The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-28
China's Foreign Patches.

regions, once a part of China pro-
per. which have been coded or
leased to foreign governments.
form the subject OF a bulletin from
the Washington, j.. c., head
quarters Of the National Geographic
Society. These regions, which have
actually been transferred. either by
lease or cesSion, are not 10 be con-
fused with the so-called spheres
OF influence" which are more or
less indefinite and many of which
are not recognized by the Chinese
What once threatened TO be
the great international sport of
annexing parts of China began with
the arrival Of the first Europeans
in the Far East" says the bulletin.
Those who blaZed the trail around
Africa, across the stormy Indian
Ocean, and up the east coast Of
Asia TO rich Cathay were the Por-
tugrese. For half a century they
cane and went in their trading
ships, but by 1877 they felt the
need of station to facilitate their
commerce, and settled at Macao on
d. ~
region of about four square miles
was set aside for them partly as a
reward for assistance in breaking
up piracy in the nearby waters,
and has been claimed by Portugal
ever since. Formal transfer OF
this tiny fragment of China was
made by the Chinese Government
m CT
without question Portuguese terri
tory.
Luli Before Annexation Storm.
More than two and half CEN
turies passed after the founding of
Macao before China was again call
ed upon in name of commerce TO
give away more OF her territory.
BY that time all the commercial
nations Of Europe and the United
States as well, were engaged in the
remunerative China trade. Eric
tion arose in the early part OF the
nineteenth century between British
traders and the Chinese, and after
war in which Great Britain was
victorious China, as q part OF her
indemnity, in 1912 gave Great
Britain the island OF Hong Kong,
a few miles from Macao. This
island with an area OF 32 square
miles and one of the best harbdrs
in the world was actually ceded
and became a part of the Britislp>
empire. In 1860 Great Britain
tory on the mainland opposite
Hong Kong and shortly afterward
this too was ceded.
What may be called China's
period Of intensive land losses ex-
tended from 1895 TO 1900, with five
nations participating. At the con- >,
clusion of the Japanese-Chinese
War in 1895, Japan not only OBJ
tanned Korea, over which China
claimed a protectorate, but also the
large island of Formosa with an
area of nearly $4,000 square miles,
off the central Chinese coast.
A New Lease Every Month
From that time on the poiiti-
ccal pot boiled furiously among the
pans footsteps. and at one time
the world was informed OF a new
lease of Chinese terriory nearly
every month. Germany tried 10.
lease Kiaochow Bay on the coast,
Of Shantung in 1896. but China
refused her offer. In November
1884 Germany seized bay osten-
sibly because two German mission
aries had been killed in Shantung.
In December the Russian Asiatic
feet steamed into Port Arthur, 200
miles north of Kiaochow, and an
nouncement was made that il would
winter there. In March 1898 Ger
many obtained a 80 year lease OF
approximately 100 square miles on
the shores OF the bay which she
had seized; and the same month .
Russia obtained 25 year lease TO
Port Arthur and a part of the Lii
to extend the lease.
only a few weeks after the
leases had been granted to Ger
many and Russia, Great Britain
obtained a lease on the shores and
Bay Of Wei-hai--wei. almost equi-
distant between Port Arthur and
Kiaochow. This British lease was
not for q definite number of years
but provided that it was to run for
the period during which Russia
should hold Port Arthur. Later
in April France entered the COM
petition and took a 90 year lease
on the Bay of Kwang Chow and ap-
proXimately 23O square miles of
territory on the mainland.
France Enters Field
I'm June Great Britain increased
her holdings at Hong Kong by leas-
ing for 90 years $50 square miles
of additional territory on the main
land and additional islands aggre-
eating 20 square miles in area. In
November 1899 France added to
her lease at Kwang Chow 4 groun
Of islands dominating the bay. FL
nally in 1900 came one of the most
ambitious steps Of all in the ac-
QUESTION of territory-the occupa-
tiOn of Manchuria by Russia. This
brought on the Russo-Japanese war
after which both Russia and Japan
removed their troops from Man.
I IL