The times., 1899-04-03
Time FOR AMERICAN
ACTION IN China
Europe on the Eve of Closing
the Celestial Gates.
Poultney Bigelow Says Our Dipio-
mats Have Been 0utdistanced.
German Influence Tends TO obstruc-
ton, and Even Great Hrirain
shows Little Favor.

New York. April 2-The Herald today
publishes the following letter from Mr..
PCuitney Bigelow, dated at London, March
is. upon the subject Of European designs
upon China:
when the Berlin Foreign Office has OK
hausted all other means OF lodging en-
barrassing questions asked in the House
of Commons by inquisitiye members, it
seeks temporary relief by publishing an
incoherent assortment of orders, newspa-
per clippings, reports. kilograms, and other
pigeonhole contents, the whole being
popularly known as a Blue Book. The one
Just issued relates TO China for the last
Twelve months. and is of interest TO
Americans. This official publication opens
cur eyes to the fact that If the United
States is TO secure any portion in the
imminent partition of China there is no
time to be lost Russia is acknowledged
as dominating Manehuria and for my part
/ see no reason why Pekin should not in
the next ten years become one Of the
Cars provincial cities. This means that
American merchants will be excluded from
that quarter of the world to the same
extent that they are from other portions
of Russia. Within the period covered by
this Blue Book Lord Salisbury has ac-
lnowledged German pretensions in The
province of Shantung TO the extent OF Tor
bidding Englishmen TO build railways IN
that province, Notwithstanding the iact
that the treaty port of Cheefoo and the
British port of Wei-Hai-Wei are thereby
made dependent upon the German Cover
nor of kiao-Chou SO far as communication
with the interior of China is concerned
Though nearly seiZing Kiao-Chou without
a blow and without serious excuse
the world that henceforth Americans shall
have no further industrial share in the de-
yelopment OF one of the richer provinces
OF China and yet in that very province
there are more Americans than Germans.
and more American trade tnan German
trade This Blue Book does not mention
nny protest from the United States Minis
ter at Pekin. although the volume Is very
full of such action regarding Ministers OF
other powers on many occasions
American Concessions Opposed.
reference is made TO railway project
from the capital of the country southward
10 near the mouth OF the Yang-tse- -kiang-
The promoters were Americans and the
principal agent was Yung Wing, one OF the
ablest Cinnamon who ever passed through
an American college II my memory
serves me, he distinguished himself at
Yale about 1870. The British Minister at
Pekin reports about ais concession 10
his Government. but subsequently says
that Germany would not allow this road
to be built because forsooth, portion OF
il touched upon territory over which Ger
many pretended to exercise an influence.
Did the United States ever formally
acknowledge the right of Germany TO de-
clare that a whole province OF China
should be withdrawn from that Empire
and reserved exclusively for hypothetical
German enterprise? We have quietly fold
ed our hands while Germany has signed
with China a contract 10 the effect that
in her sphere OF influence only Germans
and German material shall be encouraged
Perhaps the reader at this point may
exciaim that after all China is big enough
for all the world. and therefore Americans
need not worry yet while.
Let us see.
.As we travel from north TO south. pass
ing from Manehuria and Pekin through
Shantung-Ihat is TO say, through Russian
and German spheres. We come TO the val
ley OF the Yang-ts Kiang, which England
now proclaims to be her peculiar domain.
In this she does we'll. and in so far as she
carries out her policy of free trade and
fair play, We Americans cannot do better
than unite with her in making her claims
10 this sphere good. But this same Blue
Book prints a very strong memorial from
the Eastern section of the London Cham
ber OF Commerce tJanuary 4, 1889, which
shows that in England there are industrial
forces at work disposed 10 exclude from
the British sphere OF influence all railway
material other than of British manufac
ture.
Serious Blow TO Our Trade.
This would be serious blow to MS, for
af al
rails TO locomotives. no country produces
so well or so cheaply as the United States.
Germany knows this, and. therefore as a
protective measure, excludes us from her
sphere. Russia also knows il, but cannot
do without our material at the present mo-
ment. English public opinion of late has
been considerably exercised by the pres
ence on an English railway of American
locomotives, and the party Of free trade
is not SO strong IN Parliament that it
can shut fits ears wholly 10 protectionist
appeal when plausibly backed by the For
eign Office The mere fact that Lord Sails
bury introduces such a communication into
his last Blue Book shows that the Eng
lish Government does not regard such a
proposition as absurd or even unwise.
''Our relations with England Will remain,
we fervently hope. always friendly, hui in
matters commercial we need not expect
that sentiment alone will dictate the policy
OF any Prime Minister.
Let US now travel farther down the
Chinese coast and see what there is left
Italy has entered the field much after the
fashion set by Germany. She leases land
enough for a coaling station, and by virtue
OF that claims control over all the back
country TO which she may take a fancy.
Between Italy and England there ex SITS a
good understanding and We shall sood
hear that concessions have been granted
for Italian railways. from which American
rails and locomotives are to be excluded.
Farther south we come to the province
of Fokien, over which the japanese claim
control by virtue of its proximity to thell
newly acquired island of Formosa There
is a little space between the Japanes,
sphere and that OF Italy, but by the time
the Italians have got their concessions wt
shall no doubt hear that Austria has de-
veloped an interest in the evangelizatior
Of the Celestial Empire and has taken VI
the remainder of this tract Now. then
we have arrived on our southern journey
TO Hongkong, which is British, and the
next European power to the southwark is
France. in Tonquin.
In the hasty trip we find that from the
tropics TO northern China the whole mar
along The seaboard has become a patch i
work quilt labeled with the names of diff.
Nrent powers who claim TO exercise cx-
elusive commercial control within their al
legged spheres Of influence. OF ali these
powers England is the only one which 50
lar deals generously with all eomers, and
is therefore the only power that stands
81 present between the American merchant
ana hostile legislation. II England shoult
alter her policy merely TO the extent ot
treating Americans as Americans ireat
Britons We would find ourselves practical.