The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-31

0H HE detc tcrmlnation9of OF the United
states government to lnterpesS
IT'S power and In flucnce agninstl
the Japanese policy OF en-.
cronchment upon the CONS
mcrcc ana territory Of Cling. was fhas
real reason for sending Il he great bntS
tlcshtp fleet to Oriental waters. sssS
Tie extensive preparations beinn
made by the Chinese government for /
inc rccc option and entertainments OF the 4
fleet mt Annoy IRE of ofPsurpnssinxS IN z
tcrest to the State Department and ito
diplomats MS well. s. & ~
The United stntcs hns assured China, ];
IN language ar force fnI ns the Scpnycn-
tons OF diplomacy permit, that China
need not fenr the aggressfons of Japaa
as long ms the United states rctnins i
It's moral ana physical power to en-.
force It's policies In world affairs.
The bearer OF this me ssage TO tn 4
SChinese government, the Chine ne bust.
ness kings and the Chin ese eople. ,va
none other than William Howard TAFT. I
Taft's Speech IN China.
tits a remarkable fact that the most Il
noteworthy speech ever delivered by
an American upon foreign soiIss,tas
never been printed in full in the United &
States, and that It's immense ssgnift-
cance has never been even }remoteIys
suggested here. sS,t. g III NJ
2 q elai - idLIE Wentaslo sIokfOT last
autumn as the personal Representatives a3
( OF the President. The Japanese saw h, Il
him the bearer OF motive branch and y
5 In Toxic he declared war between the
United States. and Japan was an un-5
thfnkab1e crime. &:
t Then he Went to China. At bans
quet at the Astor House. in Shanghai.
he told the Chinese that the United
States was China's friend. and would
hnr frr la ~
baNavs ae rer rasar ID s., s.
Of the business. official and profes-
sional Chinese world
The heads OF the gigantic China Mers
chants Company and the famous SIX
Companies. representing four-fifths OF
all the internal commerce of China.
heard him Further, they had tpri-
.vate conference with him, from which
they came forth smiling and happy,
When Secretary Taft gave these as
5s,irances. the American battle fleet was
already making Preparations for It's
sensational cruise to the East. and all
the world was wondering what IN
meant
The Chinese business men believed
they understood. They still believe.
in view OF what Secretary Taft told
them, that they understood Alright.
The Sensation of the Enst.
Unheralded and almost unheard OF
in the United States that speech
promptly became the sensation OF the
East. It is known and published and
circulated In every Asiatic country
where there is unrest and uncertainty.
and fear OF foreign Interference or
ambition for independence OF Euro-
pean espionage. szEsss q 8 8
1t is talked about on the street corr
7ners of Pel<in and Lhassa, OF Delhi
and Singapore; and as the American
navy nears Oriental ports It's signifi-M
cance Is weighed as never before.
Declaring that Americas Far East
ern policy is one of positive and der
termined strength, Secretary Taft said
to the Chin sse nation: 5
ssTIiere is not the slightest danger
of II sudden cessation of the present
Philippines. such n. would he involved n
in n sale of these islands, and for cur
present purpose the attitude of the
United Statee toward China must her,
regarded not alone AS a. country
!intcrcstcd iu the trade of China, hut
also ns. n power owning territory In III
Chlna'A Immediate neighborhooti.''s
The John Hay Policy.
This was accepted by the Chinese as
definite confirmation OF the reports
then universally accepted In the East,
but little heard in America, that the
fleets mission In China X
waters was to give point and emphasis
to this very declaration, and to refutei &
the stories so industriously circulated
by the Japanese. that the United States
was about to sell the philippines to- Ill
Japan The possibility OF Japan,s COM
ing into ownership OF the archipelago u
was especially feared by the Chinese.
Secretary Taft proceeded: 3s rs
'"The policy of the government Of the si
United States has been authoritatively \
manent safety and peace of the Chinese.
the preserva ton OF China's territorial
and administrative entity, the protec-s
ton OF all rights guaranteed by her.
to friendly powers by treaty and in-S
law, and, as safeguard fsSa
for the world. the principle OF equal
and Impartial trade with all parts Of
the Chinese empire.
This was the policy which John
Hay made famous as that of tha open
door, BY written memoranda UNI all lSsi5
the great powers interested In s the ss
trade OF China have subscribed to Its a
wisdom and declared their adherence
to 1T. # l
"The government of the United Staten
has not deyiated In the slightest way sSl
from Its attitude In this regard sinca
the policy was announced In lOO0. sssssss
Objection Was Withdrawn. s
To the Chinese this forcetul reiterA-s
tion of the John Hay policy carno \; = sss
n diplomatic assurance 4 backed by a-s9fs
inch guns, for at that very time tlias Sssi
Japanese government was denying the s
entity of China by forci-s4Sa
bly, ohjecting to the building of II
Fakunen Railway, "a Chinese olect sS
backed by Chinese capital, to be htiilt ssssI sI
entirely on Chinese sol
a Since the American fleet left sa1 5SSSs