THE FAR EAST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 3

THE FAR EAST.

MR. TAFT'S VISIT. (FROM OUR SI-EOIAL CORRESPONDENTS.) Hongkong, October 28. Mr. Tnft, United States Secretary for War, is at present on a visit to the Far Hast, and this event marks an epoch in the history of the Orient! Tlio relations-between America and Japan, tho cry for the sale of the Philippines, and the presence of tho United States battleship fleet in tho Far Eastern waters, wcro all bigsnbjects for the statesman and the diplomat. Of course tho official purpose-of Air. Taft's visit was to open the first Philippine Assembly—and that' was an important enough event to warrant the presence in the Orient of a member of the American Cabinet. It is the first time in the history of the Filipino that he has been allowed tho right of freo speech, or to initiate and to pass legislation for the Government of his native country. It is interesting to note.some phases of Air. Taft's great task in the Far East—a taskthat could only have been .carried through by a big niaii. And-Mr. Taft is a big man—big physically, big mentally, and big in capability. His 24 stone proved too much for ike sedan chairs in Hongkong when he was here a year ago. Profiting by that experience, a special'chair, with extra strong poles and liberal bamboo binding, was built for him this time. His visit to the East this year was a combination of unpleasant tasks. He was the guest of the Japanese Government, and yet ho had to discuss the settlement of the Japanese 1 emigration to" San Francisco. And he had always, to speak to his hosts with the decision and the dignity of a possible President. Speaking at a banquet in Tokio, Mr. Taft told .the- Japaneso he thought tho gloomy clouds that were still hanging over tho two countries would soon disappear. In his opinion aii appeal to arms between the two countries would be a great .crime, an act of injustice, and maniacal. Yet it'was unavoidable in the present state of the world, that a quostion which could only bo solved by means of war would be solved by war. The "war rumours wore printed by a small section of the American newspapers to hamper and annoy the Government authorities for political purposes. Tho United States Government was opposed to- war, and so was'tho public opinion of tho country, and ho believed Japan was also opposed-to war. ••■ -

AMERICA AND CHINA. Mr. Taft addressed tho Chinese in," both Shanghai and Hongkong. Though ho had to touch on ' the recent boycott he skimmed over it with the delicate touch of tho diplor mat, and enlarged on the fact that America had waived half of her indemnity.' "Nov," continued the Secretary - for War,, "it has licon said that that is.only half of what she should have done. With that I agree. If that ought not to have boon awarded, to. hor she ought not to' have taken it, hut, my doar friends, tho nicety.of justice in-interna-tional dealings is. not so.universal or exceptional as to prevent it being the occasion for: good; feeling between'the parties to Hie transaction." . ' • THE: PHILIPPINES ASSEMBLY. ' During his' previous visit to the Far Ea.4t ■ ■ it' was. Mr. Taft's ' unpleasant duty to mako it clear to tho Filipinos that they, were not to expect im'uediato independence. This visit in 1907 called for a repetition of this warning, -and Mr. Taft.first sounded it in Tokio,.'when ho said that the Jlnited States regarded tho' promotion, of 'justice.; order, and propriety in. the Philippines as her 'greatest work, and to sell .the islands would bo to neglect'a duty, which she had. boon destined to'carry out: The Government, of tho United' States had assumed certain obligations in the Philippines to tho world at largo, and those had to-be .observed,' even though they entailed some .'sacrifice. And later, when he. spoke to the Filipinos'at Manila, lie declared that ho still believed tho-Filipino would not bo ready lor self-govornmoiit' for ' "considerably longer than a generation;" , These were not pleasant truths to havo to tell to an intensely patriotic —oven if somewhat misguided—people,' who for-.generations have' cherished tho ideal of independence.- But Mr. Taft 'recognir'd a idnty and faced- it boldly, as n strong: manmight bo expected to do. Ho went even' further, and. made.it plain to the ,Filipino.'; that, the future of the Assembly, oven tho matter of its-permanence, depended on how tho. booh was used by this newly emancipated people, for tho power which created it could also.take, it 'away.'.... . : •

A SENSATIONAL MURDER.

A.remarkablo murder trial was. brought to a close before the Hong-Kong Supreme Court two days -ago. • It is remarkablo for threo reasons—the cruel natnro of the crime, tlio accident of its discovery, and'the fact,that not for twonty years has a white man boon .tried in .Hong-Kong for the murder of a white person. On. August,4 last/two Americans, a man and a woman, arrived in HongKong from Manila, and took a. room in (lie Hong-Kong Hotel, registering as' Mv. and Mrs. W. 11. Jones. The, next'day the men took-a trunk to Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's office, and consigned it to Hoihow. Ho returned an hour or two later .and wished to ..consign it .to- Sydney. Ho was told to return the next day; Going away, be came, back a third time, and took the trunk aboard a sanipan and went out into, the harbour'. The sampan women swore that ho put the trunk over the side, and finding, apparently, that it would not,sink, lifted it aboard again. He told tlio sampan women to row to the stcahiship Monteogle, ' which he. boarded. Meeting one of'the officers,' he said ho was-a' : passenger, and that be would not need tho irunh\ -Ho asked that it bo placed in' the hold. • Fortunately for the cause of justice, his was not done, but the-trunk was, instead, placed in the .baggage room. Two days later, while the ship was still in harbour, a foul odour was noticed, and 0:1 tho box being opened it was found to contain r,ho body of a woman. .Around her neck a waistband was tightly tied, and twisted tight with a hair-brush.. The American, an 'oxsergeant of Marines named William Hall Adsetts, was arrested ,by the British Consul at Chefoo. He escaped, and was re-arrested, placed on board the American warship Galveston, and convoyed to Manila; He was subsequently extradited and tried at Ho.-i;;-Kong. Giving evidence on' his own behalf, the prisoner said ho returned ito the hotel on- the morning of August 5, after spending the night 'in a low quarter of. tlio town. He found the woman murdered, and, fearing ho would bo blamed, tried ,to dispose of tho body.' He accounted for the fact that, when arrested, he possessed a largo quantity of jewellery, the property, of the murdered woman, by the explanation- that 1 the woman, who was "wanted" in Manila, asked him to take care of.it in ciise the police arrested her;in'Hong-Kong. After but six minutes' absence the jury brought in a verdict of " guilty,"' and ' tho prisoner was'' sentenced to death.

