Norwich bulletin., 1909-12-08
OPEN DOOR IN CHINA.
United States Insisting on Equality
 of Opportunity For All Nations.

In the far east this government pre- serves unchanged it's policy of support ing the principle of equality of oppor- tunity and scrupulous respect for the integrity of the Chinese empire, to which policy are pledged the interested powers of both east and west.
 By the treaty of 1903 China has un- dertaken the abolition of lilSin with a moderate and proportionate raising of the customs tariff along with currency reform. These reforms being of mani fest advantage to foreign commerce as well as to the interests of China, this government is endeavoring to facili- tate these measures and the needful acquiescence of the treaty powers. When 1t appeared that Chinese likin revenues were to be hypothecated to foreign bankers in connection with a great railway project it was obvious that the governments whose nationals held this loan would have a certain direct interest in the question of the carrying out by China of the reforms in question. Because this railroad loan represented a practical and real application of the open door policy through cooperation with China by Interested powers, as well as because of it's relations to the reforms referred to above, the administration deemed American participation to be of great national interest. Happily, when it oF gent that this opportunity should not be lost, the indispensable instrumental ity presented itself when group of American bankers of international reputation and great resources agreed at once to share ill the loan upon pre- cisely such terms as this government should approve. The chief of those terms was that American railway ma terial should be upon an exact equality with that of the other nationals join ing in the loan in the placing of or ders for this whole railroad system. After months of negotiation the equal participation of Americans seems at last assured. It is gratifying that Americans will thus take their share in this extension of these great high ways of trade and to believe that such activities will give a real impetus to our commerce and will prove a prae- tical corollary to our historic policy in tn far east.
 The imperial Chinese government in pursuance of its decision to devote funds from the portion of the indem- nifty remitted by the United States to the sending of students to this coun- try has already completed arrange ments for carrying out this purpose, and considerable body of students have arrived to take up their work in our schools and universities. No one can doubt the happy effect that the as- sociations formed by these representa- tive young men will have when they return to take up their work in the progressive development of their coun- try.
 The results of the opium conference held at Shanghai last spring at the invitation of the United States have been laid before the government. The report shows that China is making re- markable progress and admirable ef- forts toward the eradication of the opium evil and that the governments concerned have not allowed their com mercial interests to interfere with helpful cooperation in this reform. Collateral investigations of the opium question in this country lead me to recommend that the manufacture, sale and use of opium and its derivatives in the United States should be so far as possible more vigorously controlled by legislation.
 In one of the Chinese-Japanese con ventions of Sept. of this year there was a provision which caused consid- erable public apprehension in that upon it's face it was believed in some quarters to seek to establish a monop- oly Of mining privileges along the South Manchurian and Antung-Muk- den railroads and thus to exclude Americans from wide field of enter prise, to take part in which they were by treaty with China entitled. After a thorough examination of the conven- tons and of the several contextua' documents the secretary of state reach ed the conclusion that no such monop- oly was intended. or accomplished. However. in view of the widespread discussion of this question, to confirm the view it had reached this govern ment made inquiry of the imperial Chinese and Japanese governments and received from each official assur- ance that the provision had no purpose inconsistent with the policy of equality of opportunity to which the sigma tories, in common with the United States, are pledged.
 Relations With Japan.
 Our traditional relations with the Japanese empire continue cordial. as usual. As the representative of Japan his imperial highness Prince Kuni visited the Hudson-Fulton celebration. The recent visit of a delegation of prominent business men as guests Of the chambers of commerce of the Pa ! cific slope, whose representatives had been so agreeably received in Japan, will doubtless contribute to the grow ing trade across the Pacific, as well as to that mutual understanding which l leads to mutual appreciation. The ar- of 1908 for a cooperative 1 control of the coming of laborers to l the United States has proved to work | The matter of revi- |