Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-07
TIE CHINESE SIDE.
Wong He ChOng, the Millionaire, Belit-
ties the Frenchmen and Says They will
be Beaten.

From the Neas York World.
A reporter called last evening upon
Wong He Chong, the leading Chinese i'm
porter OF New York and the only Mongo-
liam millionaire this side of the Rocky
Mountains Mr.. Wong was found at No.
8 Mott street surrounded by friends, all of
whom were celebrating the victory at
Langson. In response to the reporters
questions the merchant said:
"This victory is nothing more than
what we have long expected. The trou-
bic is that the French authorities, in order
not to lose prestige in the eyes Of other
nations, have Systematically lied IN re-
gard to their TOnQulnese campaign, The
victories they have reported have invalia-
bly, been little skMmishes, in which "a cor
pOral's guard on either side has been
magnitied into an army. On the other
hand their defeats have always been the
retiring of skirmishlng party. The
American press publishes the French
version and seldom if ever our own. l
have seen our own reports and believe
they are far nearer the truth than those OF
our foe. According to our figures over
10000 French have been killed IN battle
and 1900 have died FROM disease. We
have lost probably twice Us much, but
with our population we can afford and are
willing to lose one hundred times as
much. People seem to forget that we
have 4O00C0,000 of people and can lose
million men without even knowing the
fact. France cannot AS for the block
ade, that is sheer nonsense. We have no
commerce of our own whatever. The
Chinese are fishermen and not sailors.
We had a Chinese steamship company
which owned a fleet of Al vessels. At the
beginning OF this war they sold out to
English capitalists. Our commerce is al
most mOnopolized by Great Britain, and
you can safely rely upon the fact that Eng.
land will never allow France to hurt her
commercial interests in the East. Eng
land is sensitive around her pocket, and,
war or no war, she VIII continue TO carry
Chinese freights as long as her power
stands. In regard to tea, / think the
price may advance triile but not appre-
ciably.
"Ot the tea used by Eurore and Ameri-
ca, probably one-halt comes from Japan,
FormOsa, COrea and other neigbbOring
lands. Vast quantities 90 overland TO
Russia, Turkey and Germany. This chan
mel cannot be affected by any blockade.
The japan supply wll continue uninter-
ruptedly. The t0a from Coret is increas-
ing in amount Even if CHINA tea should
be cut of ana a rise in price occurred, it
would he Immediately met by the grow
ers of Japan and Corea and their mar
kets would be depleted TO fill the demand
of Europe. But the blockade could not
affect Hong Kong, and l do not believe il
would interfere with English commerce
with Canton, Annoy, Foo Chow and
Macao; and from these ports nearly all Of
the Chinese tea is exported.
''As to stopping the use OF foreign caDi-
tai and the story that this moves the tea
crop from the interior to the seapOrts, this
to anyone who has even been in China is
really funny. There is foreign capital,
particularly English, IN our leading sea-
ports, but it never goes beyond. The tea
crop is bought and moved by our own
merchants and millionaires and is soldb by
them to the foreign houses in the ports.
Han-qua, our richest banker, who is
worth over billion dollars, has several
times owned as much as 800 tons Of tea,
and to-day is interested in the business
almost as much. Even if France sue
ceeded in blockading the Chinese coast,
she cannot interfere with Hong Kong and
the waterways and canal system of the
empire are SO perfect that the crops which
would 90 to other ports could be sent TO
! Hong Kong at but a trifling increased
cost. A junk carrying 20 tons Of mer-
chandise could carry tea from Canton to
within a reasonable distance of Hong
Kong at a cost of hundred dollars. The
best example l know of is afforded by the
war England and France waged together
against China. Even then the price Of
tea in foreign markets did not 90 up 10
per cent. In these days Japan tea was
comparatively unknown. Now, England's
interests are ours; the Japan trade is a
vast and acknowledged fact, and, what is
more, France has. neither the money and
the men, nor the ships, to make blockade
that will amount TO anything. And, what's
more, she's is going to be badly beaten by
tho Celestial ampirp -