The San Francisco call., 1899-07-09
.HIN A
RO YOU on THE BREAKING Up OF @HI

ROAD projected, Tor Wh1ch contracts
have been signed, and nearly 1000 miles
of other lines are actually being built,
making In all nearly 5000 miles of new
railroads, which are either building or
contracted to be built, and which will
be in operation within a few years.
This will give you some idea of how
China is waking up, and of the business
there is there for Americans if they will
only go after It.
China needs thousands of things you
have here to SELL She needs your flour,
your sugar, petroleum, your metals,
implements, glassware and infinite
else. In only one town in China, Hong
kong, is there q water works; there are
no electric light plants, no telephones
or telegraphs, street railway lines or
factories.
with all Of these advantages offered
Americans in China" continued Mr.
Vow, I'VE feel that the peoples of the
two nations should be brought closer
together, My brother-in-law has
sought through an eminent Congress-
man to secure some modification of the
exclusion act. The United States have
been grossly misled upon the exclusion
OF Chinese and they are now pursuing
a wrong policy. You are driving Chi
nese emigrants into Mexico, where
there are no exclusion laws, who would
otherwise come here and help develop
your country 1t is a fallacy to be-
lieve that a Chinese will work cheaper
llldH any one SiSS- I Ou cannot ReL d
Chinese cook to-day in California for
the same money that you can get one
of a European nation. You can see
that the cheap labor fallacy is now ex-
ploded. You have no restrictions to
the introduction of Japanese labOrers,
except that they come upon contract,
and this obtains as we'll against Eu-
rope as against Asia. If this law had
been at all times in existence there
never would have been a Chinese ques-
4{<,1 III
was the Importation of coolies to build
the Union Pacific Railroad. They came
in too large numbers to become di-
gested by the country and to compre-
hend their environment. Still there
never was at any time over 100000 Chi
nese on this coast; there are now about
$4,000
LAS have remarked you do not have
any restriction upon Japanese immi-
grafton, and when we ask the cause of
this obvious discrimination We are told
that there are only fifty millions of
japanese and that only a small per-
centage Of them can come at all events,
but of the Chinese there are hundreds
of millions and if the gates were not
closed against them the country would
become inundated with their popuIa-
ton. This is entirely erroneous. 1t is
not commonly known that the Chinese
in the United States are all from the
KWang Tung province in the south Of
CuiIld. 1uSy are CdHIOuGSC. LII IIlS
district there are not more people than
there are in Japan. The Chinese from
elsewhere would not come here. They
could not speak the dialect of the Tungs
nor get along with them and they
would not come. Nor would the Tungs
themselves come In large numbers.
For people to move in armies they must
be marshaled in armies. An agent stir
ring up people to go to a remote region
and accept employment for definite
move a vast number; but If they are
left to be influenced only by the gener-
ally superior advantages of a country
for residence and occupation, such will
act alone upon the individual and not
upon the aSsemblage; and you will get
only an emigrant here and there.
with more Chinese In the United
States the trade of the United States
with China would be greater. Chinese
now here, largely engage in production
and shipment to China. Industry in
these lines would Increase proportion
ately with the increase of Chinese pop
ulation. Trade as it at present exists
with China is on the increase. but you
buy vastly more than you sell us. In
1897. for instance, you imported from
China on this coast S10,45O 900 worth
of goods and sent us only $3,556,00 Of
goods, the larger part of. which was
flour. This condition could easily be
reversed. Your treaty with US, how
ever, needs revision, not alone in it's
exclusion clauses, but in other respects
particularly in the matter Of the opium
\ trade. Under its existing provisions
neither Chinese nor an American can
engage in importing opium. Last year
there was a cargo of this product which
came to San Francisco upon which the
duty alone was $150, 900. The profits on
that shipment and upon all such ship
ments could not go to Americans. Why
do you elect to deny yourselves the
benefit and throw it into the hands Of
Europeans?
Upon the whole, wish to say" con-
tinued Mr.. Vow, that there has never
been a time in the history of the two
nations that all the conditions seem to
favor such close amity as the present.
Our arising development, the existence
of the open-door status of China, the
awakening demands of our government
and our people in the lines of progress,
your genius, enterprise and power in
material fields, from all this vast re-
suits must be achieved An immense
amount of benefit iTls getting Americans
to understand China has been effected
by Mr.. Fang. He is himself thoroughly
in touch with American life and is un-
doubtedly the most valuable man for
this mission whom China possesses.
His term expires next year, but he will
in all probability be reappointed, as the
existing administration in China is
looking first to the capacities and pecu-
liar illnesses of men for prescribed work
and to their personalities and connec-
tions afterward. A few years of
drawing the lines closer between the
United States and China, such as has
been done through the activities of Mr..
Fang, will place the reciprocal interests
of the two nations on far different
footing from what they are to-day
In conclusion Mr.. Vow stated that
he was, with the purpose of introducing
American goods into China on some
thing of a complete scale, arranging a
plan to this end. The difficulty in intro
ducing American goods to China has al
ways been that Americans do not know
how to go about 1t, as the Chinese are
very deliberate and great sticklers on
form. To present American interests
to Chinese therefore, is Mr.. Vows aim,
and he is thoroughly familiar with the
methods to be pursued in doing this.
Being widely known in China and NOV
ing upon a high plane Of citizenship