The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-20
ONLY. HOPE FOR CHINA.
Lord Bcresford Says the Great Empire
Needs Protection.
NATURAL RESOURCES SIMPLY ENORMOUS
Germany, England, japan and Amer
lea should Work Together ana
Maintain the Open Door.

which 300 of the leading business and nro-
fesslonal men OF the city were present.
The banquet was one OF the most elegant
affairs of the kind Chicago has ever seen
and the visitor was given welcome such
as has seldom been extended to any
visitor.
When he rose to make his address Lord
Beresford was for a moment overcome by
the cheers that greeted him. He recoy-
cred quickly, however, and bowling re-
poatedly in acknowledgment Of tho
warmth of the welcome extended TO hlr.
spoke as follows:
May say that as far as am person
ally concerned. am totally unofficial. 1
have nothing whatever to do with thu
government. But II is impossible in these
days for any man who takes up that uucs-
tion not to recognize that this great conn
try and our country are inseparably con
nected in all questions of trade and com
mcrce.
II came also this route so as to get
the opinion of the chamber of commerce
of Japan and was amazed to find the i'm
mense interest that the Japanese nation
as a whole takes in the question of the
Now In regard to China, what did find
in China? May say here that suppose
you ask me to speak because / have Just
come from China and have done my best
to find out all I could with reference to
the resources of China and the position
of China with regard to the future de-
velopment of that country. l found that
the natural resources of the country are
simply enormous. They are perfectly in
calculable. The possibilities of trade of
the future are limitless Whatever the
government of China says, whatever The
feeling )f the Chinese people may be-
one thing Is absolutely certain, that China
will be opened up.
China is certain to be opened up in the
near future by means of railways. Now
how is China to be opened up for the
benefit of all nations, for the benefit OF
the Chinese themselves and in the inter-
ests of civilization and humanity, but
more than all, how is il to be opened up
in a peaceful manner with regards to the
claims and wishes of all nations? Ny
suggestion is this: First and foremost
it is necessary for commercial industry
and enterprise and investment that China
should hold the door open all through that
empire. The open door means merely
that the treaties as they exist should be
held to now and at this moment, and not
altered. The existing treaties are that no
country is to annex territory; no country
is To have sovereign rights in China. The
open door means. as you know, a fair
field and no favor to all nations. That
policy has always been the policy Of Great
Britain. The result of the open door policy
is that there is not one of our colonies
which has cost the British taxpayer one
single shilling. They all work on their
own lines; they work in their own way;
but they are of enormous importance TO
us. because they increase their trade and
commerce at home. The great question
is the principal point, how are we TO keep
this door open?
II have come to the conclusion that the
opportunities for great trade in China are
certainly gathered by the four countries,
America, Germany, Japan and Great
Britain. My suggestion was that there
should be some sort of commercial alli-
ance or commercial understanding between
these countries. Why do l put those four
countries in and leave out Russia and
France? I don't want TO be discourteous
to any nation, and / never am, but look
ON this from business point of view, and
why? When Russia and France have no
trade, that is import trade, into China,
are they or am to suggest, with great re-
spect to them, that they should come into
this sort of commercial alliance with re-
gard to the trade with these four coun-
are also the four countries that do not
wish to have any territory whatever. What
they want is simply commercial freedom.
! don't want to say anything ungracefui
about France and Russia, but in the past
history has shown us that they are coun-
tries which like territory. | don't blame
France and Russia a bit. No country ever
conducts policy of that character with
out being conveyed to the minds of that
country that what they do is for the bene-
fl. of their country.
Nov. the first essential for the open
door would naturally be to keep China in
its natural integrity. and the next es-
sentiaI, and that essential is one upon
which every country exists at the present
moment, which is an efhcient miiitary anu
police.
1.-THE danger with regard to China Is
that China herself through her eife;e gov
eminent. through her old fashioned system
of administration. herself may break up
owing to the disturbances all over that
country.
MAY tell you have seen every one
of the important men in China with the
emperor. They all told me that their
greatest danger was from Internal dis,
turbance. 1t is China herself that VIII
be smashed up to the disturbance Oh az
eur trade and commerce unless we ioVh
the thing in the face and heip tne chi.
neSe themselves 10 rehaih s'apiS "
way. c,.,,o
..Now as 10 The quality of the Chinese
as soldiers don't think there are any
people In the world who have not as souu
characteristics as soldiers as the Cninese.
But they have only got in the whoie Oh
China 1000 men who can be called dlscl-
plined men, and they. arc drilled ny Ger
mans. They are all that can be called an
army at all The others would be all rlght
II drilled by competent instructors Ihey
could have most efficient army In every
detail an army of 100000 men on inc
money now spent, -. go
.'My proposition is merely that W.
should lend officers and men TO put ,nis
army In order as Chinese army Tor u
benefit of the Chinese, for the benenl oi
their trade and the security OF the .rade
of those countries that at present DO ,rans
with China, and also TO help the Iutues
development of trade with those countries
who now trade with China. a.
There have been some REMARKS maui 90
m the question OF an alliance. ! nav
never said nor will say or think OF say
INC that America and Great Britain snou,t
have an alliance for ofiense and deiense' :,
would be most stupid thing 70 say
don't suppose you people wouia uiinn ovt
going 10 war about some questions aDous
which Great Britain would hence sush az
alliance would not be congeniai. "nA'
favor Is n commercial alliance.
~. -, h,,y,,hie nninion--and j nave JuSi