The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-27
THE IDENTIFICATION OF CHINA.

The federal government has been rudely awakened
from its sleeping security in the permanence of the i'm
piled arrangement for the preservation of the integrity
OF China. The advance of Russia into Manchuria and
the practical seizure of all that country within the Musco-
V1te sphere OF influence has been anticipated, and in some
measure discounted, by all the diplomats of Europe. The
suplne indifference of our state department to the prog
ress OF affairs in this empire of the East in which we
have so large a commercial stake has been vexing and
now becomes a source of real evaporation.
Since the settlement of the Boxer troubles and the
establishment OF apparent peace in China the powers
with whom we were allied for the purpose Of preserving
thelr rights. rather than ours, 1t appears, have been busy
extending their spheres of influence. Now it is consid-
cred safe for the bear to show his power and it is proba-
bic that 1t will be found that the other nations of EuroDe
are about ready to extend their spheres of influence, to
the practical exclusion of the United States. If this is
permitted it will be c~hargeable only to the stupidity of
those persons who have in charge our interests in China.
Conditions have so changed within the past few years
that we were. nay, may even now be, in a commanding
Strategic position, at least 50 far as the control of the
trade OF many OF the ports of China is concerned. The
mandarlnS have been impressed with the advantages we
could offer them in the way of benefits from trade.
The more progressive merchants have been made to feel
that much money was to be had through the establish
nSent OF closer commercial relations with this country.
we are now on the eve OF a great development of the
Chinese trade and II we should wake up some morning
and find our ships compelled to pay tribute to protective
powers holding the ports that have been declared open,
somebody should be made to pay the reckoning.
The allies have been keenly awake to the advan-
tageS to be had from trade with the Chinese. All of
their diplomacy has been directed to securing the infu-
ence OF the mandarins to the end that their base1ess
claims might be recognized. They accepted as a fact,
and IN spite OF their pretense of deprecating it, the i'm
n1ense advantage the United States had naturally in
bidding for the trade of China and if now there is an at
tempt, whether 1t be concerted or not, to bring about
the partition of China, the primal object of the for
clSners Will be to secure governmental control of the
ports and their trade, quite as much as to seize the rich
country in the interior.
1t Is time for the United States to move. 1t will not
be necessary to go to war at all. If there is fighting to
be done It must be between Russia on the one hand
and England and Japan on the other. Out of this trouble
we may save some valuable assets if we but take advan-
tage OF the situation. The contending nations will not
easily be made to let go of that~which they seize with
the strong hand, but much may be done by a strong out
side power, Jealously watching its rights. What the
United States wants, and must have if the trade of China
IS to be developed as it promises to be, is the guarantee
OF free ports, and that in spite of the rapacity of the ma
tons.
The time has. arrived for the United States to take
a hand III the settlement of the Chinese question among
the powers. If the partition of the empire is decided
upon we want, and should have, the assurance of the
preservation of our treaty and trade rights.