New-York tribune., 1905-08-06
THE CHINESE BOYCOTT.
Just What the Celestial Kingdom Is
Fighting For.

|
! Shanghai. Canton Foo-Chow Annoy. Tien-Tsin and
| other principal cities in China said TO have
/ signed the Chinese boycott of America and all
things American. and the boycott resolution carries
with 1t fine of 5000 for its viola ion This boycott
went into effect the First Day Of the Seventh
Moon, but San Francisco. which carries on nearly
one-half of the export trade between the United
States and China. has yet felt it any
tent with the exception Of q few exporters who
! have had their orders cancelled by cable. How
ever this city may in time suffer, the Chinese
are persistent though slow moving people. and
once they become possessed with an idea they hang
| to 1t with proverbal stubborrness.
This boycott is directed against tho Chinese Fx-
clusion act, and is intended influence the sigma
tories to the treaty now in preparation and which
is based upon the enactment of the last Congress
The civilized world is familiar with the Exclusion
Act and its object-sto prevent the United States
from becoming the dumping ground Of the sur
plus and refuse population of nation Of over
1000 10000 people onefourth the population the
entire globe
When the boycott was first proposed. several
months ago. it thought that the United States
would at once sit up and take notice The Chi
nese had conceived the idea that the most effect
I've way to rouse the Yankee to touch his
pocketbook. The boycott resolution was months
in preparation, and when completed a meeting Of
the Guilds or Chambers of Commerce. was called
in the principal cities, the resolution adopted and
signed by the members and each obligated himself
to forfeit the amount above named if he violated
any its provisions. The main provisions of the
resolution follows:
~ Chinese will not buy nor use any article Of
American production, machinery included
t2l Chinese merchants, their agents and ship
Pers will not ship goods in vessels owned by Amer
g! Chinese viii not send their children to schools
established and conducted by Americans.
"a Chinese will not join any American firm
salesman. nan. agent or interpreter
vices for Americans are requested To resign such
positions.
The Chinese population of the Pacific Coast has
! been variously estimated; but probably hun
| dred thousand would be a fair approximation. OF
| this number. possibly one-third are centred in
| San Francisco. There is no denying the fact that
! among these Cinnamon there are some shrewd,
| and clever as the average American. Some have
| been educated in English at Harvard, Yale and
other American universities In San Francisco there
| are some engaged in banking. exporting and inn
! porting and wholesale merchaudizing- one of the
shrewdest bankers is Tin Eli, outside manager for
the Russo Chinese bank of this city. He is also
| heavy importer and It is through him that much
of the financial business of the exporting trade IS
| carried In interview few days ago he
! said:
| We are informed by our correspondents in china
| that over ten thousand Of TIE leading exporters
and importers in China have signed "a tne resoaffoA f
ing the advertisements of American firms and are
derstood that merchants arc TO be permitted 70 dis
pose OF their stock on hand and after that no more
States realize that the boycott will seriously affect
Congress shall have met and had an opportunity u
Fos 5Ts W. raI2e hat I,o,,r eTcIsio, Of what
designed protect your people from " Eat you
What We do protest against is the i1dgnity to
which our better classes are subjected merchanls
these may be admitted with tha least possible de-
raised i'' Your order for Americsn consular repre-
sentatves in China to wise the certihclteS OF Chi-
bn r time has deveIoned raf your local
nSnecors are not hound to respect such vised
certificates, and hence they are practlcaIy m
our correspondent in canton that the American
Consul in that city now refuses to ndorse suoh
on their arrival here better classes are often
and kept there for days.
Coming from a man having correspondents all
over China this may be accepted as the sentiment
of the boycotters. II sounds fair ana reasonable
ard to the average mind offers proposition on
which It seems difficult to arrive at conclu-
sion satisfactory all parties. Yet the core ot
the whole difficulty is Who is to pass on the
qualifications of the merchant, student and trdv-
eller?'' The experience of the Pacific Coast for
the last fifty years has been that the merchant,
student or traveller of to-day may be the laborer
of tomorrow" lie may land as one Of those three
and before suns he at work on ra-l'oad sec
ton ranch, in fruit orchard or sweatshop under
the orders of a padrone. or he will have secured
employment as a porter or domestic. 1t a simple
matter for him obtain letter of credit or
sufficient money to permit his landing and after
that he returns the letter and money TO his pa
drOne. Is this fact that makes the PaCinc Coast
jealous of any Iinkering witt the Exclusion act.
The boycott OF American labor union cannot
be compared to that or a thlncSe sulid Tor effect
iveness. In China the enforcement of a boycott
is placed in hands OF an executive committee
that executes. Spies employed TO watch the
members of the guild and report any violation Of
the agreement If merchant finds that he can
and continue handling the boycotted goods tnen
the highbnders called in. and after notification
from them II IS much the merchants life is
worth TO commit another violation. Highbinders
are simpIy bravos-hired assassins The chinese
DENY their existence. the Italians deny the
istence of the Malta. but the Chinese murders each
binders d practical refutation OF the Chinese
denial.
China buys annually in the foreign markets. il
round numbers about s2500O0OO worth Of goods;
$50 100000 worth. about per cent. The
mander divided between Germany France I
Japan. Great Britain and her colonies, with mini
exports distributed among lesser countries |
or the exports from the United States San Fran /
cisco sends about $9.O00oJ0. or ~ per cent. Just
Wha the United States sells China be /
In the following list taken from this years re-
mort OF the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce /
and compiled from the records:
Agricultural implements, alcohol. arms ammu /
milton asphaltum, bags bagging. barley beans. 1
beer. bicycleS, books and stationery boraX. boots !
and shoes brandy, bread and candy. candles, |
canned goods canvas. cement and plaster. cigars,
cotton drugs drygoods. electric goods. fish. -four.
fruit-fresh. canned and dried fuses, glass ware,
groceries and provisions. hardware harness. hay.
honey hops iron and iron manufactures. lard, lead
leather lime. liquors, livestock, lumber, lumber
manufa ctures, machinery. malt, marble, miilstUus.
nails nuts oats oil and Kerosene. paint paper |
seeds ship chendlery, sewing machines sugar, tai
low. tin, tobacco. vsrnish. wagon material whskey,