The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-03-30
CAPITAL, SURPLUS

the commercial, financial, or economic
disadvantage of Americans in China.
The necessary corollary to this pledge
is that Americans would be granted
the same advantages and rights as are
now enjoyed by the citizens and sub
jects of these Powers, and which
Americans now have under existing
treaties between the United States
and China. The only thing seriously
threatening these treaty rights is the
foreign or European sphere of infu-
ence set up i'll various parts of the
Flowery Kingdom and within whose
limits the Chinese government is
powerless to enforce her treaty stipu-
lations with us. Hence the compact
just agreed to by the governments
named is in effect the ratification of
our treaties with China.
There is not the slightest parallel
between the situation in China and
that in the Philippines. In China the
rights guaranteed to Americans by
treaty are in danger of violation or
even of being completely set aside and
ignored because of the weakness of the
Chinese government and it's utter
inability to maintain itself or preserve
the integrity of it's territory against
the aggressions of the Powers who
have appropriated to themselves
spheres of influence within the borders
of the empire. In the Philippines on
the other hand the world at large has
only such rights as the United States
may see fit to grant and is a subject
for negotiation in the future. Any
rights granted to the citizens or sub
iects of any government on earth to
live in or trade with the Philippines
will of course be carried to the letter.
There will be no foreign spheres OF
influence" in that archipelago; nc
Power will be permitted to commit
aggressions there any more than in
the United States itself. If China
was powerful nation there would be
no question about it's door, whether it
was open OF closed or ajar. But China
has slept the sleep Of ignorance and
self-conceit, and though vast in ex-
tent and population is mere puppet
in the hands of foreigners, chiefly
Europeans. Hence it became neces-
say for the United States to secure
the guarantee from the Powers who
control the door to China that that
door shall be kept open to Americans,
thus giving to China's treaty promises
to us validity China herself could
not give to them and without which
they would remain worthless.
1t Will be understood readily that
at first some of the governments APP
preached were inclined to stand out
against the wishes of the United
States, as they had stood out against
those of England. That country hac
been compelled to abandon it's preten
sions to the "open door, in China anc
adopt the sphere of influence policy
instead. Why not compel the United
States to do the same thing? But oul
victory in the war with Spain and oul
presence in the Philippines were
arguments in favor of the "oper
door" in China that added to Others
those governments could not with,
stand. Good customers as we are tt
most of the countries with which the
negotiations were conducted, ever
necessary to the prosperity of theil
people, they would not have foregone
the advantages they possessed il
China at our request if it were moi
for Manila and Santiago and the in
sular chain with which we span the
Pacific. Give up the Philippines, anC
the open door in China will shut with
a snap and stay shut.
E. W. BRADY.
n