The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-31
AMERICA IN CHINA.
Manila Next Door to Worlds Great
est Markets.
Minister WI Ting Fang, in Ainslce's.

Minister WI Ting Fang, In Ainslces.
America has a magnificent opportun-
ity in the Orient If she will only reach
out and take It. a people which has
done so much and has taken advantage
of 80 many chances Will surely not fail
to reap for Its commerce the benefits
which II has earned by its bravery.
The possession Of the Philippine islands
brings the United States close up to
the greatest markets in the world
markets which have only Just begun to
be developed, but which have already
shown capacity for development that
a great commercial people will under
stand. There are many millions OF peo-
pie in China, and they are ready to buy
from other nations the things which
they can use. Some in America seem
to think that the Chinese now manu-
facture practically all that is sufficient
for their own needs. Far from 1t. OF
course, It is true that for centuries be-
fore China was open 20 foreign trade
its people made the goods they used,
and this seemed sufficient; but now
China is open TO foreign trade and
manufactured goods come from Amer
lea and Europe. We buy them readily.
America can sell us goods more cheap
| ly than our people could manufacture
them. This is true especially Of cotton
cloth. That which we manufacture
| ourselves we weave with our own
hands, and 1t is very durable; but the
American product is very fine in COM
parison, and now It has come to be in
common use with us. In some parts OF
the empire American and English cot
tons have taken almost entirely the
place of our native manufacture. With
finer dresses, silks, and that sort OF
thing, It is not yet true; but with
cheaper articles 1t Is.
MODERN CHINA.
China takes kindly to improvements
We have not only the railroad. but the
telegraph and the telephone. The tele'
graph lines extend throughout the
length and breadth OF China, There Is
not province now without the tele-
graph. The first cable in China was
laid by the Danish company, and ouI
principal telegraph company Is now
| superintended by Danish engineer
The first telegraph company was or
ganized by an official named Shenl
Hsuan Huai, commonly known as
Sheng Taotai. He induced Chinese
merchants to subscribe and built tho
line under government protection. Tn,
line extended from Tientsin TO- a shor
distance; then It was continued t
Shanghai; then TO Peking, and st
branched out from north to south
from east to west. This was twent.
years ago, and the telegraph built b!
private enterprise under government
\,
main now covers a wide extent OF ter
ritory. When 1t came to extending tn
system TO more remote parts of tn
country the private commercial com
pany did not like to undertake the con
struction, and so the government ha
built these lines itself Thus there ar
practically two systems, one semi-offic
ial, the other solely under government
control.
The telephone has been introduce
more recently. The first telephone
were brought in by foreigners for thei
own convenience, and their use sprea'
gradually. The first line was put up a
Shanghai, and others followed In dif
ferent treaty ports. They are all man
aged by different private companies
We have no long-distance telephone a
, yet, but that will come in time. Wit
the railroad, the telegraph, the tele
, phone, and great population thickl
, settling n vast extent Of territory, tn
future possibilities Of the Chinese trad
must appeal to the commercial In
stincts Of the United States. With
foothold in the Philippines, Americ
. will have a great advantage over othe
nations which lack possessions in tina
> part Of the world. II Americans kno'
. how to turn this to good account the
a will be able to do wonders.