Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1899-04-27
EXTEND OUR TRADE.
Greatest Question Before the
American People.
ASIATIC MARKETS AWAIT US
President J. j. Hill Says One Great
Need Is Lower Duties on I'm
ports From the Orient.

st. Paul, Mimi, April %. -Presi.
dent J. J. Hill. Of the Great Northern
railway, lie greatly interested IN the
japanese and Oriental trade, and has
in the past and is now trying TO bring
about closer relations between the
United States and the Far East. He
is greatly chagtined that congress
should have neglected to foster this
trade. and attributes the Indifference
displayed to the intervention of inter.
ests on the Atlantic. Mr.. Hill is
earnest and Woodworking in his
Efforts to further his cherished scheme
Of maintaining and operating a line OF
Oriental steamships. and his trip to
London now is said to be for the pur.
pose OF completing negotiations for
line OF British steamers for this trade.
at is a shame" he declares. THAT
British vessels should be loaded with
American cargoes," but il appears &c
be the only way at present that com.
nierce with the Orient may be main.
tanned. until such time as congress
shall find it wise to make it possible
for American ships to engage in the
trade.
my views" said Mr.. Hill care *
we'll known on this subject. anu they
are at variance with so many men, that
l do not care to talk along this line.
1t would do no good. | am in favor oil
low tariff, but the subject is SO far
reaching, and. under certain condi.
tions, so inapplicable. that statement
Of my views would be misunderstood.
Few men not deeply interested in
promoting their own welfare can see
in Mr.. HIPS ideas anything but per.
sonal motives, yet he says that nothing
of SO great moment is now before the
American people as the extension OF
our commercial relations through the
medium of the Pacific. Sentiment
surely does not enter into calculations
which rebound 10 our credit in dollars
and cents, and when Mr.. Hill decares
that the import duties on silks, teas and
other Japanese and Chinese products
are so high as to damage transit Pacific
trade, he bases his statement on the re.
suit of his study Of the subject.
Mr.. Hill merely views the situation
az a hard-headed, shrewd business
man, who sees brilliant and wonder
full era of progress and prosperity, and
it appeals and discourages him to know
that others who have the power tc
bring about these conditions should be
so Indifferent on matter Of such
great importance to the people Of this
country.
In recent circular inspired by Mr..
Hill, he shows that, while he is a
Democrat who favors low tariff. he is
also an expansionist, for he says:
"Had it not been for the eye-opening
power of Dewey's guns. the Asiatc
trade of the United States might have
gone the way of her South American
commerce-stolen under her nose by
Germany, Franco and other European
nations. What America emphatically
needs today is more markets. We
have the raw material, we have the
necessary mills and factories, we have
the skilled labor. Were there sale
for the goods, the output of agricul.
tural products could be immensely in,
creased. The benefit that would
accrue to TIE whole United States
business men are a unit on believing
that to the west lies this new field OF
Oriental trade for the possession of
which nations are playing the great
game Of dinlOmaCy -