Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-09
AMERICA AND CHINA
Bv Frederic j. Haskin

IFTEEEsgzssl A1ERICANS always nave Deeh
lNYH al IN a r k e d l y Indifferent to
IM Hl questions of foreign AFFAIRS.
l ID Partly because the rapid
I@Ad nj growth and development of
ll5sssoAsszl the country at home has alb
sorbed almost all available energy,
partly because business has not de-
pended in any appreciabie degree upon
foreign market, partly because of
Yankee conceit and partly because OF
Grass Ignorance of the rest of the
world, Americans have practically ta-
booed all discussion of foreign affairs
as bore. The dignified and conserva-
tive gentlemen who have sat in the
chair of the secretary of state at the
right hand of the presidents council
table have congratulated themselves
that they were nearly immune from
the irritations of frequent public dis
cussions of the foreign relations of the
country. There are indications that
that the state department has at last
realized the necessity of the co-opera-
ton of the public, but it will require
many long years to educate the people
to a proper appreciation of the enor-
nous stake at issue,
Within the past two years the Amer
lean public has manifested a greater
interest in the future of the foreign re-
lations of the nation than ever before.
L llO uuAy VI lllb OIl1ltu OldlbS " CuA-
tivate closer trade relations with the
South American republics and with
Oriental nations is beginning to be ap-
preciated by American business men.
Without the cooperation of the busi~
ness public all efforts made by the
diplomatic and consular bodies to eX-
tend American trade abroad will fail.
The American self-sufficiency will
not last forever The day when the eX-
.ir,1
seriously cut down is already in sight.
1t is imperative that American manu-
facturers find and build up a market
abroad for manufactured products. 1t
is with this end in view that the
American people have consented to
pay for the most expensive and gil
gantic engineering work ever under
taken-the Panama canal. 1t is with
this end in view that the diplomatic
arm of the Washington government
has prepared the soil of China. If the
merchants and manufacturers will take
advantage of their opportunity now 9he
harvest will be bountiful
China presents the greatest opportu-
mites for trade and industrial develop
ment of any country in the world. This
opportunity is one in which Americans
have peculiar advantages over all 9TH
er peoples. The Chinese development
is certain to come; it is now coming.
The Chinese market will certainly alb
sorb a wonderful quantity of western
wares, multiplying it's present demand
with every year. If the Americans do
not take advantage of their peculiar
opportunities the business will go to
England, Germany or Japan. The Chi
nese trade is ready for the Americans,
but the Americans must go after it
go after 1T energetically and intelli-
gently.
China today leans upon the United
States as its best friend among the ma
tions. Only the United States has al
ways respected Chinese territory, only
the United States has always treated
China as a nation possessing full SOW
ereign powers, only the United States
has a record of diplomatic relations
with China which is unsullied by any
stain of greed or rapaciousness. The
United States has not gone as far as
China has expected it to go In certain
matters, but it is the only nation which
has manifested the disposition to sup
port in practical fashion Chinese plans
for internal reforms.
The friendship for America and
things American is being rapidly ex-
tended through China by the influence
of education. The majority of the for
eign schools in China, to which the
ChlneSe youth repair for western learn
ing, are conducted by American mis-
sionaries. These missionaries, for the
most part, realize their responsibilities
and their shortcomings. They know
that they never will be able to destroy
the Chinese mind, and they know that
they never will be able to convert the
Chinese to that particular dogmatic
Christianity which predominates in the
United States. But they do know that
they can give light to the Chinese
mind; that they can teach the Chinese
boys and girls the western learning
which is the result of Christian educa-
ton and civilization; that they can COR
rect evils and abate abuses. They do
know that they have educated many
good men and women; they do know
that they have practically put an end
to the practice of foot-binding; they do
know that they have helped the Chi
nese in the fight against opium; they
do know that they have replaced a
philosophy of pessimism with a religion
Of optimism, even II that religion has
not received a dogmatic acceptance.
The Chinese Christian church will diff
fer from the American Christian
church as much as the Church of Eng
land differs from the Church of Arme-
mia; but 1t will be Christian in its gen.
eral concepts.
The missionaries have done another
thing-they have turned the thoughts
of young China toward America as the
fountain of western learning and wis