Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-23
in MODERN CHINA
TTI-Future American Relations
By Frederic j. HaSkin

are grinding on that particular grist.
1t is especially apparent that America
may, If 1t Will, have the lions share
in influencing the remoulding of Ash
attic institutions in China. The Ameri-
can influence is more evident in modern
Japan than is that of Europe. In China
the same story will be told, with the
American element perhaps even more
in evidence. The youngest civilization
of the Occident and the Oldest civillza-
tion of the Orient are now drawn to-
gether by ties of mutual and common
interest. and the prophecy of Seward
may soon be fulfilled.
In actual practice at this time the
United States is doing much to help
China both in politics and business.
The American government is taking
the initiative in supporting the Chinese
appeal to the powers for a revision of
the conventional tariff of China, which
will enable the Chinese government to
obtain revenue sufficient to carry out
necessary reforms in the taxation and
currency system of the country The
need for Increased revenue is abso-
lutely imperative and the United
States is strongly supporting the Chi
nese position with relation to the tariff,
despite the fact that the tariff might
in some instances initiate against
American business for the time being
The unselfishness of this attitude Is
not lost upon the people of China, as
the Chinese press has called attention
to it with praise.
Furthermore, the American govern
meut is steadfast In its devotion to the
principle of the "open door" 1t is true
that the American declarations have
not accomplished a great deal, despite
the pominal adhesion of all the powers
70 aas.1a WAI
door" principle has been violated con-
sistently all the time. Russia was the
chief offender, and Japan went to war,
as it declared, partly to drive Russia
out and open the door" Now, how
ever, Japan claims all the rights" then
exercised and held by Russia, and the
"open door" is still but fiction in
Manchuria.
1t would have been necessary for the
United States to have backed UP it's
diplomatic declarations with its army
and navy to have given full force and
effect to its open door" negotiations.
That was at the time impossible and
unthinkable. But now 1t is possible
that the issue has been removed from
the battlefield to the courtroom, and
| the United States is tacitly supporting
China in its efforts to take the dif-
ferences with Japan before The Hague
tribunal. In the Russian negotiations
lllt american lIllutDtc WAS IlOl OIllJ
passively. but actively, on the side of
the Chinese.
Commercially, Wall street, at the sug-
gestion of the Washington government,
has stricken from the Chinese limbs
the shackles of financial slavery. Every
foreign loan that China has negotiated
for the building of railroads and other
internal improvements has been saddled
with provisions compelling the Chinese
to purchase supplies in the closed
market Of the nation granting the loan.
A closed market without competition is
necessarily a high market and China
has built railroads at a cost excessively
and unwarrantably high. Now the
American bankers offer to loan money
to China for internal improvements
lupon ordinary banking terms, which
demand nothing of the Chinese except
the payment Of interest. They may buy
their supplies in the open markets of
| the world from the lowest bidder in
| free competition. In future loan nego-
| tiations the European nations must
meet these terms or the loans will go to
Wall street in entirety.
Under the stimulation of aroused
activity at Washington with respect to
oriental affairs, there is little doubt
that American merchants will awake to
| their opportunity and take advantage
! tend their trade and lay the foundation
for the future market Of that awaken
| ing empire. There are many practical
difficulties in the way of this CONNER
! cial expansions but the vast majority
of these obstacles are on the American
side of the Pacific and may be over
come by Americans themselves. China
is ready to buy from America If the
| Americans will bring China what she
needs and wants.
The future relations of China and
the United States. so far as can be
judged by the past and the present,
will be exceedingly close. The United
states will figure as the champion Of
the rights and integrity of China,
standing against all aggression and
supporting the doctrine of equal oppor-
tunity. With China as a friend, the
future commercial and political su-
premacy of the United States in the
Pacific ocean is assured.
TomOrrow-In Modern China: TV-Creat-
ing a National Feeling.