132
themselves and everything appertaining to them the protection of the local authorities of
government, who
shall defend them from all insult and injury," and the Diplomatic Body would surely be amply justified iD insisting that the local authorities in Canton and throughout the Empire shall faithfully observe their obligation to defend foreign traders from the insult and injury which is being done to them by this constant succession of boycotts. Self- Government Societies were called into existence by Imperial Edict to assist, and not to over-ride, the Government. Their proper course in such questions as have given excuse for the boycotts would have been to make representations to the provincial or, if necessary, to the Imperial Government and to accept the decision as final. These Societies have been organised as training schools for the education of the people in Constitutional Government, but they are schools without teachers possessing the remotest idea of what Constitutional Government really means. The Self-Govern- ment Societies are, it seems to us, never likely to fulfil their purpose of paving the way for a Constitutional Government unless men qualified for the purpose are appointed to give the much-needed instruction and guidance; and in view of what the Self Government Society of Canton has done, and is still doing, the statesmen of China can hardly fail to grow extremely pessimistic regarding the future of the Empire if the intention is fulfilled of granting a constitu tional form of government at an early date.
"CHINESERY.'
$
as
[August 16, 1909.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
settled by the payment by the merchant of | the frontier between Chientao and Korea in an extra half import duty at the port of the ratio of ten men per mile, but during import; but as soon as the imports got into the very bot season she recalls these out- Chinese hands, on came the old Transit dues posts to cooler positions. This manœuvre, in one form or another just as before. This it is added, presents the appearance of mas was protested against until commercial sing forces, and may possibly be intended to mea and diplomatists got tired of protesting, bear the collateral character of a demonstra. and in this way the Chinese succeeded, tion. The likelihood of a collision of any more suo, in abolishing the dues sufficiently kind between the Chinese troops and the to get a part of them paid in commutation Japanese gendarmerie, we are assured, may to the Imperial Authorities at Peking be counted in the last degree improbable. through the Customs, while leaving the It is admitted that a few Japanese gen. Provincial Authorities pretty well a free darmes" have recently been sent to Chien- hand to levy the old likin exactions as ta, but the simple reasons were, we are before. In much the same way the decrees told, that the number of Japanese and from time to time fulminated against Opium Korean settlers having suddenly increased, from Peking had the effect of enabling the the detachment of gendarmes already in provincial and local officials to obtain larger the district had become unable to discharge payments for permitting them to be evaded the duties devolving on it, and, in the second 80 that nothing was really done towards place, the ordinary reliefs had to be sent. removing the evil, which, for all the talk The explanation seems very naive, and in on the subject, went on unchecked, if not View of the secrecy which veils Japanese actually encouraged, though, it is air to military movements generally, it is not sur- admit, some kind of bona fide effort has been prising that it tends rather to confirm than made of late. More recently the promised to dissipate the impression created by the improvements in the currency, and the reports of an unusual movement of troops more emphatic promises of granting in Manchuria. The reports from Russian
institutions, form
|
representative
sources very
noticeable illustrations of the mar. vellous power of the Chinese to do and not to do a thing at the same time. Repeated action or inaction, whichever of the two it is, of this kind is rather dis- couraging to those who hope for improve- ments in China and are honestly desirous to see a nation which, with all its peculiarities, has so much good in it, get into the right paths and do justice to the many qualities it possesses. The curious thing, however, is that after a series of evasions, we often find the Chinese doing the very things they have declared to be utterly impossible. The history of railways and telegraphs in China forms an illustration of this. The Chinese Government always declared they were an impossibility, that the absolutely insurmoun- table-the Fung Shui, the rights of the Provincial Authorities, the inland taxes, the graves of the people in all directions, made any such project as introducing railways impossible; and yet they have now been introduced, although in some cases not up- on the most satisfactory footing. It is wonderful how obstacles disappeared when the measure became recognised by the officials as advantageous. Possibly the day will come when the same happy change will take place in regard to currency, finance and other matters of internal administration, but as yet it must be acknowledged that time seems far distant.
we have seen make reference to trios loaded with artillery and muni- tions of war daily arriving at Mukdeo, where, it was recently reported by the Russian newspaper correspondents, there We must 22,000 Japanese.
