Washington sentinel., 1898-03-19
Iacapaclty OF American onhciaIs in
China

merce OF New YORK TO congress
in behalf of our trade with that
empire may well excite, says the
New York Nation. the most serious
and careful attention. That crisis
has arisen there which may cause
the partial or entire dismember-
ment of China, with or without
war, must be patent to the most
careless observer of events. By
existing treaties between the vari-
Gus foreign countries and China,
that empire lies open and free to
all alike. Monopolies Of every
sort are forbidden, and any right,
privilege or immunity granted to
the citizens or subjects of any one
power inures at once, by the grant
ing act itself, TO the citizens or sub.
jects OF every other. This wise
provision has more than once been
appealed to successfully to prevent
special grants or iavors to partic.
ular corporations and Govern
ments. In the situation which now
exists in the Chinese Empire, it
may be and should be emphatically
appealed to again. China herself
would recognize with deep graft
tude such an appeal. Certainly it
would require the exercise OF the
highest tact, discretion, patience,
and firmness, to maintain our CON-
mercial rights against the opposi-
ton of European Powers, But they
may be maintained without the use
or display OF physical force. We
may so use our rights and privIl-
eges in China as to hold our pres
tige, increase our political inhu-
ence and develop our large and
growing commerce with that em-
pire. The practical question arises,
How are we fitted at this critical
period to carry out this delicate
and difficult task1 When the
whole future OF our trade with that
vast territory may be at stake, how
are we prepared to defend it1
What is the condition of our diplo-
matte and consular service there
upon which we are to rely in such
crisis2
Sin=e the inception ofthe present
administration at Washington
every consul in China, with per-
haps one exception, has been re-
moved. New appointments have
been made, and each particular
appointee, having received his
commission, has betaken himself
to his particular spot, there to en-
Joy his share of the party spoils.
Only one Of them, il is believed,
has ever been in China before, or
has had any considerable consular
experience. Not one of them has
any knowledge of the Chinese Ian
guage, although by terms Of treaty
all business must be done in that
tongue. Through the parsimony
Of Congress, only two or three oi
them are provided with competent
interpi eters. Unless they are a
decided improvement upon our
consuls sent to like posts in the
past, some Of them, at least, are
rather unfamiliar with the usual
amenities of social life and the
intrcacies of evening dress. And
this counts for much more in China
than is commonly supposed.
These are the kind OF people sent.
Each one of our new representa-
tives must come in direct and con-
slant competition and contrast with
the members OF the trained consu
lar services OF England, Germany,
Russia, and France, every one oil
whom has spent many years in
the service, speaks Chinese. is
familiar with and expert in the in
trigue and by-paths OF CONSULAR
work, and has a staff of well trained
assistants. To a very large extent,
development Of trade in the Orient
depends upon the activity, intelli-
gence, and experience ol consuls,
and it is worse than idle to expect
our fair share in the growth oftrade
in China when we send such men
as we do, under such conditions,
to be pitted against the single OF
combined competition of the repre-
sentatives of the European Powers
Hence it appears that, in this
crisis in our commercial relations
with that vast empire--a crisis SC
grave that such body OF men as
our Chamber of Commerce ha:
felt bound to call the attention o
the Government to the urgent
necessity for a=tion-all OF oui
consuls there, with one unimeort
ant exception, are green hands
and that at the legation, where the
most delicate and difficult part o