The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

then will come the molding Of this
public opinion Of China which Will re-
sources, a constantly lessenng demand
for foreign goods and ultimately the
loss OF Asiatic trade to Europe and
chinas wealth is so great that it
cannot be estimated. Take but one
example. AT Hankow, a thousand
miles inland on the great Yangtse
river, is a port which the great
ocean vessels may reach with water
to spare for the greater part of
large rivers, and, with Its sister cities
from which 1t is divided only by imag-
mary lines has a population OF 5000
nankow is the greatest anthracite coal
held in the world. In another direc-
ton, and almost as close, is d field of
soft coal the extent of which may be
only guessed at. Here. too. Is iron ore
In abundance. and the Chinese them
selves. are already making steel rails.
Let the rpirit OF Western enterprise
touch that store OF wealth. even u the
japan, and Hankow Will become new
and greater Plttsburg. which will con-
troll the steel business of the world.
billties OF the development of China's
wonderful store OF untouched raw re-
sources.
Therefore. say those who are fright
low peril. 1t behooves the powers to
take steps to insure that Japan does
not go too far In Us policy Of exclud-
at free competition in China. 1t ia all
right for Japan to increase Its COM
inerce as much as 1t can. but 1t should
that they must extend the trade OF
their nation by fair and open competi-
ton In the Eastern marts, and not by
(NO2eH
trade campaign to be enforced at tho
point OF the bayonet
The possession OF the trade OF China
Ia stake worth playing for, because
history shows that 1t has always CAL
ried with 1t the commercial supremacy
OF the world. Ancient Egypt, oldest
fleet in the He'd Sea which brought the
wealth OF China into relation with that
of tue Nile. Babylon opened trade
road across Central Asia to China and
donna >knew the value OF the Chinese
market, and in fact the trade roads
across Asia were never closed until
the maritime nations the control. In
the palmy days of the Arabic empire
bungalows from the Red Sea met the
Chinese junks at Ceylon.
Coming to the days of modern his
tory,sthe Pope once divided the world
between Portugal and Spain. the Ibe-
rian peninsula holding the scepter OF
trade. Later came the Dutch and then
the English. since which time Britain
MIA has ruled the waves. the secret OF
Great Britain's Supremacy. like that of
all It's predecessors. being its com
merce with rich old China and The
East. Now there are signs that Eng
land Is beginning to lose its prestige.
VINO. then. shall take its place? Shall
1T be America--that vigorous young
giant which sprang from the loins of
! j Ohm Bull? Or shall the orb OF empire
pass from the white man to the Orien-
tai aspirant-Japan?
| Copyright. 1908, Frederick j. Haskins.)
o-morrow-Japan on the yellow
Peril.
/ Editors Notc.-Mr Haskin contin-
ues his series of articles dealing with
politics and conditions In Japan and
I the Far East. His subjects for this
week. including the reply of the Japa-
ncse people to the arguments of those
| who fear the yellow peril. are as fol-
lows
Monday-Japnn on the yellow Peril.
Observation-Disclosures in Japan.
W ednesday--Japan's National Ex-
! position.
neutrality-suspicious. English in Ja-