168
CHINA'S STATEMENT TO THE POWERS. -
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE ANTUNG-MUKDEN RAILWAY. | other encroachments upon the rights and
liberties of China.
In view of the situation set up by the matters treated of in the foregoing, and particularly regarding the extension of Japanese military control in Manchuria, we have been compelled to lay particular emphasis on the question of military protection of the railway and the con- stitution of the police force. If Japan had con- ceded these points this matter would have been settled long ago, and she would have been under no necessity to attempt to lay the blame for any delay at the door of China.
The Shanghai National Review publishes the following official statement sent by China to Chinese representatives abroad for submis- sion to the various Powers in regard to the Japanese Note respecting the Antung-Mukden Railway
in
.to
SO
of In the eleventh moon of the 31st year Kuang Hsu (November 1905) the Chinese and Japanese plenipotentiaries agreed upon the con- version of the Antung-Mukden Railway from a military into a commercial. line and they also agreed that the line should be built and repaired by the Japanese Government. It was stipulated in the Treaty that the right to redeem the rail- way at the end of fifteen years should remain. with the Chinese Government, and it was also agreed that the work of reconstruction should be commenced within a period of two years. The construction and improvement of the line were to be carried as a joint Chinese and Japanese enterprise, bach Government appointing com- missioners for the purpose, and hence China has every right to send her representatives to take part in the control and inspection of the opera tions. At the expiry of the time stipulated the agreement, however, the Japanese Government gave no indication of any intention resume negotiations in the matter, nor did the Japanese Government do until the spring of this year. With a view to cementing the friendly relations between Japan and China the Chinese Government yielded to a request for a resumption, of negotiations, and the Yuchuanpu accordingly sent officers to survey the line in company with officers ap- pointed for that purpose by the Japanese Government. Subsequently the Viceroy of the Three Eastern Provinces (Manchuria). com. municated with the Japanese Consul at Mukden, insisting upon holding to the original arrange. ments for the building of the line, but the Consul further delayed matters by refusing China's request that Japan should not place military guards either on or adjacent to the line, but should leave the policing, of the railway zone to China, through whose territory the line runs. This is the reason of the long delay. Negotiations were still proceeding when, quite unexpectedly on the 21st of this moon (Friday, the 6th August), the Japanese Minister sent a communication to the Waiwupu charging China with procrastination and declaring that Japan would forthwith com- mence the work without Chinese co-operation.
:
On receipt of this communication the Wai- wupu forwarded to the Japanese Minister in Peking a reply the gist of which was that as the improvements were being made in the in- terests of, trade and commerce no necessity existed for the extension of the railway_zone, but China would not raise any objecton if Japan wished to change the gauge and effect other improvements of an engineering character. the reply further emphasizes that in the event of the gauge being changed it must be made the same as that of the Peking-Mukden line, and that no other changes must be made than those entailed by the necessities of engineering. This stipulation has particular reference to the suggested possibilities of a general change of route. The reply also stated that no extension of military control or patrolling of railways in Manchunia would be permitted and that the Chinese Government would furnish police for guarding the line. It concluded by repudiat. ing any responsibility for past delay.
We would point out to Your Excellencies that the Japanese Government resumed negotiations subsequent to the expiry of the time stipulated in the Treaty for the com- mencement of the work, but although this was the case, we, with a view to arriving at an amicable statement of the differences existing between Japan and ourselves, did not refuse the request. Now, however, Japan, relying upor her superior strength, suddenly takes action regardless of the terms of the Treaty and seeks to lay the blame for the delay upon China. We are sure that under the pretext of develop. ment of communications and commerce the Japanese Government desires to build this rail- way almost entirely for military purposes.
It will also be remembered that the Japanese, in spite of treaty obligations, have made many
I
China still hopes for au amicable settlement within the terms of the Treaty, and in making this announcement to the Powers desires simply to set forth the facts in their true light, leaving the world to judge to whom the blame attaches.
THE STRAITS DOLLAR.
There were some people, says the Singapore Free Press, who fondly imagined, when the Straits Government ordered that "Sixty dollars shall be equal to £7," that most, if not all, of oùr currency troubles were over. There was to be no more worry about the rate of exchange'; there would be little or no chopping and changing in the prices of European goods; people with fixed wages would know exactly how much they had to save to ensure a sterling passage Home. And, for the Government, they would know exactly how much they were due to the Crown Agents for pensions, allowances, goods, bought and interest on loans. Well, many of these objects have been achieved. It was unfortunate that the fate of exchange was fixed so far above current rates just before the purchase of Tanjong Pagar, because that made the sum to be paid so much higher, and also lays the permanent burden on the Colony of paying capital and interest at 2/4. It is doubly unfortunate that while we have increased the value of our dollar fifteen per cent, very few of the necessaries of life have been correspondingly reduced; while the domestic servant (to take a homely example) was former. ly content with twelve 2 dollars a month he still wants twelve (or more) 2/4 dollars. Trebly unfortunate it is that for all our produce, we are getting fifteen per cent. less in money, on the average than we formerly got. We do not, of course, overlook the fact that a fixed rate of exchange has largely stimulated the flow of capital into the Straits, notably in the supply of wants of the rubber industry. Nor that slight decreases have been made in the wages of coolies
on
tin mines and rubber estates. though this is probably more due to bad trade and combination among employers than to any currency change. The fact remains, that the 2/4 dollar has given us no advantage in the ordinary course of life, a fact recognised by the Govern- ment, who have continued for another three years the additional ten per cent. allowance to civil Also that we are placed in a dis. servants.
