The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-01

IMPORTANT lNIIEREsTsIN ORIENT
Tho Concessions That Have Been
GrailLcd 10 Eorci=n Powers in the
I.iowcry Kingdom and the
New Era Opening There


aud The part the United states and other
foreign powers are playing there is bs- =.
w lhg,nuid. Dr. = Pm. II. o. johns ifoP-
kl.ls University. The paper was recently
read before q. teachers c4uo al Emory Co 20!
2ege. Ga, where D-. Arnold mas beeh iii-
ing the Chair of History and Foiica4
Ecenony DR.. Arnold has been elected 10
the Ckair of History and English al the
State Female Normal school at Farm
Vile, Va, tgghe-e he will take up ms Work
al the opening OF the next session
Since achieving Independence In l'S3 the
United States has experienced a marvel
EouSly wide and rapid westward expansion
Inc treaty of peace with the mouleT Coun-
Try made the Mississippi River the West
ern bundary Of The new republic but soon
the advesltucesome young nation had cross
ed this stream and with long, bold STRIDES
had begun q steady march across the con-
ttnent, over the great plains and loLty
Rockies; straight for the western seaooaru,
acquiring new territory at every step. In
1873 the nation more than doubled It's area
oy Jeffe-scls Louisiana purchase, making
the Rocky Mountains its western boundary;
IN 1873 it bought from Spain the East and
West ENoridas and pushed its southern
limit 10 the Gulf of Mexico; il 1915 il &c
Quired The immense domain of Texas; in
1Sl6 it negotiated with England about the
disputed Oregon territory and obtained full
!,
oracing the States Of Oregon, Idaho and
Washington; In 1915 by treaty with Mexico,
after q two years victorious war. 1t
gained in paying Mexico SIS, CO., 900, nearly
q million square miles of territory, includ-
ing The States Of California, Utah, Arizona
and parts OF New Mexico, Colorado and
Wyoming larger area than the United
States owned at the end Of the Revolution
airy Warwick completed the territorial! ex-
Ia, tor
e1tory and gave the nation possession of
dae Pacific Coast from Mexico on the
South 10 Caralta on the north.
But this Immense territory of natural
BOUNDARIES was not enough TO satisfy the
ambition of the young nation, and the lin
fIess expanse Of the mighty Pacific did
not. Therefore, long prove q barrier TO its
sapid advance On the contrary, the
oceans quiet waters invited to voyages
OF explara ton and conquest still further
west and soon. as some say, 1ivine!y
guided. the restless, aspiring nation has
launched out upon the stil bosom IF the
vast sea, sailed far away into another
hemisphere and planted its standard upon
the rich isles Of the Orient. From Russia
IN 1867 the AIeutiaR Islands and Alaska
were bought Cfor $i,2e9.p3}, in 1888 the
Hawaiian Islands were annexed, and in
1889 the distant Philippines To-day the
face OF the American nation is turned to-
rvard the continent of Asia, and far cast
ern questions are becoming more than ever
before American
\ PROPHECY.
The United States appears to believe the
prophetic utteranec of William IL Sew
ard made q. generation ago, that the
Pacific ocean, its shores its islands and
vast regions beyond VIII become tAe chief
theatre OF events in the worlds great
hereafte ter and. having faith in the pro
phecy. the nation mas decided, it seems, TO
take q hand in shaping the events
We OWN territory within f0Tty--ftve miles
OF Russia our westerumost island brings
US within zee miles Of Japan. our steamers
ply from San Francisco TO Yokohama in
twelve or fifteen DAYS. and to China in
eighteen. We have IN Tutuila good har-
Dor IN the Samoan Islands; we have Iia-
Vail. the crossroads of the lac!ilc; We
have d foothold in the AIicronesian archi-
pelago, and NE own the Philippines. d
natural gateway to China, where exists
most probably the richest single market in
the world. Through the Spanish war we
have become writes Mr.. Barrett, recent
minister to Siam, the paramount ro@er
Of the Pacific, and our occupation OF the
Philippine Islands un2voit2tly lays u9on
Us a responsibility with reference 10
China and its future" 1.-THE great Ques-
ton Of the East Is China" stated DR..
EchuTn4n, president OF The first Philippine
Commission. on first arriving in America
utter spending six months in the Orient,
and since then he has been an able and
constant witness 10 the Importance of
capidly Increasing American Interests
there, as we'll as 10 the necessity of our
taking as energetic q stand as possible TO
preserve them
An explanation of the worlds interest in
China today may be found in the follow
ing facts:
l. The magnitude Of its Territory, China
proper being equal to hale the Continent Of
iIlrcoe, or one and q half tiIalSs that part
of the United States that lies east OF the
Mississippi; and yet China proper forms
only a third OF The total area OF the
Chinese Empire
. The rich and abundant natural re-
s0urces Of the country, its exceptionally
fertile soil; immense mineral deposits.
na1igafie Waterways, commercial posi-
5oiiitles and in general, adj the essentials
OF splendid. material prosperity
3. Its vast population, Numbering in
China proper $50. ssa. CgD-alrost one-fourth
of The worlds population
: The character of the race, its praise
worthy qualities hf temperance, conser-
ratism. patience and frugality.
; This vast region. with Its hundreds OF
millions OF men. is almost entirely unde-
veloped. For thousands of years there has
=
conservatism that rejects all foreign inno-
vations as worthless ana dangerous has
characterized the people, the worship OF
ancestors making it a religions virtue to
cling TO the old and dnsoise the new. Con-
Eeouently the great raturai resources OF
the country are untitled; her coal and
iron fields scarcely touched. Transportation
Facilities crude and primitive, nanufaet-
,f,es poorly developed, her labor force IN
organized by intelligent enterprise ana,
therefore, wastefully nlisdirected: the IN
tel!ectual ana moral life of the people lew
Her methods of government. educational
system. armament. institutions and lnple-
rreslts Of every sort are antiquated ana
ilosry with age For scores OF centuries
the nation has been wral)t IN deep SUM
RESOLUTIONS 10 faults and needs within,
oi,livious to the world without-vainly
t5resa Minis, of a completes isolation for Itself
FROM The rest G. the busy world and 81
an entire exclusion from its shores OF the
e,llishteniag agencies of an aggressive
;oeneaeeut. Christian civilization
6. The leading nations of the earth to-
Cay seem bent upon thoroughly awakening
China and upon forcing her TO give en-
trance TO the life and labor Of the outer
world Greed of gain, and not a beneYo-