Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09
ECONOMISTS MEETING
INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS AT
NINTH ANNUAL SESSION.
Opened at Philadelphia on Friday
Patriotic Addresses by Noted Men
Problems Discussed.

Many men prominent in the field OF social
and political economy have attended
the ninth annual meeting Of the
American Academy of Political and
Social Economy. which began in
Philadelphia Friday. The general theme
under discussion Is THE United States as
World Power"
At the afternoon session the subject under
discussion was THE Position of the United
States on the American Continent" Those
who spoke on this phase of the general
theme under discussion were: Francis B.
Loomis first assistant secretary Of state:
Tulio Larrigna. Porto Rican commissioner
at Washington; Prof. e. r. Johnson. OF
the University of Pennsylvania: Prof. Lind
ley Miller Keasbey. Bryn Mawr College.
and Talcott Williams and Henry ]. Hancock
Of this city. Mr.. Loomis said. In part:
Mr.. Loomis' Address.
THE position Of the United States in the
new world is ever in the process OF deter
mination. The question presents itself to
us from time to time in direct and practical
ways that cannot be avoided. So 1t will
be found. I fancy, that the degree Of our
influence. the Importance and power. IL
you please, of our position will be deter
mined by the manner in which we deal
with these questions as they come before
US in an intense practical way.
IF our relations with the other nations
Of this hemisphere are conducted In a
spirit OF justice and generosity, with
kindly regard for the interests OF human
ity. and IL it be felt and understood that
We are not wanton aggressors, that we
have no irresistible craving for territorial
ACKNOWLEDGMENT that we ask only for the
just treatment Of our citizens and for our
share of the trade of the world, we cannot
f,;v hao0 coli foo al n
the international problem on this hemi-
sphere which shall continually make for
universal prosperity and long years of pro-
ductive and happy peace.
The good and successful work we did
in Cuba has not been lost, and We are now
being invited to extend our good offices into
new fields and to undertake fresh tasks in
the interests of humanity"
Gen. Wilson's Address.
General Wilson spoke of the Gushing and
Perry treaties as the first commercial trea-
ties made with China and Japan. respec-
lively. and especially emphasized the value
to the United States of the inclusion in
these treaties of the favorite nation cause,
which has since that time secured to us
without pressure or i'll will all the advan-
tages granted other countries. whether
voluntarily or otherwise. In both of these
treaties the United States reserved the eX-
ira territorial rights by which Americans
are granted trial for offenSeS in those COun-
tries before the United States conSuls
rather than in the local courts. This right
has since been waived in the case of Japan.
General Wilson distinguished between the
"open door" and free trade by saying that
the former means merely the equal right
of all nations to trade with all parts of
the Chinese empire under the same and
equal conditions. This principle was prac-
ticalIy assured under the Gushing treaty,
hut of tha ip,a nf
seemed likely that some change of status
might come as a result of the foreign In
reference under which our right would
no longer be respected. 1t was further as
sured and made distinctly understood as
an accepted principle by the prompt and
satisfactory acquescence of all the powers
concerned in reply to Secretary Hays re-
quest for a statement of attitude.
General Wilson's analysis of the far east
ern situation in the years between the
Chinese and japanese war of 1895 and the
commencement of the present conflict Is
that all of the powers, Great Britain in
Guided, We're jealous and frightened at the
japanese success and that all were con-
cerned in the robbing of her spoils. He
likened the situation of China to that of a
domesticated animal surrounded by wolves,
and gave quick outline of the different
concessions obtained by one power after
another as a direct result of this inter-
ference. AS for the justification General
Wilson considers that of Russia better
than that of any other OF the powers, In
asmuch as she had held unbroken and I'M
disturbed sway over Siberia and her east
ern dependencies from the beginning OF
the seventeenth century, and had recently
built railroads and other facilities for pop
ulating them and giving them outlets to the
sea.
He declared faith in the maintenance of
the American position on the open door"
AS for conditions Of peace, Gen. Wilson ad-
mitted his inability to predict though he
ha1 m n
demnity would. according to precedent, be
exacted. He declared belief that after this
war the Japanese would have attained a
permanent foothold on the mainland of
of the balance of power would create new
epoch In history. That 1t would mean
Asia for the Asiatic and that the period of
Spoilation OF these eastern peoples has
come to an end.
Gen. Wilson further said that In his be-
lief the yellow peril was myth until the
Japanese dominance of 1885, which, con-
sidered with that of today will makfe her
not look upon this, however, as a ground
for fear for the safety of the west, but
rather with an optimistic prospect of re-
habilitation of eastern civilization and Gull
t re and economic progress.
Other speakers were Baron Kentaro
Kaneko. special representative of Japan
to this country, who spoke on Japan S
Position in the Far East" John Hays Ham
mond of New York, an expert mining en-
gineer, whose topic was Our Country 8
Commercial Interests In the Far East"
and Charles Emory Smith. former minis
ter to Russia, who spoke on THE Internal
Situation in Russia"
Baron Kaneko's Address.
Baron Kaneko spoke In part as follows:
with the cooperation of France and
Germany Russia forced Japan to relin-
quish Port Arthur and the Laotung
peninsula after the war with China In
1895 This act and the constant progress
sive movements of Russia In East Asia
stirred the Japanese folks with desperate
resolution to undertake the present con-