The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-23
Expansion Is the
Law Of Our DestinV

Law Of Our Destiny
Abstract of an Address by Hon. Jacob
could SchuNman, President of Cornell
University, at the Union League Club
Banquet In Chicago Yesterday.
At OW HERE have the mechanic devei-
IN opments of the century been fuller
~ and richer. nowhere have the re-
suits OF them been more astonish-
ing. than in the United States. The
nineteenth century has been a century
Of expanding knowledge, a century of
abounding invention, century of amaz-
ing increG Sc in the means of C0mmunica.
ton and transportation n. President Schur-
man referred to the enormous Increase of
the power of production In the United
States and the universal cry for new
markets for American products, and
continued:
I'm addition to the home market We
now need the markets Ct the world.
Science, invention and manufacturing
have all expanded together. Our power
of production having outrun our capac-
ity to consume and being all the time
on the increase. and the old markets of
the world being glutted by the products
of all civilized nations, what new outlets
are there for our waxing productivity.
what new fields for the reception of the
surplus commodities we multiply so rap
idly and at a constantly declining cost?
The life of the nation in no small degree
depends on the answer. The only peo-
pies who have not reached the manu-
featuring stage, the only peoples who
do not compete with us In their own
markets, are the vast populations OF
South America, Africa and especially OF
Asia. Great Britain and Germany have
got ahead of us in the markets of South
America; but If our manufacturers will
follow foreign example in adapting their
products to local tastes and needs. l
see no obstacle in the way Of our secur-
ing a fair share-and that will be the
lions share-of that hitherto undeveloped
and neglected business.
%
LAS to Africa, the case Is different In
our blind idolatry of the Monroe doctrine,
in our devotion to the stay-at-home
policy of the eighteenth century, In our
intense desire to avoid all international
obligations. we have allowed the great
nations Of Europe to partition out Africa
among themselves and exclude American
products by means Of discriminating tar
ifs devised to secure for their own
manufacturers a monopoly OF the new
markets. We stood unconcernedly by
and remained silent while these vast
possibilities of expanding trade were one
by one cxtinguished. For justification
we cited some abstract theory of nom
intervention in the affairs OF the Old
World; and no one could pretend that
Africa was in our hemisphere. Our
blunder, which was little less than a
crime. was In our failure to recognize
that science and invention and steam
and electricity have, since the days Of
Washington and Jefferson, made the
whole world one. and every part OF It.
for commercial purposes, possible
province OF the United States.
But the psychological moment has
passed In Africa we shall have only
such trading rights and privileges as the
European overlords may be graciously
pleased to vouchsafe us. Happily Asia.
the largest. richest and most populous OF
the unoccupied markets Of the world.
remained. All eyes were or China, with
it's splendid. inexhaustible. and undevel-
oped natural resources and its 4o0O00,OOo
people strangely stirring with a new and
mighty life. England made a great ef-
fort to keep its trade-dc ors open, but she
failed. And Englishmen in the East, rs
! we'll recall from conversations with
them in Shanghai, Canton and Hong
Kong, gave way to discourgaement,w which
almost verged on despair. With France
on the south, Germany on the east, and
the Russian bears paw over all the
integrity of China trembled In the bal
ance; yet If her sovereignty collapsed
II those European powers divided up
and appropriated that vast empire, their
several anncNations would have been
closed to American trade and commerce.
'That this disaster to our industries
has been avcrted you owe to the pre-
science, wisdom and skill OF the state
man who today wortlily fills the chair
of Washington Thanks to the brilliant
and truly memorable diplomacy Of the
present administration, the great nations
of Europe have agreed-and agreed In
writing-that whatever political or terri
torial policies they may pursue In China,
the open door to trade, the equal COM
mercial rights and privileges We now
enjoy with them, shall remain intact
and inviolable."
President Schurman also referred to
the success of the ADMINISTRATORS ne
gotiating for the construction Of an in
teroceanic canal under American control
which highway, he said, was needed
more than ever since the Pacific Is now
destined to be, through the mingling OF
Oocident and Orient under the new
agency OF the United States, the theatre
of the next great act In the divine drama
of the life and development OF human
ity."
He urged In entering into the vast
Oriental commercial estate a study of the
needs. the sentiments and prejudices of
the Orientals SO as to cater to their
trade. He believed no one has painted In
too roseate hues the possibilities OF COM
mercial expansion In the Orient. There
was. as 1t We're, a. foreordained field for
the surplus products of our teeming In
dustries.
Continuing President Schurman said:
What was the secret of our success In
compelling European nations to stand by
the policy of the open-door in China?
Some powerful cause there certainly was.
for England had failed In similar at
tempt only two or three years ago. We
should not have succeeded at that time
either; indeed we should not have es.
sayed the task; and had any political
leader sr""as'cd ~ ~ -''@'''' Nov" heen