Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-22

lhN a Mi teal position, Dy virtue VI lllG
lH n H obligations of diplomatic
lW EHall precedent, and in consequence
In Es&<9l of the natural and normal de-
4szs16SG velopment of the Pacific coast
section of America, Ii is inev-
liable that the United States shall play
an important part in the great interna-
tional political game of the future
which will center in China. Either the
United States will have the mastery OF
the Pacific ocean, or that honor and
power will pass out of the hands of
white nations. The American republic
has the largest interests in the Pacific
and must be moved to positive action
by the impulse of self-protection.
! In China within the next few years
questions of diplomatic and CONNER
cial Importance will arise upon the set
tlement of which will hinge the whole
future of the race In the settlement
of those questions the United States is
bound to exert great influence. 4 con-
sideration Of the past relations between
the two countries proves the peculiar
fitness of the Americans to deal with
! the issues of diplomacy in the Orient,
and indicates the line Of policy upon
which America will insist-a policy of
fairness and justice to the Chinese.
! All modern politics, national and in
.
| Questions Of the tariff, Of imperial ex-
pansion, of colonial development, of
! practically all relations between nations
and peoples, are viewed only from the
standpoint of the counting room, and
are settled to the pecuniary advantage
of the strongest or the shrewdest party
to the controversy.
In China only the United States has
conducted It's relations upon a basis of
| n c1n Cot nrIx "a
! United States. among the great powers.
| has refused to take advantage of the
| physical weaknesses Of the Chinese ma
tion. Because of this unseltlsh atti-
| tude, or perhaps in spite of it. the
! American commercial interests In China
| have not prospered as they should have
| prospered. It is now the intention and
purpose of Americans to capitalize the
| diplomatic record of their nation in
| China by taking advantage of the
friendly attitude of the Chinese to talk
business. That this is right and proper
no one will deny. and that 1t so ap-
pears to the Oriental mind Is indicated
! by the fact that the two Chinese char
acters signifying business" literally
mean "a matter of the affections"
With the American boycott In the
| foreground OF the most recent events
in China. It may be doubted by some
that the Americans have the good will
and affectionate regard of the Chinese
| but nevertheless the almost unanimous
testimony of foreigners in China indi-
Gates that It is true. The Chinese un-
hesitatingly declare It, the Americans
! believe It and regret that II is not being
turned to practical account. and the
| Europeans exhibit the liveliest curios-
ity concerning American plans, and
| show signs OF fear that the Americans
will at last wake up to the business
| OF portunities which they are now let
ting slip from them.
The Chinese know these things-that
only the United States among all the
great powers has consistently refrained
from any land-grabbing operations:
| that only the United States has re-
| Trained from exacting. or from even
| asking, for especial privileges of any
sort; that only the United States dur
! ing a diplomatic intercourse of more
| than n half century has protested
| against incursions upon the integrity oi
China by any power (several have pro-
| tested against incursions by particu-
lar powers); that only the United States
has treated with China, with one excep-
tion, as IL China We're sufficiently strong
to back UP its rights with force. The
exception is. of course, the exclusion
! treatv which might have been nego-
| tiated with a stronger nation, but
which would not have been so harshlv
| enforced II there had been danger OF
| an avenging war. The unnecessary
brutality In the enforcement of the ex-
| clusion law was responsible for the
hovcott Of American wares in China
| Under pressure Of that boycott Pres
dent Roosevelt accomplished a needed
reform In the administration Of the law.
Complaints are being heard apain, how
ever. and 1t seems that nothing short
Of an act of congress definitely liberal,
tzing the regulations as respecting all
Chinese but laborers must be passed.
The effect Of the American boycott
was not only neutrallzed, but the Unit
ed States was lifted to the first place
in the Chinese affections by the return,
or remission, of that portion OF the in
| demnity assessed after the Boxer re-
helion over AMI above remuneration
for actual damages. No other nation
but the United States has returned anN
part Of the indemnity, and as this Is
the second time America has taken
this action, the practice seems to be
peculiarly American. The remitted part
Of the indemnity will be used as a
fund to support Chinese students IN