474
THE SITUATION IN CHINA.
(Daily Press, November 29th.) It doubtless forms part of the duty of China's diplomatic representatives abroad to transmit to their Government any views to which public expression may have been given by representative men among whom they dwell bearing upon China's foreign relations. If this duty is religiously per- formed by China's representatives, the Government at Peking must, in the course of a twelvemonth, be inundated with un- flattering comment but wholesome advice from almost every enlightened quarter of the globe. Probably not a tenth part of it. receives any consideration whatever, but we hope a better fate is reserved for the speeches which are delivered at such annual gatherings of their native villages. In the course principles of liberty and law, and these rules
as those of the British China Association in
London and the German China Association in Hamburg. The speeches, for example, which were delivered at the recent large gathering in London of members of the China Association, fully reported in the Daily Press of Saturday, if they were translated and circulated among the states- men of Peking and the leading provincial officials, would afford valuable food for reflec- tion. The "giftie" to "see oorsels as ithers " is not denied to Governments as it often is to individuals, and though it may offend the amour propre of Chinese states- men to learn what the world at large is thinking of their masterly inaction or, at best, their crude and ill-informed measures aiming vaguely at the enhancement of the nation's prestige among the Powers the world, the final result would in all probability be a stimulus to more sustained
see us
of
and better directed effort. The Chairman of the China Association found occasion to lament that since the dismissal of YUAN SHIH-KAI, who is acclaimed on all sides as the most capable living Chinese statesmen, Peking has lapsed into "a normal condition of somnolent drift from which only such displays of energy as the recent announcement by Japan that she proposed setting about the Antung railway without further argument had been able to arouse her." There is in the circumstances a qualified approval, in the Chairman's speech, of the bold action taken by Japan to accelerate the settlement of a whole series of questions which otherwise might have dragged on indefinitely under less energetic handling. That episode ought to have opened the eyes of China to the danger of the dallying policy pursued towards every international question, but, as we may learn from the recent negotiations for the delimitation of the boundaries of Macao, it is only by similar shows of energy, implying threats of force, that China can be got to implement the promises she has solemnly made. British interests in the Yangtse have diminished by "evaporation" because the British Government has not that nice appreciation of the Chinese mind that Japan possesses. The views of the situation in China embodied in the speech of the Chairman of the China Association will have the endorsement of every serious student of the country's affairs. It is in truth pathe- tic to observe the unintelligent direction of the reform movement in China. At one time it seemed to be recognised in Peking that a thorough reform of the finances of the empire must precede all others, but China's statesmen to have been scared by the gigantic nature of the task, and the ship of state therefore drifts dangerously towards the rocks. The margin of revenue to meet the increasing charges of debt, as Mr. SCOTT remarked, is diminishing. Moreover, we see provincial authorities resorting to the dange rous expedient of issuing debased coin and unsecured bank notes. Still the Government,
appear
+
than
to
to
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[December 6, 1909. apparently oblivious of the danger, is measures should be made to conform to their requiring the provinces to contribute to customs, their habits, and even their pre- a fund for the creation of a costly Navy. judices to the fullest extent consistent with Perhaps, after all, there may be method in the accomplishment of the indispensable all this madness. It, at least, will serve requisites of just and effective government. the purpose of forcing throughout the At the same time the Commission were country a recognition of the need of finan-bidden to bear in mind, and to make the cial reform. Nevertheless the fact cannot people of the islands clearly understand, be ignored that this "muddling through that there are certain great principles basis of method is fraught with the greatest peril, of government forming the and far wiser statesmanship may be needed the governmental system adopted by the Government to cope with the crisis when it arises United States, and which the
the rule ini- deemed to be essential 18 perhaps needed now tiate some reasonable measure of fin-of law and the maintenance of indivi- ancial reform. Unfortunately, as as we dual freedom; also that there are certain recently pointed out, the men most rules of government which have been found capable in the Empire of carrying through essential to the preservation of the great such measures are relegated to the obscurity the last ten years the Chinese Government has at great cost obtained expert advice on currency reform as well as on financial reform generally, but no practical use whatever has been made of the advice which the Government went to great cost to collect. For all the good that has resulted, Mr. JENKS might never have given a thought to a reform of China's currency, and TANG SHAO YI's mission to study financial administrations abroad seems to have been equally barren of results. Since he submitted his reports the Regent seems to have had no further need of his services. But the time must come when the Throne will have need to call to its aid again the most enlightened men of the country capable of directing that over- whelming inrush of new ideas that Mr. CHIROL spoke of, and chrystalising them into forms which will make for the progress, prosperity, and general contentment of China, and the benefit of the world in general,
AMERICA AND THE PHILIPPINES.
