Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-01-04
ALL DECLARE FOR
THE "OpEN DOOR,
Favorable Responses Received from
Great Powers ia Regard
to China.
OTHER NATIONS FOLLOW sui
italy Alone, of the Powers Inter.
cs'ed in the Orient. Has Not
Been Heard FroM...Fayof-
able Answer Expected.

Washington, Jan. 4.-The session oil
the cabinet today was brief, but was
the occasion of an important an
nouncement by Secretary of State Hay
that negotiations with the great
powers of Europe and Japan to Sc:
cure common understanding for d
continued "open door" policy through
out China had been eminently success
full and favorable responses had beer
received from Great Britain, Germany
France, Russia and Japan. The only
country addressed which has not vet
responded is Italy. and favorable an.
swer is also expected from her.
The Importance of this unanimous
verdict by all the first-class powers oil
the world-(ireat Britain. Russia, Ger.
many, France, Italy and Japan, in con.
junction with the United States-car
hardly be over-estimated SO far as j,
relates to the future of China and the
commerce of the world in that empire
England First To Answer.
Although the details of the negotia.
t1ons have not been made public, it is
learned from a reliable source that the
British answer was the first to lie sub.
mitted and was exceptionally compre.
hensive and explicit in yielding to
every suggestion made by the United
States relative to maintaining the
freest entry to the ports of China. The
British answer is said to emphasize
J. the concurrence with the United
States by adopting word for word
n much of the phraseology employed by
Secretary Hay when he addressed his
original note to Great Britain and the
either powers. The wording is such as
to make plain that the British govern.
ment concurs, for the present and
hereafter without limitation, in a
policy OF free access to China.
Although much secrecy was OBJ
served in the transmission of the Brit
lsh answer, its general purport soor
became known to the other European
capitals, and there was not little ir
ritation at what was regarded as /:
precipitate response, purposely de
signed to embarrass the continental
powers by showing Great Britain ans
the United States acting concert
while the rest of the world held aloof
But this situation was masan mach
more satisfactory to the coiifine1ffta
powers by their determination to act
for themselves.
Germany is said to have been the
next power to answer in the atfirma
tive. According to the information al
ready referred to, the German answe,
was rather more vague than the one
which had preceded it, but its gen
eral tendency was favorable. the enl,
condition being that any arrangement,
as to free access to China should b,
universal and assented to by all o.
the powers.
Frances Reply.
The French answer is understood q
have come next, and the circum
stances attending it were rather pecu
liar, and not in the nature of a direc,
answer, although the result was re
garded as most satisfactory. Secre
-tary Hays note had been Forwarded
to General Horace Porter, the United
States ambassador to France, VIII,
promptly called upon NJ. Delcasse
minister of foreign affairs in the
French cabinet. General Porter made
known his mission, whereupon NJ. Del
casse showed the most sympathetic
spirit, and stated that he had alread,
made ample answer to just such :
communication, although at the tim,
he had not intended it as an answer
M. Delcasse explained, was given in ;
speech made by him on November "a
in the French chamber. The mali
point of that speech. in it's reference.
to China, was that France desired thu
most ample freedom of commerce. NJ
Delcasse regerred General Porter te
this speech, and told him that it full,
gave the assurance which the United
States desired. 1t is said that tn.
meeting was gratifying on both sides
land that the results were considered
to be favorable acceptance from
France.