Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-27
Secretary Hays Letter to
Other Powers.
PROMPT RESPONSES SENT
And They Are All in Favor Of
Allowing All Countries to
Compete for the Trade
Of the Orient.

Washington, March 27.-Secretary Hay
to-day submitted to congress the cores
pOndence had with the governments OF
other nations respecting the maintenance
OF an 'open door, in China. The cor
respondence extended over a period of
time from September last, to the goth
inst. the last date marking the successful
completion Of the undertaking. The ma
tions addressed on this subject were
Great Britain, France Germany, Russia,
Italy and Japan. On September 9Th, the
state department addressed to our am
bassador at London, Berlin and st. Pet
ersburg copies of a formal declaration"
setting out the desires of our government
in the matter of the "open door," Italy
and Japan were similarly addressed
declarations" sent to the ambassador
were similar in each case, vet each Of the
officers adopted a different phraseOlogy
in addressing themselves to the govern
ments to which they are accredited, the
dominant note being set forth, perhaps,
in the form of conveyance chosen by
Ambassador Choate in his note to the
British government which was as fol-
lows:
my Lord-I am instructed by the sec
retary Of state to present to your lead
ership a matter which the president re-
CARDS as Of great and equal Importance
to Great Britain, and the maintenance Of
trade and commerce In the east, If the
interest Of the nations differ not in char
acter. but in degree only-and to ask for
action on the part of Her Majesty's gov
eminent which the president conceives
to act in accord with the uniformly de-
clared policy and traditions and which
will greatly promote the welfare OF COM
merce.
"Ie understands 1t to be the settled
policy and purpose Of Great Britain not
to use any privileges which may be
granted to 1t In China as a means of ex-
cluding any commercial rivals. and that
freedom of trade for 1t in that empire
means freedom of trade for all the world
alike. Her Majesty's government, while
conceding by formal agreements with
Germany and Russia the possession Of
spheres of influence or interest in China
in which they are to employ special rights
and provides particularly in respect to
railroads and mining enterprises, has at
the same time sought to maintain what
is commonly called the open door poll
icy, to secure to the commerce and navi-
cation of all nations equality of treat
ment within such spheres. The MAIN
tenance of this policy is alike urgently
demanded by the commercial commune
tiles of our two nations, as it is justly
held by them to- be the only one which
will improve existing conditions, enable
them to maintain their positions in the
ludl nOlS VI SIlAlAeA, 0lAu CASCAN I1lClA lu>
ture operations.
while the government Of the United
States will In no way commit itself to any
recognition Of the exclusive rights Of
any power within or control over any
portion of the Chinese empire under such
agreements as have been recently made
It cannot conceal its apprehension that
there is danger of complications arising
between the treaty powers which may
imperil the rights insured to the United
States by it's treaties with China.
1T is the sincere desire of my govern.
ment that the interests of it's citizens
may not be prejudiced through exclusive
treatment by any of the controlling
powers within their respective spheres
of interest in China, and it hopes to re-
tain there an open market for all the
worlds commerce, remove dangerous
sources Of international irritation and
thereby hasten united action of the pow
ers at Pekin to promote administrative
reforms so greatly needed for strength
ening the imperial government and MAN.
tanning the integrity of China, in which
1t believes the whole western world is
alike convened. 1t believes that such