The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-31
n FAVOR OPEN DOOR.
!. \, D.,.rs Have Given Favorable Re-
Spouse
I'm INQUIRY OF THE UNITED STATES
.a Germnny, Russia, France
,.,.n pesire Free Access to
the Ports of China.

..,r december so.--The ncgoun-
.,,ped by Secretary Hay with the great
n europe and with Japan, towards
common understanding for con-
80 wan door policy throughout emma.
With most gratifying results. The
~ 1,n,ytment is unwilling at present TO
~. .,h,ic the nature Of the replies re-
s',s Is this information Will be embodied
q .necIal message to congress. nut IN
..,,,ers thoroughly reliable and In po-
a. - have trustworthy and accurate In
-.,,op. II 10 learned that favorable re-
~. have been made by Great Britain,
s,ny France. Russia, the Russian COM
,,latIon coming as late as yesterday, ana
"a There 10 no doubt. 1t Is thought here,
Ssln,,y the remaining country addressed,
n m,ts favorable answer, II, indeed, 1t has
.l,esdy done 30. The position OF Italy
N 10 be assured by the favorable course
6alM BY the, other four great powers of
| "A Importance of this unanimous verdict
z N the nrst-class powers of the world
N britain, Russia. Germany, France, Italy
N Japan, In conjunction with the United
Icu,--tsr hardly be overestlnIated. so Tar
1, fflales 10 the future OF China, and the
Esne-ce Of tho world in that empire, the
TN department. is loath to discuss the far
E,thng results to be secured when the
Euentnt advances to the stage OF formal
Examination. Tor each favorable response
1 icnditloned on the favorable action Of all
4. ether PARTIES so that in each case the
Euots,icns may be regarded as short Of alb
E,a,a nnality. But while the department
= alsnt the details come rom sources be-
kNfd 10 be fully conversant with what has
krrrsd According to this information. the
kdtsb answer was the first to be submitted.
~ was exceptionally comprehensive and
ipl!tIt in Welding to every suggestion made
y The United States relative TO maintaining
4, ffeest entry 10 the ports of China. The
kpsh answer Is said TO emphasize the con-
E,fsnce with the United States by adopting
|rd for word much of the phraseology en-
ikvid by Secretary Hay when he addressed
y original note to Great Britain and the
"a powers The wording is such as to
liz plain that the British government cuu
|Hs for tho present and hereafter without
ta!nion, In policy of free access to China.
kshough much secrecy was observed la the
hfsmisslon OF the British answer, its gen
4 purport soon became known at the other
5rtpean capitals and there was not littla
fnation at what was regarded as a precipi-
ku response purposely designed to EN-
krsss the continental powers by showing
km. Britain and the United States acting In
kesrt, while the rest of the world held
M But this situation was made much more
|rsfactory to the continental powers by their
nomination to act for themselves.
Germany is said to have been the next
krer TO answer In the affirmative. According
: the information already referred to Ger
euys answer was rather more vague than
none which had preceded it. but its general
Edency was favorable, the only conditions
PIX that any arrangement as to free access
China should be universal and assented to
] oil the powers.
rae French answer is understood to have
PIE next and the circumstances attending 4,
NJ rather peculiar and not in the nature of 4
|tnet' answer, although 1.-THE result was re-
fctd as most satisfactory. Secretary Hays |
W mad been forwarded to General Horace
Fn9. the United States ambassador to
(iree who promptly called upon Nj. Del !
", minister OF foreign affairs, in the,
Fslch cabinet; General Porter made known
mission, whereupon NJ Delcasse showed
most sympathetic spirit. and stated that (
aad already made ample answer to jus,
& communication, although at the time
nad not intended 1t as an answer to the
tHie,n note. This answer, NJ. Delcassc
.iaee: was given in speech made by
on November "a in the French chamber.
Y NAN point OF that speech, in its refer
70 CHINA, was that France desired the
ainpie freedom OF commerce. NJ. Del
= referred General Porter to this speech
I1ia MN that it fully gave the assurance
1. ~ ine United States desired.
Lp Russian negotiations have proceeded
e.iskiy, so 1t seemed for time that
j F' ~ auitude might not be favorable. This
a'sspated. however, by the Russian ain.
E.ooF' Count Cassni, in the course of In
[f'ss with Secretary Hay. On these oe-
t'.s count Cassini pointed out that hur.
answer was by no means the best evi-
~ q favorable attitude toward the
. ,san proposition, but that Russia was
[~plne with due deliberation in order to
~ a. some solid ground for permanent
Es,shaing. The Russian position, It Is
EE', ,Sa, is similar to those preceding il,
me same condition that Russia alone
W.. Sp' De bound. but that all of the in
Es.s countries shall join in the agree
keep tho ports OF China forever open.
JhIsl order in the negotiations ,Japan's
| ,,.,ns attitudo was made known can no,
s"',,; but 1t suffces that Japan made
n ss,uon unmistakable in favor of the
,san proposition with the same reserya-
u all the other cases, that unanimity
E Ssius Italy is yet to be heard from
Ehv:,.' no doubt is entertained that this
~ answer also Will be favorable. thus
~ treat powers. 'ponses VI