The Raymer enterprise., 1922-01-05


cisty. Washington. D. C.)
Among all the far flung possessions
of the British Empire, Hong Kong
might be called the gem. Many Brit
ishers look upon It as their local col.
ony; and It u indeed city Of super
latives. It Is the pivot Of British COM
merce. naval power and influence In
the Far East. Travellers acclaim its
terraced city the most beautiful In the
Far East; Its deep, commodlous har-
Dor IL one Of the best In the world;
and In the tonnage Of shipping entered
and cleared 1t u outranked-since the
World war reduced Hamburg's i'm
portance- -only by New York. It is
the commercial gateway to the vast
exa Of southern China and the islands
to\ths south.
On the military side Hong Kong Is
stronger than Gibraltar and is the
base Of one Of the most powerful feet
units In existence, the British Asiatic
squadron. Finally It Is one Of the
most prosperous communities to be
found either East Or West.
Much of Great Britain's pride In
Hong Kong arises from the fact that It
has been built from nothing In Just
four score years. In 1850 Hong Kong
was 4 bare granite island, nominally
I part of China. but inhabited only
BY Z few thousand nshermen and
groups Of the pirates who made COM
merce OF the Chinese coast q thing Of
hazard and uncertainty In those days.
When British merchants clashed with
the Chinese In Canton In 1880 and
found It necessary to leave that city,
they retired first to the Portuguese
settlement at Macao, seventy-fye miles
down the Canton river. and then COM
pletely of the mainland to the rocky
island Of Hong Kong. War followed
this commercial friction, and when
Great Britain emerged as the victor
In 16A1 she demanded. and the fol.
lowing year was given, outright title
to Hong Kong.
Despite the common idea, Hong
Kong Is not city. but an island. It is
eleven miles long and from two to
i've miles wide with an area Of more
than thirty square miles. The city,
which to the popular mind constitutes
Hong Kong, Is officially named VIC
toria for the queen who ruled In Bri-
tain during its greatest growth. But
though the name Victoria 10 used In
a1icial documents and on some maps,
to most Of the islanders the big com.
munity Of half q million souls ID
merely "the city"
Victoria and the matchless harbor
are On the inner side Of the island,
and a. the ship approaches Hong
Kong only the little developed sea-
ward side ID seen. IN the distance II
seems little different, except for Its
~. from the bare granite islands
among which It lies. Az the steamer
dSaws near differences appear; patch
g Cf verdure are discerned; the line
Of 1 highway stands out on the sides
Of III towering hills. an occasional
pane Of glass reflects flash Of light
from among the trees. Yet there Is
little hint Of the presence Of great
city Of half million souls on the far
side Of the island.
Has WendsrfuI Harber.
when the ship has nosed around
the end Of the Island at the west or
through the narrow passage near the
eastern end, the great harbor and city
come into view. Due to two peninsulas
which extend from the mainland close
to the island and to the indentations
Of The shore Of the Island itself. the
haSbor, covering 10 to Is square miles.
seems landlocked. II han the appear
ance of-a pond set down In . vast
irregular granite bowl. In this deep
harbor ali the worlds navies and a
largs part of the worlds combined
merchant heets might bs anchored
without undue rowding. And there
In truth On almost any day of the
year may be seen generous samples
Of the naval or civil craft of nearly
everv maritime nation. vhlln among