Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-04-16

possess a very keen sense of justice. and
while a legitimate loss will be endured
with perfect eQuanimity an exceedingly
small loss caused by fraud or trickery
will arouse in them the deepest feeling
of indignation. In trade with China.
says Mr.. Whitehead. as indeed with the
whole world, the United States has of
late years made giant strides and, he
admits has completely outstripped
England. Yet in his opinion. which has
been strengthened by his visit to
America. our resources in raw material
are enormously in excess of any present
or future home requirements, so that
the full force of American competition
is yet to be felt. AS to Russia, despite
her dominance in North China. her COM
nercial interests and trade. says Mr.
Whitehead. are quite insignificant.
Manchuria. in which interest just now
Centers, is described by Mr. Whitehead
as one of the eighteen provinces of
China proper. but dependency of the
empire since the beginning Of the pres
ent dynasty. 1t is white mans land
and climate, with a population of more
than eight millions of vigorous race
possessed of all the best qualities for
the making of an army. Manchuria Is
rich in mineral wealth. arabic land, and
natural resources. 1t is known as the
heaven ordained home of the dynasty
and as the cradle Of the Manchu race,
while Liaotung is called the regents
sword. and is regarded as the gateway
OF Pekin. The management of the East
ern Chinese railway throughout Man
churia. connecting with the Trans
Siberian trunk line. will be entirely
Russian. The advantages conceded by
China in this connection are textually
not to the Russian government, but to
the railway company, which is nominally
private concern, though in reality a
department of the Russian government
Its articles of association were sanction
ed by Russian imperial ordinance
issued in ST Petersburg on December %,
| 1896. The holders of shares in the COM
pany are limited to Russian and Chinese
subjects but it's monetary requirements
are provided by the Russian govern
ment. The company possesses the power
| to levy rates at its discretion, so that
sooner or later the door may be effective
~ closed against the trade of the pow
CTS, which are already admitted under
the favored nation clause to the some
! what considerable markets of Man.
churia.
Mr.. Whitehead believes that, should
there be no partition of territory and
| if it is possible to keep the open door
policy in force, the commercial inter-
ests of the far east may be regarded as
| still in their infancy. With those condi-
ticns prevailing, the greatest poten-
tialities in respect of commerce and the
| largest unopened markets in the world
| arc to be found in the Chinese empire.
AS to Japan, Mr.. Whitehead says it
affords convincing evidence that the east
can avail itself of what is most valuable
| and vital in western civilization with
out losing the best features of Oriental
ism. Less than forty years ago the
Japanese were in a state of practical
| Sc clusion. Within that period they have
assimilated European knowledge, mas
tered European science and customs, and
with the assistance of European en-
ployes have adopted western methods
and western appliances to an astonish.
ing extent. 1t is quite within the bounds
of possibility that in the course of time
the Chinese may do as the japanese
have done. Physically and mentally tn.
Chinese are quite as capable, and the.
are even more capable in trade, while
the Japanese excel in military and nava
organization.
TIL foreign trade of Japan in 1899 wa
twelve times what it was in 1869, and
taking the same years, China's foreig,
trade was about three and a half times
what it was. Japan and India, with
population of $4,000, 900 and PSI, OOO, 900 re
spectively, have foreign trade of 944.
, 600, 900 and f12O, OOO 900 per annum, or 6
I'd and SIS sd per head respectively
China with a population of 4OO. DOC, 600
has a foreign trade of 10000, 600 or 8
1 Cd per head. If increased to the sam
value per head as in Japan, foreign trad
would have aggregated in 1899 abou
G4O3, 33333333 per annum instead of $50,
100000.