Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-02

eign authority. that there should be no dis
eliminating tonnage dues. that Americans
may be free TO make contracts with the
local authorities and with Chinese mer-
chants as freely as the citizens of other
countries. that the exploitation of mines
should be upon the same terms for all. and
that contracts for the construction of pub
lie works and the use of public works al
ready constructed should be open to Amer
leans with as much freedom as to the citi-
zens or subjects of any of the contracting
parties.
Local Chinese Tariffs.
One of the most important of these stipu-
lations relates to hken taxes, or the Chi
nese local barrier charges. 1t has been
feared in some quarters that Russia or
Germany. by manipulation of these local
taxes and by the use of improper influence
with Chinese officials, might create effect
i've determinations against Americans while
protesting publicly that the open door was
maintained because no discriminating Gus
toms duties were levied at ports of entry
Every prccaution against evasion of this
sort is being taken by Secretary Hay and
by Mr. Rvckhill. chief of the bureau of
American republics who has been one of
the chief promoters of this great step in
modern diplomacy.
DeeS Not Apply to Annexed Territory.
1t has been noted that the proposed inter-
ra tional concert does not apply to territory
Actually own ID or annexed The United
States could not properly ask for an inter-
national agrc ement to control the domestic
tariff policy cf Russia. France or any other
country This careful distinction. however,
is not hostile to the purposes of the agree
ment- On the contrary, it draws so sharp
a line between annexation of Chinese soil
by any of the powers and the present con-
dition of leases and spheres of influence
that it will involve a very grave step for
Russia or any other power to cross the line.
Chinese Integrity Guaranteed.
The agreement in its careful distinction in
this respect constitutes indirectly sort of
guarantee of the integrity of the Chinese
empire. The United States might not alone
go to war because freedom of trade on
leased soil transformed into exclusion
by annexation. but the feeling on the part
of any single power that all the others are
interested IN the maintenance of this free
dom and that they would demand explana-
tiCnS if annexation were attempted would
make any step toward the further spolia-
ton of China a matter of serious military
and diplomatic preparation instead of the
intrigue and secrecy which have prevailed
in securing leases, concessions and spheres
of influence. The only way in which this
difficulty could be turned by power greedy
for land would be to continue freedom
OF trade until after annexation were COM
plcted. Even this course would involve
serious dangers, and the distinction drawn
between leased territory and that actually
owned and annexed is likely to contribute
much more to the integrity of the Chinese
empire than if a general pledge were asked
that discriminating tariffs and other
charges should not be levied on any part
of the present soil of China. One of the re-
suits of the international concert is likely
to be feeling of lively gratitude toward
the United States for having by a most
skillful flank movement secured hostages
from all the world that China shall not be
dlsmembered in the future without the risk
of antaSonizing all the great powers.
Pledges Freely Granted by Russia.
If the Russian government has felt any
reluctance to give the pledges asked by the
United States, there have not been visible
signs of such reluctance made manifest to
the State Department. 1t is thought prob
able, however, that Russia would have pro-
ceeded with high hand In northern China
If the United States had not suddenly pro-
Jccted itself into the field of world diplo-
macy. The present embarrassments of Great
BriSin in South Africa might easily have
afforded the pretext for Russian aggres-
siOns in Manchuria and intrigues at the
court of Pekin if the fact were not realized
that beside Great Britain stood the power
fu' young empire of the west in the demand
that freedom of trade should be respected
Oh Chinese soil. The japanese governmen Mt
is especially interested in this phase of the
question, because of the menace to Japan
ese interests which would be involved in
Russian aggressions in northern China and
in Corea. 1t is an open secret in diplo-
matte circles that if the time comes when
the mailed hand of Russia is laid upon
Corca, Japan will fight rather than see
herself surrounded. The fear seems to pre-
vail in the little island empire that Russian
greed for conquest would not stop with the
mainland, but would reach across the China
sea and endeavor to make a dependency OF
the country of the Yankees of the east
The present concert of the powers, backed
by the combined force of England, Ger
many and the United States, puts off into
the distant future the interference of Rus
sia in Corea by force of arms, and prom
fses to establish in eastern waters "a Ro-
man peace" as secure as that which regned
over the Mediterranean Under the empire
of the Caesars.
NOT READY FOR THE HOUSE.