a herring across the track idea of reckoning on China,
or
14
even suppose she were minded to have a fleet of six, eight altogether Japan's powerful fleet; in fact, ten Dreadnoughts," and he ignored
be bluntly stated, at the conclusion of his remarks, that when he made his previous definition, when he said "the next two strongest Powers, whatever they might be and whenever they might be situated," he only referred to the Continental States. If a man in private life had resorted to such verbal dishonesty to gain some temporary end, it would be simply said of him that he had lied. But apparently a man may lie officially to any extent and yet maintain the most honoured and honourable position
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