18th January.
Tur attack made upon Mr. Foord on account of his pronounced sympathy with Japan has not in any wise deterred him from reiterating his expressions of sympathy in the "Current Comment" with which the December issue of the "Journal" opens The cccasivn 18 the suuouncement of the Annual Dinner of the Association, which was to be held on the 12th ult, and at which Prince Fushimi was to be a guest. "The members of the Association," slys Mr. Foord, "are fully prepared to extend to Prince Fushimi a cordial welcome, not only for his own sake and for the distinguished services he has rendered to his country, but because he comes as the representative of a Eghting, at enormous sacrifices to and friendly Power which is
itself, the battle of our trade and our civilisation, equally with that of its own." Mr. Foord goes on to say that the Association is substantially unit on this p int, and the preponderating weight of public opinion in the. U.S. is on the same side. He notes, to condemn, Mr. Carnegie's opinion that Russia has right on her side, though why anyone shauld y especial attention to Mr, arnegie's opinion on a matter of this kind we do not see, "The American people," Mr, Fooid says, "do not at all share Mr. Carnegie's extraordinary delusion that a Russian rather than a Japanese victory would be beneficial to the world at large, and to this country in particular. They are perfectly well aware of the deliberate intention of the men who direct Russian policy to provoke the present war, and they regard as merely puerile the Russian plea, which Mr. Carnegie echoes, that Japan attacked Port Arthur before war was declared. With every disposition to be just to Russia they regard her successive defeats as being not only part of the penalty which she has to pay for a goreromental system which is as corrupt og it is arbitrary, but as a guarantee that the fature of Eastern Asia shall be developed a'ong the lines of Japanese p ogress rather than of Muscovite autveracy.". Mr. Foord goes of to.argue: la the following note that "Russian success in the present war would be nowhere so profound a calamity as in Russia itself" While Japan is fighting primarily for her own existence, she is also fighting that the Russian people may have the civil and religious freedom which all other Western nations enjoy, and which the triumph of the reac ion-aries in Russia, who brought on the war and are urging its continuance, would postpone for another generation.
Another note'refers to "the curio ously venomous attack made on the work of the Association and the personal accusations made against the econdnet of that work by its Secretary." The attack was made in the "New York Commercial," the person quote! as the main authority for is being Mr. Arthur E. Dowler, of the firm of Arnhold, Karberg & Ca. The tone of the attack may be judged from the fact that Mr. Dowler was represented as accusing Mr. Ford of misusing the funds of the Ascocintion, and it is even suggested that "he received a commission from the restaurateur on the gross receipts for the annual dinner and the periodic banquets." Mr. Foord has no trouble in answering the charges, and he does this at greater length than they seem to us 28 onlookers to be worth, The following table shows the conparative value in gold dullers of the exports of the principal staples. from the U. S. to China a d Hongkong during the first ten months of 1903 and 1904
To China:—
Cotton Mineral Wheat cloths. oils. flour. 1903...8,502,363 1,834,058 170,496 1904...9,657,707 6,478,668 170,644.
To Hongkong 1903... 61,110 934,743 8,808,093 1004... 87,727 9,154,411 4,063,733
The following table shows the comparative value in gold dollars of the imports of tea and raw silk into the U.S. during the first ten iaonths of 1902, 1903, and 1904.—1902. 1903. 1904. Ton...10,174,472 14,087,046 13,387,718 Silk...35,727,874 36,303,200 42,293,600
There is a very interesting article on "The Gold Standard in China," being the Report of the Commission on International Exchange. It contains a summary of the work done by Professor Jenks in China,$and his discussions with Chinese statesmen and officials, and proofs of the favour with which his plans were regarded by commercial sesociations, foreign and native, and experienced foreign residents in China, The two follows
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.