The age-herald., 1900-04-03
PRESERVATION OF
 OPEN DOOR IN CHINA

Noihs Has pdld nO dltehtion WhdteASr 10 tfhe transmission by the president of the correspondence with the European powers in the negotiations for the preservation of the open door in China. Every one had an- tieipated successful issue of these nego- tlations and the very fact that a great diplomatic victory was secured without friction or fuss has caused it to pass almost unnotieed It Is probable that not ten per cent. of the senators and representatives, in congress have appreciated the impor- tanee of the negotiations or the great suc- cess of our state department in them. Rem resentatives in congress and senators ara entirely too prone to view matters super- fcially. The newspaper correspondents have not given these negotiations particular notice, though the press associations did carry the correspondence submitted very fully. If there had been any great sensa- tion connected with the negotiations or if there had been anything done that of- fered an opportunity for partisan criticism, there could have been a great fuss. and some of the agitators would have intro- dueed resolutions of inquiry and denounced the state department in unmeasured terms for disregarding American interests No opportunity of the kind offering, the matter has been really passed over. These dis patches have made some reference to the greatness of the diplomatic victory.
 The men who make a study of interna- tional questions and are experts have not nP2lecfpd the Oner door aud have calmly measured its value Members of the foreign affairs committees of both houses speak of it with great praise and regard it as one of the most important diplomatic victories in our history. Repre- sentative Hftt, of Illinois, chairman of the house committee foreign affairs, regards this victory as the greatest event of the year, and says:
 By this negotiation is accomplished what none but great neutral power such as the United States could bring about. It is q matter of the greatest importance to the whole world, and opens to us fair field for the development of our trade in the east. It will result inevitably in building for us a great commerce on the Pacific Without sacrificing anything, without pay ing any price, we are assured of the con- tinuance of all the commercial privileges granted in early treaties With China, and we are guaranteed the recognition of equal privileges with other nations within the so-calIed spheres of Influence acquired or to be acquired by the several powers, and the enjoyment of whatever privileges are gransed other nations in the future. It is a broad favored nation" clause with re- ference to oriental trade, guaranteed to us by the great powers.
 'It is not like a mere treaty with some !. weak government which might not be able to maintain it's own independence of &C., ticn; it s a compact with the great na- tions of the world. The guarantee of equal transportation facilities, without dTscrim- ination, oyer the lines of transportatiqn irto the interior of China is of immense value. It means the opening up of that vast field to our trade. The magnitude of the thing accomplished is hardly appreci- ated, on account of the apparent ease with which 1t was dcne It was not attended with hostility CT contention, out was brought aboutwith no more shock or erup- ton than attends the rising of the tide. Il is a mighty movement upward. No other nation could have secured the agreement, for the other powers are contending for spheres of influence and eagerly watching eacL- other lest one should secure an ad- vantage in the struggle for possession. Only neutral power like the United States could propose an agreement of that kind without exciting doubt and suspicion of its motives. MT. Hay has managed the mat ter with great ability.
 .The reserve and the caution with which the several governments committed them selves is merely an evidence of the great ness of the question and the vast conse- quences involved. The agreement was possible only because of the confidence the other powers have in the frankness and openness of purpose of this government. l remember John Russell Young saying to me that being admitted into the council of the Chinese government, the Chinese officials said to him that they could dis cuss matters with him and frankly disclose their policy, because the United States was not seeking to find sometairs of value to seize and claim.
 "At one time our trade with China was developing rapidly and we had valuable commerce, but this development was check ed by our own legislation. It is reviving, and through the operation of the agreement an immense trade should open to us and the commerce of the Pacific become of. great value. Hawaii is the halfway house. The possession of this island and of the Phil ippines should give us command of the eastern trade. There has been a considera- ble development of our Pacific commerce since the acquisition of Hawaii. The growth of Honolulu since the islands were annexed to the United States has been phe- nomenal. The plague has retarded it a lit- tie for the moment, but recent census shows that that little city has grown to forty-three thousand population. The im- petus given to the Pacific commerce and the guarantee of equal commercial privileges in China secured by the assent of the pow CTS should give us a trade in that quarter of inestimable importance and value."
 MONrAGU WHILE WORK
 From the New York World