Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-27
Assurances of the Powers Regarding
Trade With China,
NO EXCLUSION TO BE SET UP
"Spheres of Influence Not to Re-
suit in Discrimination.
THE FULL CORRESPONDENCE

SEcsS t1le correspondence Will tHe SON-
ernments Of other nations respecting the
maintenance of an open door in China.
The correspondence extended over a pc
riod of time from September last to the
Goth instant the last date marking the sue
Cessful completion of the undertaking. The
nations addressed this subject by the
United States were Great Britain, France,
Germany. Russia, Italy and Japan. 1t ap-
pears that on September G the State De-
partment addressed to our ambassadors at
London Berlin and st. Petersburg copies
of formal declaration setting out the
desires of government in the matter
of the open door" Italy and Japan were
similarly addressed about a month later.
While the formal declarations sent to
the ambassadors were similar in each case,
yet each of the officers adopted a different
phraseology in addressing themselves to the
governments to which they are accredited,
the dominant note being best set forth,
perhaps, in the form of conveyance chosen
BY Ambassador Choate In his note to the
British government, which was as follows:
No Exclusion of Rivals.
MY Lord: 1 am instructed by the Sec
retary of State to present to your lordshp
a matter which the President regards as
of great and equal Importance to Great
Britain and the United States-in the main
teEance of trade and commerce in the east,
in which the interest of the two nations
differs, not in character but in degree only
and to ask for action on the part of her
maJesty's government. which the President
conceiVeS to be In exact accord with its
uniformly declared policy and traditions
ard which will greatly promote the well
fare of commerce.
He understands 1T to be the settled policy
and purpose of Great Britain not to use
any privileges which may be granted to it
in China as means of excluding any COM
mercial rivals, and that freedom of trade
Tor II in that empire means freedom of
trade for all the world alike. Her males
1yS government, while conceding by for
NAL agreements with Germany and Russia
the possession of spheres of influence OF
interest in China, in which they are 20
enjoy especial rights and privileges par
ticularly in respect to railroads and mining
enterprises. has at the same time sought
10 maintain what is commonly called the
open door policy, to secure to the COM
mcrCe and navigation of all nations equal
ity of treatment within such Spheres The
maintenance of this policy is alike urgently
demanded by the commercial communities
OF our two nations. as it is justly held by
them to be the only one which will i'm
prove existing conditions, enable them to
MAINTAIN their positions in the markets of
China and extend their future operations
w nile the government Of the United
States will in no way commit itself to anv
recognition of the exclusive rights of any
power within or control over any portion
OF the Chinese empire, under such agree
mentS as have been recently made it can
not conceal its apprehensions that there is
danger of complications arising between
the treaty powers which may imperl the
rights insured 10 the United States by its
treaties with China.
An Open Market for the World.
1T is the sincere desire of my government
that the interests Of iss 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 retain there an open mar
ket for all the worlds commerce. remov,
dangerous sources of international irrita-
ton and thereby hasten united action of
the powers at Pekin to promote adminis-
tratFe reforms SO greatly needed for
strengthening the imperial government and
maintaining the integrity of China, in
which ii believes the whole western world
is alike concerned. 1t believes that such
a result may be greatly aided and advanced
by declarations by the various powers
claiming spheres of interest in China as
to their intentions in regard to the treat
Inent Of foreign trade and commerce there
lh' ana tnat the present is very favorable
moment for informing her majestvs gov
ernment of the desire of the United States
to have ii make its own part and to
l=nd its powerful support in the effort to
ootdIn from edch OF the various powers
claiming spheres of interest in China a
declaration substantially to the following
effect:
The Desired Pledge.
''O That it will in nowise interfere with
any treaty port or any vested interest with
in any so-called sphere of interest or
leased territory it may have in China.
''t2) That the Chinese treaty tariff of the
time being shall apply to all merchandise
landed or shipped to all such ports as are
within such spheres of interest (unI,ss
they be free portsD, no matter to what
nationality it may belong, and that duties
so leviable shall be couected by the Chinese
government.
''Ci) That it will levy no higher harbor
dues on vessels of another nationality fire.
quenting any port in such sphere than
snail be levied on vessels of it's own nation
alIty, and no higher railroad charges over
lines built. controlled operated with its
sphere on merchandise belonging to citi-
zens or subjects of other nationalities trans
ported through such sphere than shall
lie levied on similar merchandise belonging
TO It's own nationality transported over
equal distances.
Germany and Russia.
The President has strong reason to be-
lieve that the governments of both Russia
and Germany will cooperate in such an
understanding as is here proposed. The re-
cent ukase Of his majesty the Emperor of
Russia declaring the port of Ta-lien-wan
open to the merchant ships of all nations
during the whole term of the lease under
which 1t is to be held by Russia removes
all uncertainty as to the liberal and con-
ciiiatory policy of that power, and justi-
fies the expectation that his majesty would
accede to the similar request of the United
States now being presented to him and
make the desired declaration
The recent action of Germany In declar-
Ing the port of Kiao-chao a free port and
the aid which its government has given
China in establishing there a Chinese Gus
tom house coupled with oral assurances
given the United States by Germany that
the interests of the United States and it's
citizens with its sphere would in no wise
be affected by its occupation of this PARTON
of the province of Shantung. encourage the
belief that little opposition is to be antici-
pated to the Presidents request for SINH
| lar declaration from that power.
1T is needless also to add that Japan the
power next most largely interested in the
trade of China, must be in entire sympathy
with the views here expressed and that it's
interests will be largely served by the pro-
posed arrangement; and the declarations
Of Its statesmen within the last year are so
Continued on Ninth Page.)