THE FAR EAST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 220, 10 June 1908, Page 7

THE FAR EAST.

SINKIWC OF A JAPANESE WARSHIP. [FROM titn SPECIAL COBBESPONDENT.] Hong-KOiig, May 10. • News will have reached you, by cable, of tho disaster to the Alntsushirria, ono of tho Japanese warships which visited Australasia a year ago. Tho training squadron of, which the vessel formed .n part whs anchoring off the Pescadores on April 30 at about 4.10 a.m. A bluejacket Called an officer's att-en; tion to smoke that Ws.i coining from a corner of the'deck. Ho was sent for a lamp, and while going on this message a'tremendous explosion occurred. This, it has since been ascertained, was the blowing up of the after magazine. _ So great was tha fdrce that not an officer in the bedrooms, which wero aft, survived it. Threo officers, seven semi-officers,. 24, midshipmen, ■ and 205 of tho crew wero saved. Tho bodies of two officers, 27 midshipmen, and 39 of tho crew have been recovered so far, but 21 officers, six midshipmen, and 111 of th» cron' aro still missing.

Among thoso who perished in this great disaster was Captain Yaahiro, Vice-Captain Tokuda, Chief Engineer Tokuda, Midshipman Oyama, a sOn of Marshal Oyama, and Mr. T. Chinda, a son of tho Vice-Minister for Foroign _ Affairs. Rescue parties from tho Istukushima and Hashidato wero sent to tho Matsushima immediately nftcr the oxplosion, but five minutes liftbr tho magazine bad blown up, • the vessel had sunk. At the dato of writing she is in 44ft. of water, and at low wator tho bridge can bo seen. Tho vessel was an old one, and it is doubtful if auy attempt will bo mado to raise her. In search of definite information on, this point, I interviewed . a prominent Chine&o gentleman in Hong-Kong—a man who" is striving every hour to aflvauco his countrymen, 1 and a man who is a scholar ill both the Eliglish and Chineso languages. His answer, was that to .'suddenly COaso tho supply of opium to old habitues of tho dcrts Would - that such' men, long .addicted to tho habit, milst dio. ExperieiiCO, had proved that, unless old smokers wero iiiediOally treated as a, euro for tho disease thoy could not livo without opium In fairness to my informant.l should say that ho lias no sympathy with tho opium trado, but he recognises the falsity, of this sudden Cessation. • "In ordor to adjust i'ovehito_ and expenditure, the Chinese must pfiy increased taxation, when this tl-ade ceases," I remarked. His reply wis ■ :"Tho Chiiieso Will willingly do So. At present wo have to support the family of _ nlany an opium smokor. Our nation will lose this vicious drug, and fewer Will need charity* The increased taxation is certain, but it is preferable." :

tho Opium Trado. j : Hong-Kong was.-thrown into a state of bewiidoMntnt last week by a pre-eniptoi'y Cablegram from tho Colonial Office, ordering tho closing, at once, or ail opium JoiiS .in tho Colony. This was the result of a motion passed ill tho House of .Commons—a motion that'has caused consternation ill every British colony or settlement in tho it'ar East. Whilo nothing but sympathy can be'felt for arty sincere effort on tho part of China to put, down the' opium vice, thero are many financial aspects that call for the careful thought of political reformers, For. instance . Hong-Kong has sold her opium rights for 1,600,000 dollars per annum, mid tho monopoly has yet two years to i'llii. Tho Straits Settlements derives an income ,of 4,354,000 dollars from opium, out of a total .revenue, excepting land shies, of . 0,000,000dollars. How is this -loss to bo mado up? Already the lessee Of Holig-ltong's monopoly has notified the bewildered ■ local legislature that if the bpiutn doils aro closed he will Consider such an action an interference with his agreement, with tho Crown, and c;aim Compensation. Consequently tho Government will not alono loso revenue, but be confronted With a big bill from the lessee* who now pays some 121,000 dollars a month. ; Again,; Hong-KOng imports, from India Opium valued at £3,U00,00U per annum. As a single trade, it is the biggost impoft business done at. this port, exceeding in yaluo cither the. yarn >or piece-goods' business. The British Government had already decided to limit the export of opium from India year by year if China herself mado a corfespoildittg reduction in tho production of Chinese .opium. Great • Britain kept her Compact, and this year business in opium from India is restricted to' 01,000 chests. In 1009 tho figures mint diminish to 50,800 chests, and in 1910 the limit is to be 51,i00. There are tnntty hard-headed men in the Far East—irieh wlio Ithew tho.' Chinese character—who tell you that the. i'osulfc of ..the abolition 6f the expert of, opium, from India will-simply meaii that thai, eountry will loss a great .source of Revenue, and a few Chinese mandarins, who now cultivate the poppy, will reap a great revenue from ii big monopoly. Though Imperial Edicts called pn the Chinese to find this vice within ten years, 'and though officials era every Week or t\vo degraded fer not obeying-these edicts, China produces .1 great qtiantity of opium. The province' of S&chttftn alofto produces 200,000 pictils per year—a picul is 133|1b. What-Sudden Cessation Means.