we see
of pro-
with
the Commission were directed to establish and maintain in the Philippine Islands for the sake of the liberty and happiness of the
the customs or laws people, however much they might conflict with cedure with which they were familiar. To-day
the Filipinos complete autonomous government in the municipalities outside Manila; the provinces. have been given the right to elect the majority of their provincial boards; and a Filipino Legislature has been created having an equal voice with the Commission in framing legislation for the people. Mr. FORBES says the first Filipino Assembly has fully justified the hopes that were held for it, and that the relations between the two Legislatures have left little to be desired. The Filipinization of the service, the new said, must steadily Governor-General continue. One very distinguished Filipino has recently been appointed to administra- tive control of one of the most important departments of the government, “equal in rank to any executive position in the islands with the exception of the executive head, and the Governor-General announced that as vacancies occur Filipinos will be gradually substituted for Americans as rapidly as can be done without positive detriment to the service. There has been constant increase in the number of Filipinos in the classified civil service, which has grown from 49 per cent. in 1903 to 62 per cent. in 1909.
14
He
(Daily Press, November 30th.) The Hon. WILLIAM CAMERON FORBES was last week inaugurated Governor-General of the Philippine Islands and marked the occasion by the delivery of a lengthy speech
This doubtless goes far to account for the in which he sketched his policy as the new Head of the Administration. After paying present peacefulness of the islands, and Mr. the work of his FORBES Confidently predicts that happiness a warm tribute to predecessors and to the Presidents of the will not be found far away when the means United States concerned in the direction of of procuring it are so abundantly at hand the initial policy, the new Governor-General-just and equitable laws, a wise and firm prefaced a statement of his policy by a long government, freedom of thought, of speech quotation from the instructions of President and worship and of opportunity. McKINLEY to the Philippine Commission appealed to the Filipinos to turn their to proceed with the establishment of undivided attention to the material develop- In ment of the country and to rest confident in Civil Government in the Islands.
was laid down that the 'good faith of the United States. He these instructions. in all cases the municipal officers who pointed out that what the Philippines needed He was opposed to the local affairs of the was capital. administer the people are to be selected by the people, admission of Chinese labour, because he and that wherever officers of a more extend thought the Filipino could do all the ed jurisdiction are to be selected in any way, necessary work in the islands, and he had entire confidence in the Philippine labourer, natives are to be preferred, and if they can be found competent and willing to perform properly treated, properly paid, and given Dwelling the duties, they are to receive the offices in the opportunity to use the money he receives,
Of course, preference to any others. absolute and unconditional loyalty to the United States was made an indispensable qualification for all offices and positions of trust, and absolute and unimpaired power was retained in the hands of the central au- thority of the Islands to remedy and punish any officer deviating from that standard President MCKINLEY took the greatest pains to impress on all concerned in the establish ment of Civil Government in the Islands that it was designed not for the satisfaction of the people of the United States, but for the happiness, peace and prosperity of the people of the Philippine Islands, and that
to better his own condition.
upon the need of capital, Mr. FORBES compared statistics of Hawaii and Porto Rico with those of the Philippines. The total population of Hawaii is 198,000 people, or about one-fortieth part of the population of The total exports from the Philippine Islands, now approximately eight millions. Hawaii in 1907 were $29,000,000. The total exports from the Philippine Islands for the same year were $34,000,000. In other words, Hawaii produced for e port approximately "This," said Mr. thirty-six times as much per capita as did the Philippine Islands. FORBES, "is not because their labourers are
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