To the Editor of the "Nonra-Canto Dalny News."
Sm,—The account of the business transacted at the special meeting of the Chins Association held at the Offices of the P. & 0, Steam Navigation Ca. on the Bist ultimo, will be duly circulated amongst our members, but I think, at same time, it may be of interest to your readers to learn the impression which the meeting made upon an independent China member of the Association who was present, one who is a member of neither the London nor the Shanghai Committee, and one who has no interest to serve beyond the welfare of the Association and only desires that its. usefulness should be promoted to the greatest extent possible, I trust I shall not be held to be indiscreet in thus making my views public. The meeting was a private one, but it is an open secret that it originated in the Gissatisfaction of the Shanghai branch with the work of the London Committes the idea being, in the words of the resolution proposed by Sir Charles Dudgeon and seconded by Mr. Bland, that the educa tion of public opinion in regard to British interests in the Far East through the medium of the Press appears to be a measure calculated to promote the aims of the Association," that "steps be taken towards amalgamation with the Society known as the China League," and that "the Association's work be hereafter conducted on broader and more indepen-dont lines." The resolution was not ear-ried, and thus this largely attended meeting has ~impiy resulted in a case of "xs rou were."
Tfear that this result may not be gratifying to many of my fellow-members in China, yet I think it was the right one to arrive' wt, I firmly believe that the London Committee have given steadfast attention to the representations made to them from Shanghai, and that their inflam ence with the Government would be weakened rather than strengthened by enlarging their body by the admission of wollwishers generally and of the few members of Parliament who take an interest in China affairs, but who have no direct personal interests in China. The Association would cease to be looked upon body of expert opinion, of whose knowledge the Government is glad to avail itself, and we should descend to the level of the innumerable societies and agitating bodies which exist in this country with meritorious objects, but whose activity often results in little more than'a polite reception of thole deputations by the governmental department concerned whereas now the presentation by our Ca: mittee of any concrete grievance is patiently considered and not seldom re-forred to the Minister in Peking f action upon. The fact that this action not seldom results in the shelving of the measure desired is due to deep-lying causes which I have not here space to analyse, though I may perhaps allude to them on a future occasion.
'My particular object in addressing you to-day is the hope that in doing so Tam addressing all my ce-members of the Association' in Ching, and indeed all my follow-subjects in China, The movers of the motion which has been rejected threw out the warning that, if the resolution wore not passed, a disruption was almost inevitable. It isin the conviction that such a step woald be most harmful, if not fatal, to British interests in Ohina, as well as in the hope of reassuring those who think that their interests are neglected on this side, that I write this letter. I am not in the confidence of the Committee nor have I ever been able to be present at a meeting in Shanghai. I am an independent member who has been content to subscribe Tls. 15 annually in the belief that in doing so he was doing his small part in promoting British interests in China, Ihave carefully read thore-ports and correspondence throughout and watched the, action of the Committees at both ends, and the conclusion I have come to is, that the Association has been working on right lines and deserves continued support a8 now constituted. It sufficient energy has not been always displayed, that seems to me simply a question of the personnel; this is matter which demands careful looking into by the members in whose hands the ultimate decision rests such an investigation may or may not lead to the development of increased energy, but it is surely advisable to take a step of this kind and leave the Association intact as it stands, rather than to merge its identity in " larger less spec ised body, or, todo what I hold to be litre worse, to extinguish the Association by handing in our resignations on the ground that we are not getting full value for our money The China League in England has, during the years of its existence, done absolutely nothing to "move the country, nor, in my opinion, is it in its power to so. In the year 1898, when the country really was moved in a mild way by the nows of the exodus of British ships from Port Arthur at Russian dictation, China party, including some well-known MOP. was formed in London, with the laud: view of influencing public opinion and so rousing it throughout the country that Ministers should be compelled to give closer attention to Kor Enstern affairs. We lectured high and low on the vital need of maint the integrity of the Chinese Empire, 0 the need of a firm stand agsinot russian aggression at Newchwavg, etc. We carried away with us the sympathy of our audiences; we duly harrowed their feelings and made them feel humiliated by the depths to which we described our country as having fallen; the Press throughout the kingdom supported our agitation warmly, and the result was—Nil. Th truth is: the masses in this country entirely engrossed in domestic politics you may take my word for it that they will never respond to an agitation which has solely foreignsaffairs: for ite theme, No! The only possible lever for such is the Foreign Office, and the only practic. able fulcrum a society such as tha I now plead in favour of.
I plead that every Britisher in China should be canvassed to join the Associ: tion and that every patriotic Britishe China will join it. But the subscription must be reducod—halved or thirded—to a figure that all can afford and, if the resultant income does not fully meet the oxpondituro of the past, then the luxury of telegrams must be cut off and general expenses reduced accordingly. I believe, however, that the increase in numbers would soon bring the income up to its present level and even rise above it, and that any falling off would be only tempora aty. Popularise the Society; let it not deal in generalities, but in concrete facts, one ata time, and I feel sure it will find our Government responsive to-every practical suggestion laid before them by a really representative body of Britishers in the Far East, But our membership in China must be larger than it now is if we are to speak with the due weight. which the importance of our subject demands.
Tam, ete, ATI, London, 4th August.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.