El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-21
MISSION OE BERESF0RD
A Commercial Understanding,
Not a Political Alliance.
THE OPEN DOOR IN FAR CATHAY.

Thinks United States and Great Brit
ain Should stand Together In Main
tanning the Integrity of the Chi
nese Empire-Trnde In the Orient.
Lord Charles Beresford, who arrived
in New York a few days ago, was en-
tertained by the American Asiatic asso-
citation at dinner at Delmonico's, and
in the course of an address said:
II have been treated with the most
extraordinary good fellowship and kind
ness all through America. In coming to
your country l found myself in diff
cult position l thought if 1 were to
speak here there might be several
thoughts flash through the minds of
your people One was that I might be
a sort of pilot. finding out what the
state of American opinion was with
the idea of an alliance with England
and hoping perhaps that your alliance
might help us in difficulties that we
might meet with in the east in the fu-
ture assure you nothing of that sort
has been in my mission.
Another idea prevalent is that am
a government emissary
the government of any sort, kind or de-
scription 1 imagine really that should
be the last person the government
would pick for such mission. 1 am
generally employed in finding out the
faults of the government You will
agree with me that my previous career
does not quite entitle me to be a com
mercial or financial agent to the east.
Therefore believe l was only asked to
go because the chambers of commerce
said. We will send out that man be-
cause he does not care for anything or
anybody. and he will tell the truth
'There is no politics in the devel-
opment of trade and commerce for any
country All politics, no matter how
strongly they may feel in opposite direc-
lions, are united in that one point
that trade and commerce are good for
the world. are good for their country
The development is necessary. and it is
not party question.
Now. there has been a general con-
sensus of opinion, so far as can see
among those nations that trade in China
with the open door is the best policy.
But in my humble opinion-and l am
rather a practical mani do not see
that it is any use for us to hello for
the open door unless we put forward
some way in which we are to keep it
open, and that way should be a clear.
strong and definite proposition. which
should be courteous to all nations
LET US do something. If we are to
have the open door. let US put down
clear and understandable line in which
we can keep that door open
with regard to that word alliance
l do not think it is good word l new
er, either in the house of commons or
in the few reuaarks 1 have made about
China and japan in other places, used
the word alliance alone. l have said
commercial alliance. An alliance in
the ordinary sense of terms means a de-
fensive and offensive treaty, which,
believe, is committed to parchment, in
which two countries agree to defend
each other under all sorts and kinds of
conditions.
Il can imagine nothing more foreign
to American sentiment or more foreign
to the sentiment of the country which
l have the honor to represent. AS you
know. for many years we have been
able to fight our own battles and look
after our own business without any al
lance with anybody We are very well
able to take care of ourselves
You are in exactly the same posi-
ton You can very well take care of
yourselves and of your own business
without anything whatever in the shape
of such a matter or such an agreement
as an alliance is generally understood
to be- Therefore l disclaim at once
against anything suggesting that ]
mean by the word alliance offensive
and defensive alliance between this
country and Great Britain or between
Great Britain. this country. Germany
and Japan.
But there is another point-the idea
of commercial alliance. There may
be cooperation and there may be con-
currence in question of trading inter
ests upon which we are absolutely unit
ed and intermingled. and it is that con-
currence and that cooperation that
endeavor to describe in this word al
lance.
1T is a commercial alliance. or if
you like. scratch out alliance altogeth-
Ell and use the word understanding.
For whatf To keep the door open in
China. not for our selfish selves-Great
Britain. America, Japan or Germany
but to keep the door open with equal
opportunities for all nations, with a
fair field and with no favor to any one.
From what | have seen in China l
am absolutely certain that unless we do
something to help her-and it is but
little help that we need give her-she
will collapse When she collapses. there
is nothing left at all for us for our trade
and commerce except to declare "a
sphere Of influence over some portion
of China. That makes China Euro
pean province. the very thing we do not
want