The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-30
THE CHINESE BOYCOTT
DOES CHrNK GOVERNMENT sYsfPA.
 THIZE WITH MOvEt
Suspicion That Celestial Pewers That Be Secretly Favor the Idea,
 while Ostentaff0usly Pre-
 claiming Opposition. |.

Pekin. Aug. 2e.-The American boy
 colt almost overshadows the peace ne-
 sotiations as e topic of interest in
 China Accounts reaching Pekin rom
 trading centres indicate that the move
 ment attained it's greatest strength
 early in August and since then has been
 decreasing. Nowhere except in Shang-
 hal has American business received q
 serious blow. The boycott would have
 been equally successful at Tientsin,
 which is a distributing market for
 American goods. second only to Shang-
 hai. except for the determined repres-
 sion of Yuan Shaikai. who is almost the
 only Chinese viceroy really ruling his
 own province.
 The Pekfn Government, in. response
 to Minister Rockhilrs presentations, Is
 sued instructions to provincial omctats
 which read we'll, but which the omciais
 construe with the belief that the Gov ernment sympathizes with the senti-
 ment in favor of the exclusion of Amer
 ican goods, although obliged formally
 to oppose the method of it's expression.
 Several minor officials are implicated in
 the movement at Shanghai and It's lead
 CT holds the rank of taotai. The Gov
 ernment might punish them by depriv.
 Ing them of honors, according to the
 Chinese custom. if it were in earnest. Many important merchants who em-
 parked in the boycott now repent of the
 scheme, but 1t has passed beyond their control into hands of agitators, the ma jorfty of whom are students, many re- gently returned from Japan and some from America, who relate at meetings and in newspapers 1urid stories of out rages received at the hands of Ameri- can immigration officials. The agitn- tors are active principally in the cen- tral and southern cities. They have abandoned their original demands that Chinese students and merchants be ad- mitted to America as freely as those of other nationalities, and now are de- manding the unrestricted entry of all Chinese. They argue that If this move ment succeeds the same coercion may be employed against Canada. Australia, Japan and all countries in which Chi- nese live.
 The native newspapers. which have become influential only since the Box er'' uprising. and the number whereof is multiplying, are a powerful factor in fennfng the agitation.
 The best informed foreigners believe that the boycott has passed It's climax and will gradually subside; that the cessation of orders for American goods is merely temporary. and that a de- crease of orders now will result In a corresponding Increase later in the year.
 The pfinctpat piece BO0ub muEChhntu of Shanghai telegraphed to Viceroy Yuan Shaikai. proposing to have Tien- tsin consignments shipped directly to Tientsln instead of through Shanghai. as heretofore, and requesting him to take measures to stop the boycott thereof, and Yuan's civil administra- tors issued proclamation accordingly. The end of the Russo-Japanese war. by opening Manchuria, would give a great impetus to American tMede. That country practically has been closed to imports throughout the war, largely be- cause the armies monopolized all means
 of transportation.
 Most American products sold In China are handled by British and German firms on commission and the bulk of the losses falls on them. What is con- sidered of the greatest significance as to the boycott Is the possibility of fu- ture use of this method of coercion, If
 the first attempt succeeds.
 The guilds which launched the move
 ment are forming a permanent organi-
 zatIon and raising plenty of funds to
 send orators about the country and
 scatter circulars broadcast. They boast
 of receiving many contributions and
 messages from American sympathizers.
 Proportionately as the first boycott
 succeeds the weapon may be expected
 to be employed against any government
 that offends the Chinese.