In the month of December ultimo the Shanghai and Hongkong evening press conveyed the intelligence that the Chefoo Telegraph Convention had been signed by the Tsungli Yamen. It seems that the information was readily believed in, and people naturally thought that the new combination would speedily commence working. Months have passed, and still the old system is in force, no connection has been made between the Chinese and Russian frontier lines, and the cable companies still enjoy the monopoly of international telegraph transmission. The fact is that the Chefoo Telegraph Convention was neither signed by the Yamen nor LO. Li Hung-chang. The proposed Russian agreement as the forerunner-basis and guarantee of the Telegraph Convention was signed by their Excellencies Li Hung-chang and the Russian Minister, M. Coumany. The Russian home government, however, thought otherwise and refused to ratify, whereupon the whole movement came to a stop. It will be hard to guess what motives have ruled the St. Petersburg Cabinet, but we venture to think that the Russian statesmen saw what we have pointed out before in the following three clauses 1.—Monopolies and fixed division of telegraph business and trafic preclude the Tights of other parties and are consequently against the International treaty.
2.—Two terminal rates, one of 2 francs for Russia and another of 5 francs for i England, America and the Continent are against equity and the International treaty. Why should the same telegraphic work over the same distance and the same route within the boundaries of China be dearer for one party than for another?
.—Russia's getting a terminal rate of 2 francs in China is not to be opposed, but the Russian Minister's tendency to fix this nice rate for his countrymen only should be prevented.
The Russian agreement was illogical and undiplomatic. We furthermore think that the vigorous protestations of the American Col. Denby, the Hongkong and Shanghai Chambers of Commerce and the British, American and German merchants, carried due weight not only with the Tsungli Yamen, but also with the Russian Government and the public opinion at large. Indeed, the manifestations of the unpopularity of the Telegraph Convention have been many and strong. We heartily congratulate our fellow merchants on the satisfactory result—the non-ratification of the Chefoo Telegraph Convention and its appendix the Russian agreement. China's telegraphic rights had been unfairly checked in order to suit a party policy not resting upon the broad basis of equity but upon competition spirit. Broader principles, we hope, will come to reign supreme. China's telegraphic movement cannot be regulated by the cable companies nor can her International tariff be laid down by one government's Minister, but should be the outcome of an International Conference where all parties interested had their say; in fact she should join the International Union without delay. Only in this way the justified expectations of a lower and fairer tariff between the Far East and the West can be reality Only what is built on the foundation of truth can withstand the wave of time. If the Chefoo Convention had been ratified it would clearly have shown its deficiencies but we should have had to arm ourselves with patience for fourteen long years. A right solution of the question—that is, a fair field to all terests, may soon dawn upon us, and we may in a not far off future have the benefit cial results. These can be briefly summarise ed as follows:—For China a dignified status, freedom of telegraphic action, and an increased revenue, and for trade and com: merce the salubrious impulse of a much less burdensome tariff which, in accordance with all principles of economy, wil! increase the telegraphic trottie so as to offer a lucrative field not only fur the shareholders of the foreign companies but also for China, on whose' shores the cables are landed and to whose imperial favour they owe twenty years of success.
15th March,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.