Arizona republican., 1899-11-19
RUSSIA AND JAPAN
Uoifed States Need MOI Be
Involved i'm Difficulty.
Our interests are Entirely CONNER
CiaI-Tne Dispute as to Terri.
tory Docs MOI Concern This
Country.

Washington, Nov. 1S-The harmony
of interests between the United States,
Great Britain and Japan in the far east
and the cooperation between Great
Britain and the United States will not
necessarily involve this country with
Russia should there be a Japanese
Russian war The threatened encroach-
ments of Russia, while jeopardizing
the interests of Great Britain and ia
pan, under whatever conditions they
may be made. might be so conducted as
not to demand any protest or resist
ance on the part of the United States.
Whether or not the United States
would become involved would depend
upon the attitude of Russia herself.
The state department takes practical,
not sentimental, view of the eastern
complications. 1t is held that our in
terests in the orient are commercial,
not territorial, and that if all our COM
mercial privileges are secured we will
not be concerned in any controversy
I over territory. This may be the point
at which both Great Britain and ia
pan will be disappointed in this govern
ment, but it is not the intention to ex-
tend our cooperation beyond where
the mutual interests coincide The per-
manent establishment of an open door
in China, no matter what power may
exercise influence or control over the
territory, is the alpha and omega of the
American Chinese policy.
In any encroachment on the part of
Russia made in defiance of and to the
injury of this policy the United States
may become involved, together with
Great Britain and Japan, in resisting
such encroachments. On the other
hand, if the agreement proposed by the
United States for a permanent open
door to China, under whatever terri
torial adjustment there may be, is
signed by the powers, including Rus
sia, it is not anticipated that we would
feel any concern about the establish
ment of spheres of influence by any
of the powers, and if the other powers
had to fight over the matter it would
be a fight among themselves.
Sentiment might incline this govern
ment toward Great Britain in any
trouble she might have with any pow
er, and our interest in Japan would
hardly admit of its subjugation by any
power. Cooperation with those ma
tions to a certain extent to preserve
temptation to be sentimental and to
carry the friendship welded by such as
sociation to the greatest extreme. But
the example set by Washington in
gotten in the state department, nor is
it there disapproved of. The Chinese
question is held to be a commercial
question, the interest of each nation
tciaI interests, those acting together be-
ing influenced by harmony interest,
rather than from natural affiliation,
and cooperation cannot extend beyond
however, that bear directly or Indirect
ly upon these common interests the CO.
operation may extend.
The proposition made to the powers,
| through our ambassadors, was to put
into a permanent binding form the
agreements readily made verbally that
any establishment of authority by
foreign power over Chinese territory
must be with the reservation that the
open door must still be retained, with
out any power on the part of the gov
ernment assuming control to increase
duties and place any sort of burdens
upon trade and commerce within the
territory.
If Russia and the other powers sign
such an agreement, it is not anticipat-
ed that there will be any occasion for
this government to become involved in
disputes over Chinese territory. OF
course, such an agreement might be
made and afterward broken, but conf
dence is felt in the ability of the Unit
ed States to enforce observance oft
treaty obligations.
Such is described as the attitude of
this government toward territorial en-
croachments in China. 1t does not
mean, however, that we would say to
Russia or any other power, that it
might do absolutely as it pleased with
all our friends, so long as it did not hit
us directly. The advantage we desire
to have secured is universal among the
powers and not limited to ourselves.
CHICAGO IRISH SOCIETIES.