The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1899-05-04
.CHNLy PROGRESS IN
COMMERCIAL PATHS
Remarkable Awakening From
Oriental Conservatism.
Important Concessions to The Traders
efAll Nations.
Rivers Opened to Foreign Steam
vessels-General Development
of . Great Empire.

Recent statements Indicating an agree
ment between the English and Russian
governments touching their future course
with reference to the trade Of certain sec
tions of China lends interest to q publi-
cation Just issued by the Treasury Bu-
reau Of Statistics. entitled Commercial
China in 1899.''
This document, As its title indicates, pre-
sents a>careful survey Of present CONNER
cial conditions In China, showing the To-
cation Of railway lines. navigable water
ways now opened to the commerce Of the
world. the treaty ports which are the com
mercial doorways to China. steamship and
cable lines. and the imports and exports in
detail during the past quarter OF a cen
tury. the growth Of the demand for each
Of the important articles, the principal
ccuufries from which they have been
drawn. and the growth OF the commerco
between China and the United States, and
especially the sales by the people Of the
United States to those Of China.
A part of Snis publication which diseuzs-
es the commerce OF the Yangtze Kiang and
West River valleys is OF especial interest
at this time because of the recently pub
lished assertion that an agreement has
been made between the British and Rus
sian governments by which the latter con-
fines its commercial ambitions for the
present at least to northern China The
valleys Of the Yangtze Kiang and West
rivers. which occupy central and southern
China, are shown by this report to be the
great commercial section OF the empire
Not only So but their Importance has been
greatly increased by recent results.
One OF these events is an agreement by
the Chinese government that no section Of
the Yangtze valley shall be ''alienated" to
any foreign government, so far as relates
to trade privileges. while another of equal
Importance Is the opening OF the West
River to the commerce of all nations free
from any alienation or special privi-
leges to any. That the Yangtze and West
River valleys are by far the most import
ant part OF China from a commercial stand
point is quite apparent. TwO-thirds Of
the foreign commerce OF China passes
through Shanghai. located at the mouth
OF the YangtZe. which is the Mississippi
River Of China, extending westvardly from
the Pacific to the extreme boundary Of the
empire proper and penetrating an extra
ordinarily fertile. productive. and densely
populated area. Next In importance to
Shanghai from a commercial standpoint
are Canton and the British possession OF
Hongkong. which lies adjacent, both Of
them being practically at the mouth Of the
West River. which is also an extremely i'm
portant waterway and route Of commerce
to the interior.
A recent edict by the Chinese govern
ment adds very greatly to the importance
of these two rivers. This edict permits
foreign steam vessels to ply upon the navi-
gable waters Of practically all inland
streams, this privilege being extended to
small steam vessels, which may go to
the very head Of navigation in all treaty
port provinces. Another edict recently Is
sued permits foreigners to visit all parts
of the empire for business or trade pur-
poses.
The Importance OF these three agree
ments by which the commerce Of the
Yangtze and West River valleys remain
open to all nations desiring to compete
for 1t; second, by which foreign steam YES
sells may penetrate for business purposes
to the very head of navigation upon these
and other streams, carrying with them for
eigners for pleasure or business purposes,
coupled with the further fact that foreign
manufactures and the machinery which
manufactures them are much more freely
admitted than formerly. can scarcely be
overrated.
Commenting upon the rapid development
of events in China, the publication OF the
Bureau OF Statistics says:
THE more rapid development OF the
privileges OF foreigners in China and OF
the Introduction OF modern commercial
methods dates from the treaty OF Shimo-
neseki. made between China and Japan In
1895, at the close OF the war between those
nations. and followed by a commercial
treaty in 1896. The important features OF
these treaties were that they opened the
waters Of the principal rivers and canals
to the citizens of other nations. giving for
eigners the right to purchase goods or pro-
duce in the interior of China, to rent ware
houses without the payment OF special
taxes or exactions, and to engage freely
in all kinds Of manufacturing industries
in the treaty ports, also to import all kinds
Of machinery. paying only the stipulated
import duties thereon. and upon products
manufactured by them in China, paying
only such inland transit dues as are lev
liable on imported merchandise the latter
provision having been somewhat modified,
however, by the commercial treaty.
while the China-Japan treaty specif-
calIy conferred these privileges only on
Japanese subjects. they at once became
applicable to the subjects Of other nations
having full treaty relations with China
under the most favored nation principle.
The prompt result Of this was a movement
from all parts Of the business world IN the
direction OF China, and the estaDhsnmenl
of business and manufacturing industries.
not only in the old treaty ports. but in the
new ones which were opened by the ia
panese treaty, and by subsequent action
Of the Chinese government
This was followed by other evidences
of a disposition to adopt modern methods.
The railroad from Pekin to Tientsin was
quickly completed by the Chinese Govern
ment, and agreements made looking to the
construction by foreign capital OF other
lines thousands Of miles in length: tele-
graphs were extended; electric roads and
lights introduced in the principal cities;
mining and manufacturing concessions
freely granted; the West River, which
penetrates southern China from Canton
westward, was opened to commerce, and
finally, small steamers were given per-
mission to penetrate to the interior limits
of navigation on all the rivers of the prov
iuces containing treaty ports.
1.-THE effect Of this Is already seen IN
the establishment Of factories and busi-
ness houses, the construction OF railroads.
the extension and multiplication OF steam
navigation lines, and the opening OF mines