The record-union., 1899-04-09
Now More Obstructive Than Any
Chinese Wall.
Liable TO Be Made Effective as a Complete
Prohibition of Commerce.
Gloomy Outlook For American
Trade in the Oriental Empire,
With Six Great European Pow
ers Holding the Coast of China
For Commercial Reasons.

PHILADELPHIA, April S-The third
session of the Academy of Political and
Social Science was held this afternoon,
with Professor r. p. Falkner Of the
University of Pennsylvania in the chair.
The subject discussed was Our Com
mercial Relations With the Far East.
Addresses were made by Worthington
G. Ford, former Chief of the Bureau Of
Statistics, Treasury Department, and
Robert T. Hill of the United States Geo
logical Survey.
E. ]. James and L. S. Rowe took part
in the discussion
Mr.. Ford said in part: There is a
Gordon drawn around China more de-
structive than any Chinese wall and
liable on many accounts to be made ef
fective as a complete prohibition of
commerce. 1t might be assumed that
the privilege of trade could be assured
by treaty, for a shorter or longer pc
riod. Where has a treaty been able tc
stand in the way of interested attack
The tripartite control of Samoa does
not offer as many occasions for differ
ence as would the holding of the Chi
nese coast for commercial reasons by
six great Powers, and among the six
the United States will not figure.
The dual management of Egypt was
child's play compared to the problem of
Chinese management. What has oc-
CURED in Africa, where the native
counts for nothing, is only pale fore
cast of what may happen in China, with
six nations contending for commercial
advantage, with people numbering
3OO,OO0,000 souls.
Bearing in mind that the natural
f,fr
with all the perfection of modern app1i-
ances and cheaper labor than has ever
been offered, the following questions
suggest themselves: How can cotton
goods of the United States make other
than a limited market in Asia against
the cottons of India, Japan and China
How can American petroleum, better
article as it is, hold more than it's own
against the Russian oil, supported as
1t may be by a bounty for political ef-
feet? Then there are the oil fields of
Langkat to be counted on as competi-
tors. How can American iron and steel
markets hold, to be closed by European
countries, each one of which wishes to
keep for its own people the construc-
tion Of the railroad, the building and
running of steam vessels, and the profits
of the custom house? What better
chance will there be for American ma
ehinery, the rolling stock of railroad,
the mining machinery and certain text
lie machines, than now presents itself?
Finally, are we looking forward to
meeting Asiatic competition with an
even higher tariff than is now endured
"a tariff bristling with duties like those
on silks in the present law, specially
leveled against the imports of silk
goods from Japan"
The Executive Council to-day elected
the following officers: Professor E. j.
James, University of Chicago, Presi-
dent; Professor S. A Lindsay, Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania, First Vice Presi-
dent; Professor A. E. Geddin, Columbia
University, Second Vice President;
Woodrow Wilson, Princeton University,
Third Vice President; Stuart Wood,
Philadelphia, Treasurer; Professor
Henry R. Seager, University of Penns-
ylvania, Corresponding Secretary; Clin-
ton Rogers, Woodruff, Philadelphia, Re-
cording Secretary; Professor j. J.
Adams, University of Pennsylvania,
General Secretary; Professor John L.
Stuart of Lehigh, Librarian.