The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-04
AMERICAN INTERESTS
IN WAR IN ORIENT.
BENEFITS To UNITED STATES DE-
PENDENT ON ITS OUTCOME.

Veteran Missionary in MAnchuria,
DIR. Walker, Gives His Views on
SituatiOn-Russia Shut Out For
eign Trade-kiIIed Uncle Sans
Domination.
A new light is shed on the inter
est of the United States in the out
come of the Russo-Japanese war by
an interview given to the New York
Commercial by the Rev. DR.. w.
F. Walker, of Tien-tsin, who has been
a missionary in Northern China for
more than thirty-two years, and who
has travelled extensively through Man
churia.
DR.. Walker was the first mission
airy to penetrate into Manohuria and
the territory now occupied by the
Russian forces. That was twenty
eight years ago, and what has occur
red in that quarter of the globe since
then has taken place almost literal
ly under his eyes so that it is prob
ably safe to say that no other Amer
lean knows the facts of the Man
churian situation and understands
their significance as he does.
AS DR.. Walker was leaving Tien-
LSlIl lnS Sl6dlllGI Oil WlllCh AlC wac
travelling lay all night within easy
hearing distance of the bombardment
of Port Arthur.
That American trade has been effec-
lively excluded from the section of
the Orient which is wholly dominated
until the Boxer troubles of 1900 and
to which it was guaranteed an open
door by the Cars government is DR..
Walkers epitome of Russia's activi-
NolL Il
declares, is the most promising Sec
ton of China as a market for Amer
lean goods, because of the sturdy char
acter of the 20,O00,000 inhabitants of
the province and it's favorable CHM
ate.
The port Of Manchuria, New Chwang,
took more American goods up to the
time of the Russian occupation than
any other port of China, but, despite
the assurances which Secretary Hay
obtained, that an open door would be
maintained, DR.. Walker declares that
Russia has resolutely driven almost
every foreign trader out of Manchuria
in the last four years, and had sue
ceeded, just before the outbreak of the
war, in practically combining Amer
lean and British trade to the single
port of New Chwang, which Is COM
paratively a small city.
Regulations have been adopted
which conine the sale of goods by.
firms or companies of the nationalities
just mentioned within the municipal
limits of New Chwang, whereas under
the Chinese regime it had been allow
ed to spread over the entire province
without restriction. So successful had
the Russians been in their efforts to
kill foreign trade without arousing the
Foreign Offices to action that DR..
Walker was informed, just before he
left Tien-tsin, that the largest Ameri-
can company trading in New Chwang
had decided to close its Office and aban-
don its business there. This statement
has since been confirmed by a repre-
sentative of the company in New York.
The method employed by the Rus
slams to stife foreign commercial life
i'm Manchuria is described by DIR.
Walker as enthusiastically ingenious.
A law was promulgated forbidding the
delivery of goods to Chinese purchasers
outside the limits of the city by others
than Russians. American and other
foreign traders protested to the local
authorities with all the vigor at their
command and one firm ventured to ig-
more an edict which II considered pal
pably unjust and against the spirit of
treaty obligations by starting consign-
ment of goods to a point some dis
lance outside of New Chwang.
Just outside the city limits the goods
were seized by Russian police officials
and held. A series of negotiations en-
sued. in tAe course Of which the Rus
sian authorities admitted. after sew
eral months delay, that the seizure
was Illegal
shut ont the Foreigners.
The owners Of the goods were finally
paid the value, but the Russians had
accomplished their object, for thence
forth no foreign trader cared to risk
seizure OF his merchandise and all the
trouble and delay that seizure entail
ed The result was, Or. Walker says,
that foreign trade was simply paraly-
zed.
The foreigners in Manchuria feel
that II Russia were building up any
trade OF her own In place Of that
which she has driven out, there might
be some palliation OF her policy on
the grounds OF self-interest, but DR..
Walker says that It Is not in any wise
the case. His observation Is that a
town occupied by the Russians is lost
70 the world.
xtst..,,,.r r.ay ha rharrad annlnne