The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-05
IMPORTANT NEWS
FROM THE ORIENT
Germany Is After Coaling
Station in the Far
East

YOKOHAMA, Jan. 20.-The laundering
of Germany for coaling station in the
Far East is arousing uneasiness in Java,
observes a Straits paper. 1t is feared
that Germany has now an eye on some
island in Netherlands India. 1t has leak
ed out that short time ago a retired
officer of the German navy drew UP plans
for a settlement in the Lontar group to
the north of Pulo Lankawi (Siamese),
not far from Penang. He proposed to
turn the group to account as field for
German trading enterprise. But, while
his plans were still in outline, he had to
disclose them before the time, because
certain parties were trying to be before
hand in that quarter. 1t is alleged that
this interference caused the failure of
the plans which aimed, all at once, at
bringing the British Government face to
face with a German protectorate over
the Lontar group as an event beyond re-
call.
MISSIONARIES IN CHINA
The Rev. John Ross, well known for
his missionary labors in Manchuria, and
his anti-Roman controversies, writes in
the December number of the Contempo-
rary Review on "China's Foreign Poll
Icy" In the course of his reprerks he
makes some rather strong remarks on
the conduct of the Roman Catholic mis-
sonaries in China-we fear that nom
Roman missionaries are rather too apt to
do this-and he concludes: To secure
future peace the magistrate must have
perfect freedom to judge and decide all
litigation involving his own subjects, ac-
icording to Chinese law, irrespective of
creed and independent of the dictation
or control of any external authority. In
consequence of the past misconduct OF
! foreigners the present state of the Chi
nese mind makes it imperative to secure
some means to prevent the persecution of
NATIVE Christians under the guise of or
ldinary legal prosecution. The native
tChristian suffers, not because he is a
christian, but because he is connected
with the foreigner. But in order to at
ttain freedom from persecution it is not
lneedfuI to permit any missionary to DOM
Eineer over the native magistrate.
THE PHILIPPINES CABLE.
The transport Burnside which arrived
from New York recently with 400 miles
of wire will proceed south in a few
days, where she will proceed to connect
1.-THE different island points by cable. II
lis understood that she will proceed to
ECebu and work on cable extension to
Misamfs Mindanao, and from there over
land to Zamboanga, from that point te
lIsabelo thence to Jolo and from there
Ito Bongac This system will also in
Eclude uoilo and Negros, and a main ca
IDLE VIII De ldld 10 2hdiiiId, 81 lhti OfSi ,
Important point in the south will be plac'
ed in close communication with Manila
ORIENTAL NOTES.
H From ST. Petersburg comes the state
trnent that the Minister of Finance has
accorded the Russo-Chinese Bank and
all it's branches in East Siberia the spe
lcially valuable privilege of the free pur'
Ichase of gold dust and nuggets, without
demanding from the seller any proof Ct
Iorigin. Up to the present this purchas,
Eof gold has been strictly prohibited 10y
the Russian Government, and the conces
sion Is intended to paralyZe the secre
sale of this gold to other countries.
The Russian Government has stated il
an official communication that 1t is in
TENDED to continue the Trans Siberian
Railway along the Shilka and uppe
Amur rivers.
The Chinese Government having re
Iquested Count Won Waldersee to stol
NOW the allied expeditions in North Gu,
Ina. the Count has replied that the expe
ditfons are purely for the protection o
life and property, and are not of puni
tive character.
4 II is reported from Seoul under date
1.-THE 9th ultimo, that the demand OF tn
French Minister for the railway conces
i sion between Seoul and Gensan has bee
rejected by the Core@n Government, O
1.-The ground that the said concession ha
been already granted to Corean syndi
cate.
In reply to the invitation of the unoffi
cial members of the Hongkong Legfsla
tive Council, through H. E. the Govern
Tor that their Royal Highnesses the Duk
and Duchess of York should visit Hone
kong either on their way to the Com
lmonwealth celebrations in Australia Q
ION their return home, a reply has Dee
received that the Duke of York regret
that the arrangements of his tour pre-
lcIude such a visit.
ON the outbreak of the trouble
North China a large number of Japar
csc coolies were engaged by the allie
;. armies for transport work. Peace an
!. lorder having been restored to some e.
tent. it is now reported that the allie
commanders are replacing the Japanes
Inv Chinese coolies on account OF IN
;. Icheapness of the latter The change WI
he erected shortly and the japanese wi
return home.
SARCASM.