Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-14
A MUTINOUS CREW.
Japanese Sailors Attack Officers
and Passengers of a Liner.
Protest Against the Partition of China
Cotton Trade in the Far East
Other Oriental Advices.

San Francisco, Feb. 1S.-The Oriental
and Occidental Steamship Company
steamer Gaelic arrived today from Hong
Kong, Yokohama and Honolulu, bring
ing the following Oriental advices:
The Hong Kong Telegraph says that
continual trouble is being reported from
vessels manned by Japanese crews, the
Japanese resenting any instructions or
surveillance from European officers, and
reserving especial grudge for European
passengers. Several cases have been re-
ported where officers were marked for
attack by the Japanese and warned to
Withdraw from the service, tn, reten-
tion of their positions being invariably
followed by & murderous attack from
ambushed japanese enemies.
A case in point is reported from the
N. Y. K. liner Hakate Maru from Japan
via Hong Kong for England. There
were SO passengers on board the liner.
many of whom were repeatedly attack
ed by the japanese crew whenever they
left their own staterooms after night
fall. On New Years day, the Telegraph
says, all the Japanese sailors and wait
ers, mad drunk" and clad only in
breech cloths, made an aggravated at
tack on the English officers and passen-
gers of the Hakate Maru. The Japanese
armed with knives, crowbars, and belay-
ing pins, brutally beat the chief engin-
eer and his assistant, and attacked
passenger, Thomas Hall, cutting his
mead open with a marlinspike. Accord
ing to the account in the Telegraph the
officers and most Of the passengers were
driven to the bridge, where the English
men kept 100 drink-maddened japanese
at bay during the entire night
The Shanghai Recorder deplores any
partition of China, which, it says, will
certainly be unfavorable to missionary
work, adding that it will be sad thing,
not only for China, but for all con-
cerned, if the powers undertake such ac-
ton, predicting that partition would be
the beginning of unending strife and
bloodshed
The Recorder calls upon Great Brit
ain to interfere, and says that China
shall not be divided, but that she shall
be reformed and saved, predicting that
in such interference England would
have the support of Japan, and the ac-
tive acquiescence of the United States,
Three Chinese We're hanged simulta-
neously in the Victoria Jail at Hong
Kong, Jan. 12, the drop being made to
accommodate all three The executed
men were members of an armed gang
d
killed a Chinese employee. The crini-
nails were disbanded soldiers
The annual cotton report from Shang-
hal states that the year of 1897 was one
of extraordinary vicissitudes to those in
this trade. The year began with an
enormous stock of unsold goods on hand.
Prices declined steadily until the end of
August. Then came a stringency in the
Chinese money market, the result being
GAc al
dealers, very few importers escaping
heavy losses. The turning point is be-
lieyed to have been reached, however,
the year 1898 opening with an improved
demand and an increased number of
transactions, although Shanghai jobbers
can hardly congratulate themselves on
the prices obtained.
The chartered transport Jelunga, from
Hong Kong, arrived at Singapore Jan.
9Th, bringing, the first battalion Prince
of Wales own, and taking away the
same day the departing rife brigade.
Royasu Shen, founder Of the Yomiu-
ri Slimunda, one Of the oldest papers in
Japan, in 1874, died on Jan. 15 aged g.
He was formerly junior secretary of the
foreign office. He started the first mutuai
life insurance association in Japan and
among other achievements edited the
best English-Japanese dictionary of It's
day, 1898
Konicni Otoye, who is under arrest in
San Franciso for the embezzlement of
p, 900 yen from Savre Brandt of Osaka,
is also suspected Of forgery, and the
foreign office has communicated with
Minister Hoshi with regard to his ex-
tradition.
AS soon as the ratification treaty with
France has been exchanged, the date Of
the standard and conventional tariff will
be notified to the foreign powers, and
the tariffs themselves put into opera
ton, The receipts for the coming fiscal
year, commencing April l, are therefore
estimated to be an increase Of 5000 yen.