! Did the Colonial- ( 01Fico realise what ft .means to tho Chinese thcliisolves if tho opium dens are suddenly closed ? The Boycott of Japan. ; Tlio Chincso are v,ery "reticent as to what is being done in regard to tho. boycott of ■Japan's trade. The. effects avo everywhere appUront, but how it i3_ beiiig organised is kept a secret. _ A meeting ot Chinese' was held hero to discuss tile boycott, yet Japan Or the boycott wis never mentioned. One spoakei 1 told the following StoryA nian Went to a shopkeeper to buy a roast pie. Ho was given a parcel and took it home; It proved to be a. roast dog. Ho called On tho shopkeeper and protested. Tho shopkeeper got angry, and said: "You haVo attacked, my character; I will Strike you." Nov?, the shopkeeper_Was a wel Itrained in the art of fighting, while the. wronged purchaser know nothing about fighting, Tho customer wont, and talked with his clansmoiu They said: "It is no uso fighting, because you will suffer defeat, and 'loso face.' Lot us decide not to; buy goods at his shop. That will make lum suffer more. And" lot us porsuado all Our friohds. liot to buy from him." This was agreed to, and in a year the man had to filoao his shop. Although tho application of this story was apparent to overybedy in tho room, tho emissaries of botli the Government and tho Japanese could find no tangible remark on which they could cause, trohblo to thoso who organised the meeting. Right or wrong, tho Chinese are making this boycott felt. Japan's Financos. Japan's finances are Worrying her politicians, aucl if .one can judge from present indications, these worries will be with Japan for a long time. The Government had arranged t oadjust tho revenue- and expenditure for the current fiscal year by postponing tlio execution of various Government works, thus saving about 35,000,01)0 yen, and Using tho surplus, or 40,000.000 yen from 1900-7, and raising another 4,900,000 yen by taxation. Tho possibility that the expected loans may not bo IlOated, and the dullness of foreign trade, • have caused the Government a cleal of embarrassment. The further reduction of 'expenditure is now foreshadowed, and tho construction of millitary works, to the extent of 32,000,000 dols., is postponed. - '

On Wednesday morning, when Mr. W. C. Buchanan Was leaving Tupurupuru, says tho "Wairarana Daily News, in liis ne\v niotor for the Trotting races, ho' had a narrow escapo from a very serious accident. Ho was alone in tho car, and shortly after leaving his own gate, and coming to a dip in the' road, he lost control of the madhinc. Realising that ho was in a serious position) he attempted to slacken speed, but instead of closing tho throttle ho onened it still further, and tho car rattlou on at a terrific paco until it eventually threw itself slapbang agajnst the fence on tho roadside, smashing a cood deal of tho gear and doub-, ling up the two front wheels. Marvellous! to relate, Mr. Buchanan escaped uninjured. He declares that he held his seat solelv through llis practice in the saddle, which oliablcd him to retain hiß perilous position unshaken. - • |