The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-17

CONSIDER. emma mas pOpuiatlon eSti-
mated at 4o0,0000O0; she is dominated by
traditiCnalism which until now has
kept her life in the same conditions in
which 1t was two thousand years ago.
Until the present decade she was without
steam, electricity, or the printng-prc /,
her ships still junks her most most i'm
portant land carriage a wheelbarrow
This was: this is; but this is not to be.
She is waking up. She is beginning to
build railroads. She will presently want
highways, carriages, electric roads,
steamboats,, agricultural tools, carpets,
musical instruments-all that civilization
at once supplies to man and inspires man
to demand. But first she will want more
and better food. Rice? Yes, we know
that she has rice, and is fond of it, But
we also know that no people ever grew
great and strong without a diversity OF
foods. China is the land of families
America is the land of plenty. Look at
the map; and then answer the question,
Does not nature clearly designate the
wheat-fields of our trans-Missssippi re-
glon as the supply-field for the underfed
millions of China? Treaties establish ed
by far-seeing statesmen have secured for
America a right to the most favorable
trade condition with China accorded by
her to any people. Neither Germany nor
Russia, nor France can shut our products
out of Chinese ports in favor of her own
without violating cur treaty rights as
we'll as the rights of China. We quote
from an article by John Foord in re-
cent issue of the New York Times, to
which we are indebted for other state
ments of fact in this paragraph: IN
1874 citizens of the United States We're
granted the same commercial privileges
in China as those of any other nation
whatever, and in the treaty of that year
1t was stipulated that If additional ad-
Vantages and privileges of whatever des-
cription be conceded hereafter by China
to any other nation, the United States
and the citizens thereof shall be entitled
thereupon to a complete, equal and i'm
partial participation in the same Under
the treaty of Tienstin, concluded in 1855
1t is declared that should China at any
time grant to any nation or the mer-
chants or citizens of any nation any
right, privilege, or favor connected with
either navigation, commerce, political, or
other intercourse, which is not conferred
by this treaty, such right, privilege, and
favor shall at once freely inure to the
benefit of the United States. Treaties
concluded since merely amplify and af-
firm the statement of the rights thus
enunciated."
While other nations have been eagerly
competing tor the Chinese trade, our
share of 1t has sensibly increased. II
has not been specially fostered by our
government. 1t has not been eagerly
sought, as yet by any great mercantile
trading company. There is in the United
States nothing answering to the East In
dia company of Great Britain, or the
analogous German Trading company
Nevertheless the exports to China from
the United States will be this year four
times as great as In 1895. Then they were
Sc, 100000 this year they promise to be
about Sll,000,000. Some Of the items in
this increase are interesting and sugges-
tive. Thus, for example, in bicycles. the
exports to China for ten months of the
present fiscal year amount to $4,000
against sll,4H in the corresponding
months of last year In telegraph, tele-
phone, and other instruments of this
class the exports of the ten months are
SIi. against $3.50 in the same time last
year. Carriages and cars increased from
81 632 in the first ten months of last year
to S2S, COB In the corresponding months of
this year; canned beef from 80, 9Sl pounds
in ten months of last year :" 1856, us
pounds In the sane time this year; bacon
from lS,002 pounds to 1885. These figures