New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-17
COMMERCE. AT TALIEN-WAN.

TalIen- Wan is TO be n free port, open on equal
forms to the merchant ships of all nations
THAT Is the paramount detail Of the Russian
Emneror's decree published in the form OF
note to his enlightened and progressive Minister
NJ Finance. We took pleasure I'm giving this
nows especial prominence In yesterdays Trlb-
rno and desire today TO call renewed attention
IN II. for more reasons than one. 1t Is, In the
first place far more agreeable to print good
news than bad to say pleasant than unpleasant
things about neIghbor. And this considera
ton has peculiar force in the case of Russia.
That empire has long been butt Of hostile
criticism, especially Of late, in respect Of its
Eastern Aslatic policy. 1t has been charged
with ruthless and oppressive land grabbing and
with seeking to promote It's own selfish inter
eats in China TO the dctriment If not to the ex-
cusion of the interests of all other nations. Nor
can we now say that those charges were
eroundless. But Mt least we can ana must give
Russia credit for this one wise and liberal act,
of incaculable importance to the rest Of the
world and particularly to the United States and
all the more welcome because generally unex-
pected. 1t had been announced with apparent
authority and widely believed, that fallen
Wan was to be- like Port Arthur, an exclusively
Russian port We now have the Emperor
word for it that such Is not to he the case. That,
we repeat is q most agreeable and most impor-
tant assurance.
There is no occasion to say grudgingly that
Russia was compelled to make 1t al open port
She was, Of course under no such compulslon.
Nor are we to say she made Ii open because II
was to her selfish interest so to do. Doubtless
that was largely her motive, and doubtless that
Is the motive Of the United States in making
and keeping New-York an open port. Great
Britain adopted Free Trade because she believed
II would serve her own selfish interests Inc
United States maintains protective tariff for
precisely the same reason. IL there is any ma
ton not thus moved we have yet to hear OF II.
So that fact Is thrown out Of court In the case
OF Talien-Wan. The one issue TO he considered
is the effect Of this opening upon the commerce
of the world and, as We have said, especially
upon that Of the United States. Beyond ques-
ton this effect must he enormous and benen-
cent, for Talien-Wan will be the one great open
port Of all the Asiatc coast north OF Shanghai
II will be to the north Of China what Shanghai
is to the centre and Canton and Hong Kong are
to the south. Nor will it he the open door or
Northern China alone Of the populous ana
wealthy Manchoorian provinces and all Mongo-
lin, but as the Pacific terminus OF the siberian
railroad system it will be the Eastern door or all
Northern Asia. of tho mines OF the Amoor, or
the region around Lake Baikal and OF the al
most nestimably rich provinces OF Irkutsk ana
Tomsk, which are capable OF supplying the
world with grain and lumber and much besides.
1t Is an open door to one OF the greatest three
railroad systems in the world and to half OF the
worlds greatest continent
This means more TO the United States than TO
any other nation. We are fond or reckoning
ourselves the paramount Power In the Pacific
Certainly we ought 10 he that and certainly we
are the peer of any other. Our interests in ana
commerce with China are enormous, FAR ex-
ceeding those OF any European Power save one,
and these are chiefly In those Identical north
eastern provinces of which Talien-Wan Is the
open door Moreover, our interests in Siberia
are considerable The locomotives and other
equipments of the Siberian railroad were made
ir American shops and foundries. To what ex-
tent Siberian wheat fields will be competitors
with ours in the markets Of the world IS an In
teresting question. But those fields should be
ploughed with American ploughs and the grain
be harvested with American reapers and thresh-
ers In the supplying of such equipments we
need fear rival II only we go about the mat
ter Alright. We may not only mold ana extend
our already vast trade In Northern China but
our factories and workshops may supply the APP
planes needed by population OF many mill
ions 10 developing the resources OF one of the
greatest and most promising empires In the
world All that is needed is for our commercial
agents and merchant marine to emulate at
Talien- Wan and elsewhere the promptness. the
tact and the effective energy Of our Navy at
Manila. That, no doubt is much to require
But surely It is not to be said that the United
States Is not as great nor as capable in peace as
It Is In war.