The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-17
THE sHIMpSOSEKI TREATY.
One Change Already In the Agreement That
Ended the War of ChIna and Jnpnn.

The sixth article In the treaty OF Shimonoscki
provided that China should open tn foreign
trade four new ports and also to foreign nari-
CATION two waterways hitherto closed. Japan
ESQ subjects were to be free TO manufacture
goods in all open PORTS OF China, and TO i'm
port machinery for the purpose, on paying the
stipulated duties. The goods so manufactured
by them were to stand on the same footing as
to inland duties as goods they might Import.
The reason for these latter stipulations was
that China. mindful OF her owa local indus
tries. had refused to allow foreigners to i'm
port machinery for manufactures under tho
general treaty clauses OF trade and residence.
II Is said that the English had obtained a mod
hcation OF that view, but, at all events. the
Japanese espresso! the whole, matter clearly
In the Shimonoseki treaty, and other foreign
ers could profit thereby uade. the iayored-na-
tion clause OF their own treaties.
,m lmppf dstr s0 .n i,s pay Of ~ tra Usr S sns.. or ana da ths .ns
monoseki treaty having put goods manutac-
footing with Imported goods, II appears that
factories have since sprung up with astonish-
Ing rRpidity In Shanghai, promising u great flu
turs for cotton spinning there.
way. The Ministers Of the Tsung-lt-famen
half OF II TAX on goods 40 MANUFACTURED In
treaty norts. although this seems to be a d.
rect defiance Of. the treaty engagements.
Both japanese and other foreigners, they said.
sere buying sites for factories. and ''in tho
twinkilng OF az eye; steam factories ar,
OF all kinds overflow" This struck them as y
fertile field for taxes. thereby improving the
The import duty Is . Ter cent, and tho in.
terror duty on imported goods Is ~ per cent,
i %ss'p nTop S q n w %.' th Va AI .h tHs goods sIi,nG msn M'n,s.
turcd In Chira should paw not only these du;
ties, but an additional 2le per cent, IN leu Hf
per cent. in all. The duty which could be legal
ly levied under the treaty was ?ig per cent. or
one.lourth the sum thus proposed, The treaty
sit and internal taxes. duties. charge. aud ex-
aStiOns OF al kinds ih% magTtSct"r"d goods
Apart from this. with the treaty, stipulation,
II Is strange that the Chinese Ministers In
goods OF which the. raw material would be
almos. exclusively Chinese, aud mainly. silk
labor, on" third more total tax than upon goods
made OF foreign material In foreign lands,
That the Shanghai Chamber OF Commerce
posal was natural. And yet Il was willing to
compromise ola duty for local cotton warns
imported yarns. Blu! while the prod uct or
the cotton mills Is intended solely for CON
sumption in China, silk f@latures are for ex-
cidai II project as TO levy 10 per cont. al valorem
on them would not only throw $4,000 ma
tiyeS out OF employment, but put back this
Chinese IN iustry twenty years.
Now, however, Ja@an ha; given another
turn 10 the matter. Inc London IlHlfs, which
gives In fuller detail the facts iusJ presented,
SAYS that kilograms from China show that
japan, In return Tor land concessions at the
treaty ports. will nc 'ept such an iu,erprcta-
n Go the sixth article OF the treaty MS VIII
enable the Chinese To impose the duty tlsy
desire on the products OF factories at,tAc open
ports. What Is her purpose IN thlst
Obviously II Is to furna 7trsgF goods,
for which China ". ~ mob
Esr !? VII" q: !; ' t. 81 Ssssyj .o,d f l$Ss:,s z
goods, japan II not IN. . 70 preH her from
doing so, and will wink AT the vii " OF tho
treaty, or, rather, consent to al srpreta-
ton which avoids such q violaQ She IL
beginning to think that her sti1 IN was
ono OF quite too general philanthr( I'D for
others rather than hcrsslf. Tho ~nole mat
ter 10 an interesting example OF the trade prob
lems which are hereafter to come up for both