New-York tribune., 1903-06-30
THE CHINESE TREATIES

,r, 5aaa,ds ,1non the treaty which is now
-. ,,oo,o+io+ed between the United States and
China. A somewhat similar treaty nds O0e.
concluded with China BY Great brltaln' VI
which the ratihcations are ABOUT 10 De Ca
changed But some of its terms are lhuellhIl0t'
exnressed. so that England is looking more ~
our treaty than to her own, on account VI ~
more explicit terms Of the instrument WHICH w
are making Japan also is regarding II VIZ
much interest realizing that the SUCCESS ot 1-0
American negotiations will go far toward re-
no;niro, for her and for the world the benehcent
rasrI+s which she sought to attain from the
+roa+v of shimonoseki, and of which she and the
World were deprived by European interference
If has been fntimated that the same influences
which were arrayed against Japan at that uihe
are now seeking to defeat America however
that NAV be, the ends sought by the penang
treaty are matters of the highest interest not
only to America, but also to all coInnlercidi La
tions doing business with China.
Anart from the maintenance OF the open
door, and equal privileges for all nations, tne
treaty contains two major proposals OF hoVei
character One is that all tariff duties on I'M
norts shall be levied in a lump at the 1rontieT
custom houses. That means the aboluon OF Tue
Iikin. What the lkin means may be apprecl-
ated by supposing such system 10 De appIleu
70 an invoice of foreign goods bounu Iof ChI-
cago. An import duty would be leVleo upon
the goods on their arrival at the port OF New
York, Another tax would be imposed when
+bov ,,era taken over to Jersey City When
the train reached Philadelphia, suppos1ns snip
ment to be made in that direction, another i'm
nos+ vouId he collected. Another would be ex-
acted at the Ohio line, another on crossing INTO
Indiana another at the Illinois frontier, ana
still another perhaps, on finally entering the
citv of Chicago, Moreover, each OF these lnlaho
tariffs would be levied not at rate hxed anu
known in advance but according to the taste
and fancy or the pecuniary requirements oI
some local functionary, often OF corrupt anu
extortionate procffvities. Such system would
he regarded as intolerable, and would be hope
less barrier to foreign trade. The American
demand is that such a system shall be apoi-
ished in China. If China needs the money thus
collected let her collect it all at the point OF
entry of the goods, and let the rate OF duty De
fixed and known so that merchants Will De aDle
to know in advance what it is, going to cost to
get their goods to their destination. That de-
mand is obviously reasonable and just, and cal
culated. we believe, to promote the interests
Of Chinese consumers as well as of foreign
shippers.
The other demand is for the opening Of adj
ditionaI ports of entry, or treaty ports" and
especiallv of two or three in the Manchurlan
nroyinces Ports in that region are selected for
the reason that they are nearest to America,
and American trade is greatest with that part
of the empire. Such opening Of ports would
also be for the good Of China as well as Of
America since it would facilitate the introduc-
ton of foreign goods and tend TO lessen the
price Of them and would bring China more and
more into touch with the rest of the world.
These considerations seem to be recognized by
the Chinese Government, which makes its
own account no objection to the opening of the
ports But it delays to open them because Of
some underlined influences in the background
which, 1t says, make it inopportune for them
TO be opened at this time. There are those who
declare that those influences are Russian and
they point to certain apparently authentic in
stances of Russian opposition TO further open
fng of ports In Manchuria. Such opposition on
Russia's part, however, if it existed, would
have to be regarded as without adequate founda-
ton. It could scarcely be because of the diff
Guilty of maintaining order in Manchuria during
Russia's temporary occupation of those prov
inces For the more the provinces are opened
up to foreign trade and intercourse the greater
will be the influences making for order. Neither
could 1t be because Russia meant to take Man
churia for her own. For, IN the first place
Russia specifically disclaims any such intention;
and in the second place, she declares that