The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-02
OPENING CHINA MARKETS,
soo, 100000 PEOPLE WHoN EUROPE
WISHES TO REACH.

mauy IL LeaainG-Hm.ense Pronts 20 the
western world ir China IL Helped TO -
Higher Industrial ana Commercial Plane
vast Reseurces or tho Chinese Empire.
For nearly two years Great Britain, France.
and Germany have had commissions In China
travelling over the country and studying the
commercial and Industrial conditions, with n
view to increasing the Chinese trade with those
nations. Tho French commission has returned
and reports Of progress have been received
from tho other agents. All seem to agree as to
| the chief cause Of the slow growth Of China's
trade. They say that the people are industri-
GUS. love to make money, and are willing to
buy a largo variety Of goods whenever they see
the advantage OF possessing them. But the
mandarins and the lettered classes generally
are hostile to the Introduction Of Western trade.
Their interests are bound up with those of the
unprogressive regime of the Manchu rulers at
Pekin. Tho French commission says that
France must do two things to win success In the
Chinese trade. She must send men to China
to introduce the goods she exports, and her
merchants must be persistent and patient. for
success cannot be won In q day In tho Orient
All New York merchants In the Oriental trade
believe that Europe is determined to accelerate
the opening Of China to commerce. and that tho
present action Of Germany and Russia Is the
forerunner Of o general European movement to
throw China open, from end to end, before many
| years elapse, to Western commerce. The roa-
son why tho powers cramble for Africa and
| all the unappropriated lands In the Pacific was
because Europe was suffering greatly tom
overproduction. Markets must BIO found for
their products II Great Britain and her neigh.
bors on the Continent continue to prosper; and
here 10 China with 400. OO0. 900 people, far ad.
vanoed in civilization and with vast resources,
Il the preatast neld for new commero0 that tho
world offers.
Germany ia building light-draught boats for
the ascent of Chinese rivers. This means that she
knows Of the four little streams that flow into
Riao Chou Bay, where her squadron lies at anchor
and are navigable for NAL boats from twenty
to sixty miles inland among the rugged hills
Of the Shantung peninsula. Many other streams
entering other bays along the same coast are
highways Of the junk trade. They lead into the
heart of one of the richest provinces of China.
for Germany has established herself on the
coast of the most p~opulous province but one in
the empire, O province moro densely thronged
with people than Belgium Is, whose wide aliu-
vial plains, watered and sometimes devastated
by the Hoang Ho. yield the richest harvests,
and whose peninsula, jutting far out into the
Yellow Sea, is one vast mineral field. where
gold, silver. copper. iron. lead. coal, petroleum,
and even mall diamonds arc found. Ger
many has launched her bold experiment on a
part of the coast where all the varied resources
Of China, agricultural and mineral. abound in
profusion and arc within easy reach.
In any region where the people are crowded
very closely together nature almost completely
loses its spontaneous fora. Nearly all tho
plants except those introduced by man are
rowded out Wild beasts completely disap-
pear and are replaced by domestic animals.
This is the case with Shantung. Every square
rod of tillable land forms o part Of . farm or
garden. Even the hills have been deforested
to increase the area Of tillage, 'whichis limited
only by the bare rocks that rise above the hill
side farms. Such ID ShantunE, where the Ger
mans have now entrenched themselves. We
eeea t Res 9 ape se b ssa viii fn Se pushed snssFPt to any w great
extent this winter. Shantung, like the rest Of
tho winter months: Sometimes even tho sea
freezes over sSI a on the north coast 90 q Of the PENN 2 e I'M
backs Of mules to the neighboring Islands.
The more the nations deal With China tho
the ob bHl.y are fev ta sn i GSnyiaSsG fRom T the W Sese
ern, part Of the world and find, by actual ex,
pertinent. that the novelty L really 2 good
has been the case with telegraphs, which raised
day a network Of telegraph ines Is extending
into every part Of the empire. ,Pekin is now in
1nssAf IN 't the southwest Sath TT to pf %ancsur ileI In the
northeast; American and other engineers who
s s6S p SS,jSddns o asainss tSem @ii s only 'h Be s Metae
ally removed, the way. for tho locomotive bids
fair to open PENS steadily asInya further ,Rt1 n and TideF; It Its Is
been laid TO within, eight miles of the walls Of
Pekin,, even though they have been stopped
h ,adea1. By too close contact with such Western
In tho past fifteen years all countries. with
a few exceptions, such a. a. Spain. have in.
| OF her people with I'VE countries especially.
Great Britain. India, tho United States, japan,
} ins p esF%sny'r RsvS So ssSyn al the not %G sstt fnstiif S:
patient because the trade relations with China
are not i inpG Mr"1Sg ,w for they e. n ere; but UtH It Is It sapss,
50 much. to meet so many obstacles and find
the growth of trade comparatively so slow in
why strenuous efforts are making, and viii be
. Ghina 70 viii has Be- thrown i1S aA open %nt to 81 y Wesser p
markets; There are many ways IN which The
, World snfioh Of bd 5Glel tRe eNSP assern and aa sRisssp snd
the people of China, and. in one way or another,
e 81 es Sii In CHINA ps as to unite NJ si L closs sG'n an nd i faIiy
by the ties of to the rest OF the world;
For instance, a great deal Of Western capital
! IS still prepared entirely BY the natives. i
| Teetion o Of If9 oPeisn sss In india the planting
, cultivation and sending to market are entire
) tries use scientific methods and modern machin
. cry In the preparation Of the crop. But the tea
) of Dina Is grown and prepared to-day as 1t wae
) two centuries ago.. Tho methods are anti
, guated. the product is inferior. and is growing In
=. M-repute, all the more because the Chinese have
:. not overcome their old habit of adulteration
The result Is that China tea is being crowded
t to the wall. In 1883 the Unitsd Kingdom i'm
nine years later the imports had fallen tc
q about one.third of that quantity. 1t has beer
;, obvious for years that unless something were
I done, China, the original home OF the tea plant
/. and still the greatest producer of that commod
. ity, would see her trade wiped out. 1t hai
, been reserved for the native tea merchants o
Foochow, who saw their city threatened with
Q extinction as a tea port, to be the first to TAXI
steps to improve the product. They are be
ginning to Introduce improved methods. ant
hope on their OWE, ground to compete With tn.
nishes only a portion of the China tea exports
z What Influence. will bring about the introduce
ton Of the Indian methods and machinery IL
the vast tea fields OF the Iangtse Valleyl I'm
less this TRANSFORMATION is made, China cal
o have no hope Of connecting successfully, witt