The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-30
AMERICAN BOYCOTT
is A LIVE TOPIC
The Movement Has Been De-
creasing Since August
SHANGHAI The CENTER
Is the Only Point Where American
Trade Has Received Severe Blows.
The Chinese Government
Is Passive.
SHANGHAI The CENTER

Pekin, August 29.-The American boy
colt almost overshadows the peace nego-
tiatons as a topic of interest in China.
Accounts reaching Pekin from trading
centers indicate that the movement at
tanned its greatest strength early in Au-
gust, and since then has been decreasing.
Nowhere except in Shanghai has Ameri-
can business received as serious a blow.
The boycott would have been equally
successful at Tien Tsin, which Is dis
tributing market for American goods, sec
ond only to Shanghai, except for the de-
termined repression of Yuan Shat Kai,
who Is almost the only Chinese viceroy
really ruling his own province.
The PelSin government IN response to
Minister Rockhills representations, is
sued instructions to provincial officials
which read well but which the officials
construe with the belief that the govern
ment sympathizes with the sentiment in
favor of the exclusion of American goods,
although obliged formally to oppose the
methods of its expression. Several minor
officials are implicated in the movement
at Shanghai, and its leader holds the rank
of taotai. The government might punish
them, depriving them of honors, accord
ing to the Chinese custom, If 1t were In
earnest.
Merchants Repent.
Many important merchants who en-
barked in the boycott now repent of the
scheme, but 1t has passed beyond their
control into hands of agitators, the ma
jority of whom are students, many re-
Gently returned from Japan, and some
from America, who relate at meetings and
In newspapers lurid stories of outrages
received at the hands of American immi-
grafton officials The agitators are active
principals in the central and southern
cities They have abandoned the original
demands that Chinese students and mer-
chants be admitted to America as freely
as those of other nationalities, and now
are among the restricted numbers.
The native newspapers which have be-
come influential only since the Boxer"
uprising, and the number whereof Is
multiplying, are a powerful factor in
tanning the agitation.
The best informed foreigners believe
that the boycott has passed Its climax
| and will gradually subside; that the ces-
sation of orders for American goods is
merely temporary, and that a decrease OF
orders now will result In corresponding
increase later in the year.
Telegraph to Viceroy.
The principal peace goods merchants of
Shanghai telegraphed to Viceroy Yuan
Shat Kai proposing to have Tien Tsin
conslgnments shipped directly to Tien
Tsln instead of through Shanghai, as
heretofore. and requesting him to take
measures to stop the boycott thereof, and
Yuan's civil administrators issued a
proclamation accordingly.
The end of the Russia-Japanese war by
opening Manchuria would give a great
impetus to American trade. That country
practically has been closed to imports
throughout the war, largely because the
armies monopolized all means of trans
portation.
Most American products sold in China
are handled by British and German firms
on commission, and the bulk of the losses
fall upon them. 1t is considered that the
future use of the boycott will be as a
weapon and its significance In this manner
can be tested Circulars boast of recev-
ing many contributions from American
sympathizers. Proportionately as the first
boycott succeeds, the weapon may be ex-
pected to be employed against any gov
ernmeNt that offends the Chinese.