The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-05-03
How the China-Japanese Treaty
Threatens Our Workingmen.
SOME TELLING FIGURES.
Celestias Who Live on Five Gents a
Day Win Defy Competition. How
improved Machinery and For
elgn Capital VIII Influence
Wages.


the manufacture of goods for the mar
kets of this country?
Who can predict tho disastrous and
hopeless condition in which the Amer
ican workingman Will be in tho face of
the competition of 400 900, 900 Chinese,
who can live ON 8 cents day?
Who can anticipate the changed in
dustrial and social conditions in this
country which will follow upon tho in
Testment of millions of American cap
ital in the cheaper manufacturing CEN
tiers of the Flowery Kingdom?
These arc questions which sooner or
Inter will confront the American work
ingman and capitalist if tho China-Ja-
pan treaty goes into effect.
In That treaty lies hidden a menace
to the woriiDgmen OF the world. 1t is q
threat to the Industrious civilized white
peoples of tho earth, and one that TO an
economist or one thoroughly familiar
with the labor conditions of the differ
ent nations is full of evil portcnt.
There are in China 4O2 $50, 600 Of
the thriftiest, hardest working. most in
dustrious, most initiative and cheapest
living people on the face of the earth.
The ordinary Chinaman can i'll China
live on cents day and can work IL
hours day without fatigue.
If the wall which for centuries has
shut in tho hordes OF Chinese by them
selves, and, despite the efforts of wealthy
capitalists of all nations, has prevented
the Introduction of modern machinery
and methods, is now thrown down, it
will give II virgin opportunity to mil
lions Of capital seeking investment, but
it will Sound tho dcathlinoll of tho in
dusuial prospects of every man who to-
day depends upon the restrictions of
production, according TO tho laws of
supply ana demand
The condition Of peace quoted which
Japan has imposed upon China means
that Japan or any other nation, under
what IN modern treaty making is called
the favored nation clause, " may put
into the interior of China modern ma
chinery and carry on commerce with
the inhabitants. Under instructions,
too, Of Europeans or Americans, the
Chinese VIII be i'll position to begin
fhe manufacture of every staple article
OF commerce that tho world CONSUMES.
Railways viii DO built through the
country, the great rivers dredged aud
m9de nayigablo for ocean gong steam
el's for hundreds of miles into the inte-
rior, facilities for marketing tho prod
uce OF the country viii be expanded and
made TO meet the needs the now cOnai-
ton creates. The product of cheap Chi
nese labor viii be put upon tho market
at snch price that competition by any
other people viii DO impossible.
Asan instance of the ingenuity and
adaptability of the Japanese to modern
methods in manufacturing, as we'll IL
that OF his foster brother, tho Chinanaan,
with whom, by tho treaty, he will be in
Offensive and defensive alliance and CO.
operation, it is only necessary to cite
she fact that at an exposition now being
held at Kimoro. japan, the exhibits of
Japanese manufactures OF fbers, tex
tiles, leather, machinery, upholstery, no.
siery, hardware, surgical and scientific
instruments, chemicals and glassware
ers offered at such prices that all posi-
nle competition is annihilated
! The total exports of the United States
In 1894 were $500, 240, 937 Moro than
half of this, or, to be more accurate. five
eighths, is subject to competition when
China becomes modernized and her in
habitants become used to modern ma
nhinery and modern methods Of manu-
facture and agriculture. OF course this
may not be for yeas, perhaps rs or 30
years, but 1t will begin us soon us tho
Japanese-C Chinese trade alliance goes
into effect.
Our total imports in 1893 wero 1866. :
400, 922, and in 1894, bad year. they
were 1854, 994, 622. In 1903 they are
hkely to be increased 800, 000 900 by
goods and staples from China alone.
Last year tho United States exported
S5,S56, ass worth of goods TO China, of
which 90, 884, eco was III cotton goods
and $2,43s, 696 in petroleum We i'm
ported from China SIT, 1855, 028-$7,-
S97,258 in tea, So, 1863, 6S4 iii silk, 4SO7,
635 in mating and about 81, 900 coo
worth Of skins and furs Our exports to
Japan Were in 1894 valued at $3,98l, =
S77. Of this SO, 226, 247 was in petrole-
UNI Our imports were $40, APO, 522, over
100000, 600 being in silks and So, 600, :
900 III teas
One of the peculiar features Of the
impending order of things in China is
the fact that the market in China for
foreign goods will really never be much
greater than it now is The needs of
the Chinese are few and Of the sort to