The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-08-29
Tariff Revision Will Be Used
TO Promote Friendships
Abroad.
GERMANY OUR ALLY
IN THE ORIENT
Present Trend Recalls Taft's
Shanghai Speech for Integrity
of Chinese Nation.
By ]. c. wELLIvER.

:
practically suing for alliances with the
United States. the advice of General
I Washington 10 beware of foreign entan-
] clements seems to be in danger Of being
forgotten.
/ Nobody so well as those who have had
+ TO do with American foreign relations
] in the decade since the Spanish war
recognizes the certainty that foreign re-
/ lations Will, in the near future play
scarcely less prominent a part In
public lie In this country than domestic
| concerns This IS inevitable because the \
| United states has grown so thoroughly
/ TO dominate the western hemisphere.
| The only nation Of the first class which
/ has foreign doors opening on both the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans can not hope
to escape the responsibility Of that dis
tinctiOn and that opportunity.
| Germany and China are the two great
countries today Tapping at Uncle Sam
diplomatic door Germany was the first
iceuntry which seemed thoroughly 10
realize the possibilities OF the new
Oriental situation brought about by the
war in Aiancau-ia. Indeed, it is a wide
Ily entertained impression among diplo-
mats Il at the Kaiser's old-time fame as
statesman aad diplomat will stand or
/ fall largely by the determination wheth-
er he was right or wrops in his views
4 of the Oriental situation in its relations
to the occidental civilization
No Reason for Differences.
only yesterday. the jingos and the
! sensat tIonalists were assuming that the
next world war would be between the
! United States and Germany The same
people who we're making such predlc-
/ tions three years ago, now smile as they
! recall their own pessfmism OF that
/ period, ara aEruit that there never was
/ reason asr serious difference or conflict
/ betweer. tbs5 United States and Ger
I many. wars have ordinarily been
4 ca Ised by differences vastly more fund
| sInentaI and elemental than physica'
p4lIieies. Germany and the United state
arz the two foremost Representatives OF
the protective theory: each country has
/ been thoroughly selfish in The applica-
ton Of a theory, and each has unques-
! tionably profited by it. The only real
| occasion for differences between the
| United States and Germany. as dipIo-
mats point out, was that each was dis
| posed to be jealous of the other on
account OF the operations OF their
| tariffs
| students of International relations 10 ac-
| cept frankly that race differences are
more likely to cause International fric-
/ tiOn in the future than anything else.
| Consequently the problem of the East
which involves not only a tremendous
| commercial stake, but also a question
| Of which race shall dominate, looms
/ larger and larger in the minds Of these
| philosophic students of world politics.
Germany Regarded As Ally.
| How entirely this race difference over
| shadows other things whenever it is !
/ brought forward is well illustrated by
/ the fact that in a marvelously short
| period Germany. instead Of being re-
| garded in the United States as a poten-
/ tionally dangerous enemy, is now looked
upon as a probable ally in the struggle
/ for maintenance of commercial oppor-
tunity and territorial autonomy in
/ China.
| The possibility Of japanese aggression
/ in the Far East would not be taken 50
| seriously. but for the Anglu-J apanese
alliance. In every club ana social gath
ering were army and navy officers ana
1 q DlcmatS exchange views. there Is al
ways inquiry as TO how far Great Brit
an would go against ner brother in
blood II the japanese alliance called
| for action. There is an interesting
and remarkable volume Of testimony
/ to the be,ief among English people that
1 Britain would find means to avoid a
! conflict with any other Caucasian c6un-
4 try as a result of her pact with japan.
/ Thus a pTomir ent army officer recently
4 told an instance relating to the ex-
| change of ,'NlIrtesies between English
| and American war vessels at Chinese
port.
Eastern Question Comes Up.
The eastern question, always upper
most in the Iainds of such people, came
up. The English officers gave assur-
! ances of their firm belief that Britain
would not find it To her advantage ac-
! lively to participate in any conflict
/ in which her eastern ally might be pitted
against the United States. To some
such sentiment as this. il is said, toasts
were drunk.
] Probably no American statesman IS
more intimate with the details OF Cri-
entail policy than William Howard Taft
/ Mr.. Taft's views as TO the attitude tie
/ United States should maintain in tie
East were stated with great VIgOr in
his Shanghai speech delivered nearly
/ a year ago, when he told the leUre-
I sentatives OF the great business inter
/ ssts of China that the United States
! stood and would continue 10 stand for
/ the territorial integrity of China and
1 the maintenance of the open door
Further, ne intimated broadly that the
United States would be willing. IN case
4 of necessity, to employ whatever means
/ might seem necessary TO prove its de-
votion TO this view. The Orient con
| strued this speech as nothing less than
! a threat that the United States would
I join China IN a war on any power whose
/ aggression menaced Chinese autonomy
/ or the open door.
Bearing on Campaign.
/ This ~4fagfIau nF O.rfs4ssl
expected TO nave considerable bearing
on DEVELOPMENTS Of the present Presi-
dental campaign. The DEMOCRATS
count on great gains along the Pacihc
lContinlIed on Sacnnd pazaA