position as regards silver advantageous countries. Scoffers point out that our Tanjong Pagar cannot touch the prices of work tendered for in competition with Hongkong and Shang- hai. They perhaps forget that in the price of labour these ports have a twenty per cent. advantage. Fixity of exchange has no doubt its advantages, but if it is kept up by artificial there are grave disadvantages. means, There is possibly more in this with regard to our dullness of trade than is apparent. At all events, in India there is a good deal still to be said about interfering with long letter the people's currency, and a from Mr. Moreton Frewen appears in the Times of India, which gives food for In Canada and the United States, he thought.
going through a new says, the silver question phase, and he appeals for a Royal Commission to see whether the steps already taken in India should not be retraced: we take it he refers to the artificial restriction of currency by the olos- ing of the mints. In his letter, which is too long to quote, he holds that the closing of the mints has converted every season of scarcity into a period of acute famine. "That the mints may remain closed the people must die." He quotes Sir David Barbour that in times of scarcity the people withdrew from their "bangle surplus" and sold it to the mint, either directly or indirectly, When the rupee and the silver bangle were convertible, the two thousand tolas of the peasants were convertible into two thousand
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[August 21, 1909.
With the mint closed, the value is rupees. reduced to less than one-half. A famine can be pulled through at something like one anna per So that when the head man capita per day.
went to Allahabad and lost eight annas per each of his two thousand tolas, he lost just a week of life for each of his 2,500 villagers." The debased rupee is a serious item in the immemorial debts of India. There is a vast inconvertible token coinage, whose variations, the people know not why, cause a universal discontent. The awaken. of China and her adherence to silver will either end in all manufactures going to her, or a corresponding grinding down of the Indian labourer to meet the cheaper labour of China. Since this Colony is tacked on to India's system of a token silver coinage artificially kept in a certain relation with gold, the arguments adduced by Mr. Frewen apply to this Colony. He does not of course suggest any further hasty juggling with Indian currency, but he does make out a relations between the rupee and gold-" the case against the artificial maintenance of the
selling of
2
tenpence worth of silver to your people for sixteen pence, by a gold standard which is nothing but a gold brick."
THE NEPALESE EMBASSY.
RETURN OF THE AMBASSADOR TO LHASSA,
A correspondent at Batang, Yachow Pre- fecture, Szechuan, writing to the Shanghai Times says:-
After a prolonged stay in Batang the Nepalese embassy left Batang to-day for Lhassa. This is their last stop in Chins proper, as they enter the Dalai Lama's territory after a short journey from here.
consisted of 150 horses for
The caravan
riding and 650 animals for loads. These latter consisted of yak, oxen, mules, don keys, and
horses.
There are 50 Nepalese and about 150 Thibetans besides the Chinese escort, of which there is a large one.
The Da Kaji (or “Great Official," member of Administrative Council in Nepal) expects to reach Lhassa in 52 travelling days from here. It will then take him 33 days to reach Nepal' He is trying to make a quick journey. If he gets across the mountains before cold weather he will have made the round trip in three and one-half years. If not he will be four years on the road.
His Excellency, the Da Kaji, Bhyrub Baha- dur, was not in very good health when leaving here. The long, arduous journey has left its mark on him and it is doubtful if he will ever entirely recover from the hardships of the journey. He has aged considerably since he came through on his way to Peking.
The Da Kaji talked very intérestingly of his journey through China and Thibet. He says the attitude toward foreigners in Lhassa is much more friendly than is generally supposed to be. He reports the lamas as saying that when the English entered Lhassa they destroyed no lamasseries and murdered no women and children, while they have all suffered greatly at the hands of the Chinese.
The Da Kaji himself seems to be a very kind-hearted, thoughtful gentleman, and ex- pressed himself as very anxious that he should be no burden upon the Thibetans any more than he could possibly help. When large caravans like this pass through the whole country is levied upon for animals for the Ula.
Since the Da Kaji's visit to China he seems mission. quite favourably impressed with ary work and is quite friendly with foreigners. He says the most valued thing he obtained in China was the friendship of foreigners. He remarked that "the only things which endure are God and friends."
The expedition has been very fortunate this time in that during the entire journey only one of the Nepalese has died. In the previous embassy, some 12 or 13 years ago, over half of the Nepalese died during the journey. They had a much larger caravan and were seven years making the round trip.
The journey from Nepal to Peking could be made via the Indian and Pacific Occans in about one month, and though the Da Kaji asked permission to return to Nepal that way it was refused him. It is feared the Da Kaji will not reach Nepal alive,
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