Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-28
CHINESE STAND FIRM
No Indication that Boycott Against
American DDS Will Be Lifted
mtRcH' ~ -ctIve STATE sfFlclAls
" Government Does Hot Know Extent
Of the Present Feeling
-cswe STATE officials
SECRETARY TAFT MIsLtp BY APPEARANCES
During Recent Visit No One Could Tell
HIM the Fac 8
MILITARY MASsuv;Rs ARE SURPRISING
showing Made by Imperial Army
In North China opens Eyes
of world to Empires
Possibilities.


PEkING Jan. T.-(SpeciaI Csblegram TO !
The Bee. 1.-The boycott against American |
goods continues TO be one of the most re-
markable features of oriental life. This
powerful weapon has been taken up BY the /
Chinese with vengeance which would be
positively humorous at times were II not
in reality economically and politically dam
serous. for the boycott Of American goods
has swept over China like a wave OF fame.
IL might be possible to control 1t IL 1t were
applied to cases isolated and individualistio.
but when thousands of Chinese merchants
meet in conventions and agree not TO pur-
chase American goods even though the
poorer classes OF the Chinese might be
anxious to take advantage of cheaper
prices, how can they do so II the Chinese
wholesalers and retailers refuse TO handle
them? The only way to overcome ma
tional boycott OF that character would be
TO establish new wholesalers and new re-
tailers. and this of course is not possible.
Hence It happens that -four shipped from
California, oregon and the state of Wash
ington no longer competes on economic
basis with -four from Australia and other
ports of the world. From reasons purely
sentimental the Chinese are refusing 10
touch the American goods. no matter what
the price. Hence IT is that American trade
in the orient is taking a terrible tumble
But for the fact that American petroleum
furnished by the Standard OF company
figures so largely in oriental trade Ameri-
can commerce would show a stil greater
falling of. But the Standard Oil company
has practical monopoly. especially since
the check put upon Russian oil production
as result Of the strikes and the riots
in the Baku district. And having a prac-
tcil monopoly it is difficult to see how
even the willy Chinaman can stop taking
American oil.
Spreads to All Part. of Empire.
| One of the remarkable features about the
Chinese boycott Is found in the fact that
though IL is said to be in revenge for the
exclusion of Chinese IT origins ted in Shang-
hal. whence no laborers go to the United
States. Since then it has been as keeniy
prosecuted there as in Canton. the home Of
most of -tis -ectuai en1issssnts TO -Arlerics.
| This I'm itself would 80 a long ways to-
ward proving that other questions entered
into the equation besides the mere matter
Of emigration to the United States. and for
this very reason 1t has been argued that it
| could not be so much an anti-American
! as an anti-foreIgn movement-an appeal in
| fact 10 the same spirit which promoted tho
! growth Of Boxerism. From Shanghai IL
has spread to all parts Of the Chinese en-
! pire except Tien Tsin. where the viceroy
would have none OF II. But II oven had an
effect more far-reaching than i'm China
alone. The Straits Settlement and all of
the islands IN the vicinity OF China have
responded to the call of China for the Chi
nese. The initial steps were taken so far
as the world at large knows by the ON
cisl Chamber OF Commerce. and not by
tho mercantile guilds. which indeed were
busted later on in protecting their members.
the bankers and the merchants. from tho
disastrous effects OF the movement. But
the strange part about it all is that in
reality official China does not appear to
be in favor of the boycott, and it might
have been supposed that Official China
would have influence enough to prevent
the Chamber OF Commerce from the TAX
ing of drastic measures. One thing Is
pretty certain, this medieval country has
learned. partially at least. to recognize
the modern truth that all nations are one
in matters of trade and that what Injuries
one cannot benefit another. This lesson
was driven home by the fact that the Chi.
ncse merchants had contracted for MANY
, | months ahead for the products Of ths
American mills and were forced to meet
their obligations If their financial standing
/ was to he maintained. the result being tha
, they and the hanks supporting them founs
themselves loaded mp with these stocks fol
, which the consuming markets had beer
scriousiy restricted. IL came home Will
telling force TO the Chinese merchant
, when many Of them had to pay thousand
and thousa nds Of dollars for a release n
I their contract obligations. For the agita
tion had been taken up by the young Chins
{ party, the local newspapers and the thou
. sands of students who had passed through
4 the schools OF the various missions Eng
$ lish and American. and especially by thos
: who had acquired by a resident of a yea
= or two In Japan that superficial knowledg
a which is always 40 dangerous. From then
: IL spread 10 the people at large aIway
Q ready TO be infamed by what for want of
\ better word must he called an antt-foreie
: feeling. The commercial result Of this ex
: tension Of the boycott was a serious Al
minution In the actual consumption q
2 American products which in importer
I wholesale loss went on plling up in IN
warehouses OF Shanghai and constitutin
i, heavy burden on the financial resource
OF the native banks These banks a
ready overburdened with the task Of r
-
troubled waters and IL is feared that IN
present year in Chinese trade viii be a
extremely bad one.
Secretary Taft Deceived.
II may be asked how il happens that :
= shrewd an observer as Secretary Taft wa
! deceived. For II is known that when on nj
/, junket in China last summer he cabled ,
the president. after several conference
e that the Chinese themselves were tired ,
u the boycott; that Il was practically owe
a OF would be suspended pending legisla Ito
,e by congress this winter looking to a
Is amendment OF the Chinese exclusion Law
n The facts ave that not even the Chine,
Is authorities themselves know the bite
he ness OF this anti-Amerioan or snlI-foreie
lg feeling. The central government OF ChiT
lg Is not so bitterly opposed 40 foreigners ,
q. might be imagined. And Secretary Tar
h after talking with some OF the highest O
ot ncials. was deceived because the offieia
or were themselves deceived. for the more e