The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-04-21

splration, and people become gaunt and
thin. The great lack of the life is var
iety-the need of wholesome amuse-
ment; aside from yachting. rowing or
swimming the climate is not conducive
TO sport, although the interchangeable
Britisher still INDUCES in cricket and
races, though, 1t must be confessed, I'M
der any but encouraging circumstances.
Heverting to the question of shipping,
found upon looking at the marine
news OF one of the Hongkong daily pa
pers that there have been upon the
Japan andChina station within the past
two months twenty-five Russian men
of-war, with sixteen torpedo boats,
thirty-two British ships, eight German
cruisers and the flagships of Rear Ad-
miral Won Diedrichs and Prince Henry
or Prussia, seventeen ships of the
French squadron, twenty-five United
states men-of-war, with one each of the
Austrian and Portuguese and two of the
Italian navy. That these ships are con-
centrated here for any other purpose
than to be In readiness in case of a
crisis no one denies, and with the pres
ent jealousy and rivalry il would re-
quire but little to preeipitate. an out
break. The United States of course,
have legitimate business in the Philip
pines, and their vessels, coming and 60
ing, can give a sufficient account of
themselves. The same cannot be said
or the others. An open rupture between
Japan and Russia is talked of every
where, and there are few who do not
think that the inordinate vanity of
Japan, enormously inflated since her
triumph over China and her recognition
as first class Power, does not need a
baek-set. Should such a conflict occur
Germany and England could hardly
help but be drawn into IT, and trouble
4 once begun no one can tell where II will
end.
! One is impressed with the difference
In the Chinese, north and south. In the
north, especially in the country, they
are polite, frank, good-natured and hos
pitable. Education has done great
things for them. The young men and
women, enlightened and liberalized by
training in English schools, are as fine
a race as we can find anywhere. They
absorb Western ideas wonderfully, anC
this without losing anything of theil
own natural virtues, and one should
come 20 China 10 realize what lofty
virtues the unspoiled and more pro
gressive people possess. Here they arr
moody, insolent and sullen, earning ter
times as much as the northern Chinese
being provided with employment upOI
which they can rely, and for which theI
receive such compensation from tn,
foreigner as they could never hope fo
, from their richest and most generous
fellOw -countrymeD. They have appar
emily for the American and European
nothing but contempt and hatred. The!
see foreign vice In it's ugliest aspect
, and they have poor opinion upon an.
, professions OF superior civilization from
such a source.
One sees everywhere scores OF half
Observation-Disclosures OF American, English
, French, Portuguese and Chinese-wh
possess all the vices Of both races, an
, few OF the better qualities of either
; as is usually the case. The half-cast
Chinese IS alienated from the Chimes
, and is barred from European society
, He cuts off his queue, wears Europea
clothes, eold-rimmed spectacles, an
las his teeth filed, and is condemne
? 20 a political and social limbo fror
? which there seems to be no deliveranc,
There is one thing in which they a
; display wonderful energy, and that
} In acquiring English, which they a
; endeavor to learn. One of my Sci
wants, a youthful-iooking man, thu
brought up my morning cup OF te;
, told me that he had two sons in
mission school lilo learn Englis
: and cAtchee more money" he Sait
7 which meant that tho English-speal
I ing boy commands much higher wage
. than one who has not acquired th
Western tongue.
Aside from the threatened dismen
= berment, there is an internal ev
which menaees China quite as gravel,
7 and that is the opium traffic. Their
! are apologists for the pernicious thini
e those who go SO far as to say tha
5 used moderately in the MALICIOUS cl
s mate OF China, the effects OF the dru
: are beneficial. But it will be foun
I that such apologists have either nev'
e Investigated the matter, or are not dit
s interested in their assertions.
HOngkong, beautiful and impressi1
! as it is, is In reality a monument
I the infamy OF the opium traffic. agdini
a which China made q noble. IL ineffectl
D al. struggle -Hongkong Press.