The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-08
American Interests In China.

In its memorial TO the president of the
United States concerning American in
terests in China the New York Chamber
of Commerce shows a clear comprehension
Of the situation in the Far East. steps
have been taken by several European
powers to occupy and acquire title TO chi
nese territory, and as necessary conse-
duence the jurisdiction OF China over the
territory thus coded by or forcibly taken
from her would cease, and the laws OF
the foreign government in occupancy
would prevail The rights secured TO US
by treaty to enter any Chinese port open
to trade on equal terms with other Tor
eigners would be of no avail, since trea-
ties with China would be of no erect IN
territory which had ceased TO De Chlnese-
It matters not that the territory thus lar
acquired by Germany in the vicinity OF
hiao Chow is infinitesimal in size Wheh
compared with the huge bulk or the Chi
nese empire; the principal involved WouIo
have been the same if the Kaiser's navy
had seized a province instead of a second
rate city. To the extent that we should
without protest permit Chinese territory
| to be parceled out into spheres OF lnIiu-
ence'' under the dominion of CONNER
! cially hostile powers, to that extent would
| our potential trade in Asia suffer dlmlnu-
| ton.
! 1t is true that the German government
under the influence of British pressure,
| has announced that her emporium at halo
| Chow will be opened to all merchants on
equal terms, irrespective OF nationality ;
| but what guaranty have we that this
| promise will be kept. or that Germany
| will not abruptly change her policy when
! she shall have obtained a firm hold on
her new possession? What France has
done in Madagascar, Germany may do IN
! Shantung, and we may realize too late
/ that we have been excluded from trading
in one of the richest and most populous
! Of Chinese provinces. If Russia, with
| the acuuiescence of China, should ac-
! qure the right to use seaport on the
| Gulf of Pechihli as terminus for her
great Siberian railway, this government
could not rightfully protest. But our rep
resentative could insist with absolute pro-
priety that if Port Arthur or Talien Wan
be opened to foreign commerce, that all
our traders should be admitted on terms
| of equality with those of Russia, or Of any
other nation. We ought not to lift a fin
ger to prevent Russia from gaining hel
long and ardently desired outlet TO the
open sea, nor need we do so. Nothing is
required save all Of our rights but g
conventional arrangement with the &C.
quisitive European powers that the ad
! VantageS secured to us by the most Ia
vored nation clause in our Chinese trea'
ties shall be extended to any place which
may hereafter come under the turisdic
ton of those nations.
The American interests to be conserved
in China are generally underestimate
but they are great. and are growing II
importance. Our exports to that country
have more than doubled since 1898, hav
ing amounted in value in 1897 to S17,97S9 6j
| against SSH ,0j9 in the former year. Gu
total trade with the empire is second onl.
to that of Great Britain; II is create
than that of Russia or of all other nation
of the European continent combined
Having so much at stake in China, on
government should lose no time in safe
guarding our rights against the concession
hunters of Europe. To secure this ent
it would not be necessary for US to be
come entangled in alliances with Grea
! Britain or Japan, or with any powe
whose interests in China are identica
: with our own. We could proceed wit
complete independence. as is our wont. /
our advocacy of equal commercial provi
Ieges to all in China should incidental
! aid the powers whose policies run on par
| allel lines with our own, that would ceI
Z tainly not be a valid objection to promr
and energetic action in defense of our ow
r interests; and if the pressure exerted II
5 dependently but coincidently by the GOV
ernments of the United States. Japan an
5 Great Britain should prove irresistible, S
J ! the