Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-10
Japan Under New Treaties Will Try
to Control Religion,
RUSSIA'S TREATY With SIAM
Steamer Sinks With 1870 Passengers
Twenty Miles From Shanghai.
AMMUNITION FOR FILIPINOS

VANCOUVER, B. c., August 1O.-The fol-
lowing japanese and Chinese mail advices
have been received by the steamer Empress
of Japan:
The British, Belgian and Mexican govern
ments have applied to the japanese govern
ment for the conclusion of agreement re-
lating to extradition and negotiations will
shortly be commenced Under the new
treaties Japan will seek to control foreign
religions Hitherto Christianity has been
left unmolested.
France is pressing her demands on China
in the Yang-Tse valley. The French au-
thorftfes in 1ndo-China have conceived the
idea OF converting the Cinnamon into a SOL
dier, and, following the example of the
British in Wei-Hai-Wei they are forming a
regiment of celestial tirailleurs, who. it is
believed, will be more efficient soldiers than
the Anamites now in the French service.
Quiet on the Surface
On the surface Pekin is quet, but beneath
there is ferment. The empress dowager
still holds the reins of Office, but the palace
is a veritable hotbed of jea!ouses and in
trlgues. Prince against minister, eunuch
against both. and the empress dowager
and her favorites against the rest
The empress dowager has issued an edict
at Pekln IN which several sweeping reforms
are ordered to take place in all the state
departments of the empire. The edict
opens with perfect TRADE upon the whole
OF the officials in The provinces concern
ing their duty, in order to prevent what is
stated to be perpetual Squeezing among
those who are in charge. The edict pro-
ceeds that the director of the Pekin sta
t1ons and all the departments have been
guilty OF squeezing, and that in order to
remedy these wrongs it would be necessary
in the future that the viceroys at Tartar
the generals and governors should take
notice OF the conditions of things, which
was deplorable.
The Pekin and Tien Tsin railway. the
edlct goes on to state, has made hand
some profit, but there will be no further
construction of railroad lines until the In
aan system has been completed. When
that is done and it has been found to be
prohtable other lines will be laid down
The Japanese press makes charges of vice
and immortality against the buddhist
priests.
Goes Down With 13O Passensers
The Nunobih Mark, 1,4O0 tons gross.
| formerly belonging to the Mitsm Bussan
kWaisha, sank in the vicinity of the Sad
die Archipelago at the mouth of the Yang
Use kiang, twenty miles from Shanghai
or the crew twelve only We're rescued by
the British steamer Kyuchiang.
1t is supposed there must have been 40
or 1:SO passengers on board almost all of
whom were drowned. The steamer was
built in England, 1894.
The text of a treaty between Russia and
Siam has been published in Hong Kong
The treaty expires December 1 next The
chief clause reads:
That in everything relating to the juris-
dlctlon OF commerce and navigation, Rus
sian subjects in Siamese territory and
Siamese subjects in Russian territory will
enjoy, henceforth, until the expiration of
the present arrangement, all the rights and
privileges accorded the subjects of other
nations in Russia or in Siam by the treat
les that shall be made in the future
Ammunition for FiIfpinos
For considerable time the Manila news
papers have been making outspoken refer
ences to the large shipments of arms and
ammunition to the Philippines from Hong
Kong. proclamation of the government
prohibits traffic in arms, but it still goes
on Hong Kong is also sending arms into
China at an alarming rate. Revolvers are
common articles among the Chinese ruff
fans who infest the Canton river and delta
and Kowloon highland, and who plunder
and murder British subjects.
News has been received of the murder
at Vladivostock, of C. E. Hamlin of the
Vacuum Oil Company. He was murdered
at night by a Chinese servant, who, with
hatchet, smashed in the head of his
master