COPYING" TRADE MARKS. Previous letters have contained' ; roferenco to the pernicious practice of tho "Japanese in infringing trade marks. The latest caso noted is a typical example of what is complain'ed about, and was furnished by two' tins of marmalado bought in Japan. J3oth.wore labelled " Pure Orange Marmaladoj" and purported to have.been furnished by the wbllknown English firm of Crosse and Blackwell. Tho two tins were identical in size, and the labols wore, o'xeept in minute technical difference in typo, also absolutely identical. The obvious difference commenced in' tho fact that tho genuine tin was. painted .blue, whilst .the bogus was covered ■ with a blue paper' of a shndo closely resembling that of. the print distinguishing the genuine. Tho difference consisted in the.fact that,, owing to limitations in paper colouring, tho " blue" was not carried up to the top edge nor down'to the lower edge of tho bogus tins, which disulaycd a tell-tale yellow-bronze odging. The label itself was also forged upon an orange instead of the legitimate lemon-coloured paper, although experts noted that the tins bore the proper stamps on their bottoms, indicating that thoy .wore old genuine tins royaniDed. These bogus goods wero sold openlv in Japan, and doubtless imposed upon the innocent buyer everywhere. COMING CARNIVAL AT MANILA. A monster carnival, full of revelry, dower Rattles, and grand' pageants, will be hold in Manila during the week commencing Monday,

February 3,- and it iB expected to attract many Australians and New '.Hollanders to the Philippines. The festivities of the week will he arranged on the idea or motive of a visit by the .Monarch of the Occident to the Monarch of the Orient reigning in 'Manila. On the arrival of the visiting monarch in the harbour, lie ,will 'bo received with royal honours, salutes, dressed ships, etc. He will be met by the reigning monarch, attended by his court and retinue, in royal'and decorated barges, arid will be accompanied to the place of debarkation, whore lie will be given the freedom of the city. On the following day there will be a land parade ,participated in by both monarchs, their courts and retinues. Following this day there' will be .a series of displays by the followers of each monarch, in which supremacy will, be contested for in feats of arms, games, snorts, and representative: amusements. At the conclusion of these contests, when prizes are about to be awarded, a monarch greater than cither, the King'of Carnival, attended by a .brilliant court and retinue of jesters, will arrive and assume authority over all.. The Monarchs of the Occident and the Orient, will then disappear, and King Carnival will reign supreme. In the development of this idea or motive, the feature of the first day will be the water parade, participated in by both monarchs and their (trains, in royal and decorated barges, with men-at-arms in war canoes and armed launches, togetherewith civic organisations in barges decorated to represent different professions, trades, and crafts. At night a grand ball of all. nations will be given, at which everyone' will appear in costume. The feature of the second day wiH bo the grand land parade, participated in by both .monarchs, with men-at-arms representing the Occident and the Orient, civic organisations: with floats symbolic of different professions, trades, and crafts, accompanied by costumed maskers. In the evening there will bo ft grand bal masque. The third and fourth days will be devoted to a grand display in the amphitheatre, for Which admission: fees'will be charged; when the rival monarchs'will cause their men-at-arms to perform characteristic feats of arms, and will give representations of the distinctive'games, sports, and- amusements of their people. Prizes will be awarded for the host performances, and after the distribution of prizes, and when each monarch is claiming supremacy for his people, the King of Carnival arrives. The rival monarchs disanpear, and King Carnival reigns supremo. The assumption of authority by King Carnival will ho the signal for revelry. At an indicated hour, to be announced by the firing of guns and the ringing of bells, certain.-of the streets will be clared for maskers. King Carnival will parade-and -greet his followers - amid mimic battles of confetti' and (lowers. During Carnival Week streets of characteristically decorated booths-and 'pavilions will be 1 opon, where people from each tribe, town, and riroyince will display- for sale their peculiar articles-of" manufacture. -There will also-be lifte booths of other nations and peoples, and beer gardens, cafes, and tea-houses available for the use of' the carnival 'pleasureseekers. Prizes will be given for the bj?sfc presentations in cecli of the greater features of,the carnival. Masking..confetti, and all that goes to make carnival'spirit-and-spread carnival fun will bo encouraged.