21st Jan, Noruinc shows better than the success of the London Daily Mail that the reader of the present day likes his mental food cut up for him into little bits, and that a solid joint of information at which he can cut and come again is no longer attractive. It would even appear as if the orthodox column-long leading article would soon become old-fashioned and out-of-date, or at least have to be cut up into snippets by subsidiary headings in small capitals to make it palatable. Happily in China most of us still have time, and some of us inclination, to read an article through, even if it has not been turned into a side-dish, if we think we shall like it. However much some of our readers may have felt inclined to follow the present fashion of spasmodic study, we trust that they were not deterred by its
headed "The Pacific Ocean—The length from perusing the able Paper Commercial Arena" by Mr. T. R. Jernigan, the late U.S. Consul-General here, which will be found in another column, Mr. Jernigan's object is to demonstrate to his countrymen the enormous field there is for trade in the Asiatic countries and islands watered by the Pacific Ocean, and the opportunities open to the United States. He be-fun area millions of people whom this by showing that of the fifteen
world is supposed to contain more than half live within touch of the Pacific Ocean, "the larger portion living on the Asiatic Continent, without ever experiencing, excepting the Japanese, the quickening influence Western civilisation, and whose wants have never come within the pale of that civilisation." In the course of his argument he deals with a number of statistics collected and compiled with laudable industry and care, which are especially interesting to all residents in the Far East, of whatever nationality. We may say of his Barrett's recent address, that it will per, as we said of the Hon. John
a storehouse for thinkers and writers both here and at home for a long time.
He points out what Japan has done in the forty odd years since Commodore Perry opened her doors, and he shows that " although for centuries isolated from the balance of the world by race prejudice, policy, religion, way and adds; " The policy that would deny to Russia an outlet to the Pacific would not be just, but the policy that and seas, she has, after a quarter of a century of contact with the world, to the closing of any Chinese market would oppose the necessary influence developed a foreign commerce equal-to the free competition of fore ling that of the Caucasian Settle-products would be fully justified by ments in South America, and which every proper consideration any nation approaches in volume certain branches should have for self-protection and of the foreign commerce of the interest."
United States." The value of Japan's Some valuable statistics of Russian foreign trade, he says. was about and Germian trade are given, and it is $100,000,000in 1891 and $200,000,000 noted that "Russia and Germany in 1897. If the foreign trade of China have planted their: flags in those grows up as that of aren has done, it will twenty-five years hence be worth pats of China's territory, where the nited States have the most valuable cotton piece-goods trade;" he omits on to compare the trade of China $2,000,000,000. Mr. Jernigan foes to add that frantic efforts are' now with that of India, and points out being made in Russia to erect fac-that "the battle of Empires in the tories for the production of the cot-arena of the Pacific will be a conten-ton piece-goods that have hitherto tion for the trade of China, and the formed the staple of British and nation that is alive to the influence American trade with these very parts of strategical positions in directing of Chinese territory. He makes the course of this trade will share brief reference to the repeated atthe larger proportion and in return tempts of France to become a success-grow rich." fal colonial Power, and concludes by Jerni; shows how " the acsaying quisition of the Sandwich Islands and The wonderful growth of the railway and the Philippines strengthens the steamship traffic on the coasts of British position of the United States,"
Columbia and the United States attests and especially of the Pacific Slope, the importance of the Pacific, and by gland "for the coming contest, and the completion of the Nicaragua Canal is Peru, Hender Golumbis, Mexico, and inet only necessary to make the acquisition Central America: and the latest returns doubly strong and success doubly of the import and export trade of the West-sure." In urging the completion of ern seaboard of the American Continent. amount to no less than £93,000,000 per the Nicaragua Canal Mr. Jernigan is annum, not including the coasting trade, undoubtedly inspired by the most Glancing at the marin another direction patriotic motives, but that route is there is Occanin, Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, unlikely to compete seriously for a New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Philip-long time with the Suez Canal for pines, Dutch East India, Society Islands, and other groups, the figures given, the traffic between the Eastern exclusive of inter-island trade, amounting States of North America and China. to £59,250,000, the foreign sea-borne Mr. Jernigan does full justice to the trade of Australia alone being valued at strength of the position that Great £136,000,000.
Britain has acquired in the Far If the larger field of the Far East be entered there is the sea-borne trade East, and asks, while fully recognise of the China treaty ports valued at ing the importance of Hongkong, £78,500,000 Hongkong, £10,000,000 "why may not the Philppine Japan, £40,000,000; Cores, £2,500,000 Islands—the port of Manila—be French Indo-China, £11,500,000; Straits Settlements, ete. £76,500,000; Burma and made a great dept for the trade British India £200,000,000; aggregating of the Pacific, and the Sandwich the sum of £429,000,000 and making the Islands the resting-place for supplies total value of the sea-borne trade of the and trade for the ships of all nations? islands and countries named, £717,250,000. Tf the coasting trade of Pacific America These are well-selected strategical estimated at £60,000,000, the Pacific positions in peace or war, and it is Islands at £10,000,000, and' that of the as such and not the mere area of Asiatic Pacific at £200,000,000, with Aus-territory that promotes commerce tralia at £12,750,000, the commercial value and makes wealth." of the Pacific shows the grand total of £1,000,000,000, and a more valuable trade After a short history of Russia's may be reasonably expected, and this total steady advance towards China, which annually increased by the energy and inis clearly the fulfilment, he says, of a dustry of the competing nations in the Arena of the Pacific. And the nation that natural principle, Mr. Jernigan says wins the victory will have no other world that "if the whole of Manchuria is to conquer, but it will be a victory of peace, the only part of China that is to for valuable commercial relations are the become Russianised, the prediction strongest guarantees of peace. of thoughtful observers of passing This last sentence is true enough, events in China will not be fulfilled, but it is equally true that some of Lut the tendency of events points to ithe longest and most destructive the absorption of all North China by wars recorded in history have been Russia, and that even the capital of China will, ere a few years, he guarded by Russians." He dilates on the advantages that must accrue to the commerce of the world from the com-waged to secure these victories of peace. The dog that gets the bone thoroughly enjoys the victory of peace, Dut he has had to fight hard for it, with the other dogs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.