ari now
intervention of the Russian
very
take the Government to be referrable either to a firm belief in the progress of warlike prepara- tions, or to an eagerness to earn the gratitude of the Chinese Government by seeking to effect compromises which shall be satisfactory to China (and incidentally to Russia), and so pave the way for future favours. In the (Daily Press, August 11th.)
pr sent state of public knowledge as regards It is somewhat interesting to note that a
the actual facts of the situation, it is im- new word (or rather a fresh use of an old
possible for the mere spectator to say which word) has of late come into vogue, which
of the two motives govern Russia's_action; admirably describes the ways of dealing of
but the evidence afforded by the Japanese Chinese officials. The term "Chinoiserie,"
press recently of a wide-spread belief in which was formerly used to describe the
Japan that a conflict in which China would complicated patterns upon certain Chinese
strike the first blow is imminent, is certainly ornaments, has now been adopted
some justification for believing that the descriptive of the peculiar ways of
Russian Government has become the Chinese official, and, by adapta-
seriously alarmed and apprehensive of tion, to similar methods when followed by
an outbreak of war. At the same time, Europeans. A recent writer not inaptly
Russia's intervention can hardly be regarded applies it to GLADSTONE'S celebrated Home
as wholly unselfish, for Russia's interest in Rule Bill, which certainly could vis with
many, if not all, of the questions pending anything that the Chinese can do in keeping
between China and Japan coincides with the the word of promise to our cars and denying
claims of China rather than with those of it to our hopes. Chinesery-to translate the
Japan. Take the Japanese railway projects, word-is a very apt term for expressing
for instance. These would seriously affect the the wonderful kind of action on the part of
trade of Vladivostock and the traffic of the Chinese officials with which those who have
Siberian railway. One is the line from been long resident in China are so painfully
Antung to Mukden, and the other one familiar, but which it is extremely difficult
from Chonjin, on the coast of Korea, to to explain with anything like accuracy.
Kirin, via Chientao. We explained a few We all know what is meant, but it is not so
(Daily Press, August 12th.)
days ago the position in regard to the former. easy to say in what "Chinesery" essentially The announcement made in REUTER's At present it is merely a light railway consists. It is something like the terms telegrams yesterday that Russia was media- built by the Japanese during the war for good” and “bad," which even the great ting both at Peking and at Tokyo to secure purely military purposes, and when the war DR. JOHNSON did not attempt to define, a peaceful settlement of the difficulties which was over China granted to Japan a conces- contenting himself simply with saying that bave led to an open rupture between China s on for this railway for a period of eighteen
good" was
bad" not bad," and
and Japan, suggests that St. Petersburg yers, when it would revert by purchase 10 good"-definitions which certainly do not has become considerably alarmed by the China. The agreement gave Japan the carry you very far. Pos-ibly some help may rep ris from the Far East which have right to improve the line and make it fit be obtained from the Buddhistic idea of ben appearing in the newspapers of for commercial purposes.
Japan's inter- Nirvana," which has been defined as the Russian capital lately. These have pretation of this provision is that she may, being aud not being." In a similar way spoken of the massing of Chinese if she deems it necessary, reconstruct the line Chinesery may be defined, not as "being troops ia the near neighbourhood to standard gauge, and this she resolved to and not being," but as doing and not of Chientao, and counter. movements doing "-acting, often with a great ap by Japanese troops Indicating the pearance of energy, in a certain direction imminence of a conflict. In Japan, too, with an effective result in exactly the oppo news of the movement of Chinese troops in site. One of the earliest illustrations we North East Manchuria has created some had of this kind of action was in the aboli. amount of anxiety, but a semi-official utter tion of Barrier dues supposed to be effected ance in one of the papers has explained the by the Tientsin Treaty. All the difficulti-s reparts as referrable to a very simple cause. on this subject were considered to have been | China, it is stated, stations her forces along
"
S
**
14
46
26
<
not
RUSSIA AS PEACEMAKER BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN.
do at an estimated cost of twenty-three million yen. China for nearly three years has been objecting to reconstruction, and her per- sistence against all right or reason has led 10 an open rupture, Japan last week intimating her intention to proceed with her plans without further delay. It really does seem absurd to suggest that ordinary repairs to a Decauville railway formed the
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