East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-08-10
BOYC0TTF MOI JOKE
JOHN BARRETT SAYS
CHINA is IN EARNEST.
Is Subject to BE Carefully COnsid-
cred by the United States Before
Being Cast Lightly Aside-BoycOtt
Is In Hands of Chinese Societies
That Are Very Powerful.

THE more / see Of foreign coun-
tries, and of life and conditions
abroad, the stronger my preference is
for the Oregon country. There is a
wholesome Yigor about the city OF
Portland that makes one appreciate
It more every time one comes back to
IT,"
John Barrett United minister to
Colombia, ex-minister to Panama and
Siam, thus delivered himself on his
return to Portland this morning, says
the oregon Daily Journal. He will
stay two weeks, see the exposition,
and make an address before the
Trans Mississippi congress on the sub
ject of Oriental trade.
Mr.. Barretts years OF residence in
the vicinity of the equator and in the
orient, have not impaired his physi-
cal health. He has a strong sugges-
tion of the Asiatic complexion, but
otherwise his appearance is that Of
the robust and vigorous American.
He left Portland in 1894 to go as
United States minister to Siam. He
spent four years in Siam, and at the
end of Clevelands term as president
the minister became a war cores
pondent in the Philippines. In 1893
he was sent by the United States
government on special missions in
/ China and Japan. Following this he
was a delegate of the United States
to the Pan-American conference in
Mexico.
| In 1923 he was commissioner
general in Asia for the st. Louis expo
sitlon, and was then appointed United
States minister to Argentine, and
| later to Panama, where he straight
ened out the diplomatic tangle be-
tween the United States and the new
| government. At his suggestion the
offices of governor and minister on
the isthmus were combined. At the
| conclusion of his work in Panama
he was sent to Bogota. Asked con-
cerning the extent and results of the
Chinese boycott, Mr.. Barrett said:
THE boycott is a matter to be
considered and treated carefully. 1t
has far-reaching effect in China,
and retroactively in the United States
More directly i'm China because the
boycott seems to be in the hands of
Chinese societies that are very pow
erful i'm that country, and have
branches in every seaport and inter-
Tor city. In the United States 1t Will
affect cotton goods, flour, lumber and
other merchandise which it may be
possible for the Chinese to buy else
where. 1t is a question whether II
will affect lumber as much as other
things.
zone of the unfortunate features
of such a boycott is the possible de-
velopment of unkind feeling among
the masses in China against the peo-
pie of the United States. While the
boycott is not aimed at the United
States as a government, and while
high-class Chinese feel grateful to the
United States for its attitude during
Boxer troubles and for standing for
the integrity of China, the masses in
China do not understand political and
diplomatic relations and may be mis-
led by a commercial boycott.
"Of course, 1 am prevented by my
official position from making any
comment on our exclusion law. But
it is admittedly a fact, and of record,
that the boycott is inspired by the
business element in China, who hold
] ludl our eNCluSlOn law mas Deen more
stringently and severely enforced than
the text requires.
"The merchant and student classes
hold that they cannot come to Amer
lea without danger of being subject
ed to indignities. Both the president
and Secretary Taft have announced
that, while no violation of the exclu-
sion law will be permitted in the in
terest of Chinese coolies, there will be
a just construction of the law, which
will make it less Objectionable to the
better class of Chinese who wish to
come to this country. When the at
titude of our government becomes
we'll known throughout China the
force of the boycott will be lessened."