Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-30
Things You Want to Know p rnGss:S$s",

the railroads Of the country TO be divided
between the belgerent japanese and Rus
SLAMS. II did not take long for the world
to realize that the parchment professions of
the treaty OF Portsmouth were but prom
Uses OF piecrust. II became evident that
the possession OF the railroads amounted,
in effect. to the control OF the territory.
Ten years ago China was placed at the
mercy OF the powers by reason Of the
Boxer war and the Imprisonment Of the
legations in Picking Tho allied trOops Of
the European nations the United states
and Japan marched on the Chinese capital,
drove the court into exile looted the For.
hidden City ana terrorizcd all northern
China. Following that. campaign the
United States by John Hay. secretary OF
state. took the lead in the effort 20 save
China from partition. The powers agreed
to Hays proposal, which guaranteed the
maintenance OF the administrative entity
and territorial integrity Of the Chinese
empire. II also committed all tho powers
to tho open door policy.
Since the close of the Russo-Japanese
war and the consequent division OF railway
control in Manchurla between St Peters.
burg and Toxic, there has been DISPOSE
tion TO keep all other nations out Of Man.
churia. The open door Is open only on
paper Actually, It is closed except to
those nations owning the railways.
Although tho treaty OF Portsmouth pro-
vided expressly that nothing should inter-
fere with the development by the Chinese
of the resources OF Manchuria, It remains
' q fact that Japan and Russia have pro-
I vented the building OF railways IN Man
churia by the Chinese government-havs
prevented the Chinese from constructing
! n all HnH In 0xrta NJaN
only have they done this. but they also
have stopped railway construction pro-
posed by the Chinese and financed by
British and American capital. As matters
stand today, Japan ana Russia effectually
have shut out all the rest of the world
from Manchuria and. northern China and
there is every reason to believe that they
| intend to keep what they have. For the
time being the Russian and Japanese In
terests with regard to China are almost
Identical and the two nations, so lately at
war. will stand together in claiming their
| rights" ~
Only one of the great nations Of the
world makes no claim to special privilege
in China, holds no Chinese territory, seeks
no exclusive spheVe Of influence. That
nation is the United States of America
The story of American diplomatic rela-
Americans may be proud. for It is a rec
ord of unselfish and disinterested friend
ship. There was time when the Amerl-
cans possessed small extra territorial con-
cessions in Shanghai and Tientsin, but the
one in Shanghai was merged into an inter-
national settlement and the one in Tlentsin
was given back to the Chinese, only to be
: gobbled up Immediately BY the Germans.
All that the United States has asked in
; China is the open door," the opportunity
; to compete for trade upon an equal footing
; with other foreign competitors To obtain
/ this fair treatment the United States gov
eminent has not had TO make demands
upon Chinese. 1t is the other powers. the
3 so-called civilized nations. which put diff
; culties in the way. tt .s.
The action Of Hay in saving China from
partition among the international yultnres
had the effect of saving China as a po-
, liucal entity. The effort OF Knox to neu-
, traiiEe the control of the ManchurIan rail-
ways. had It succeeded, would have re-
r stored china's lost economic independence.
Z That the Knox policy was rejected by the
, interested powers means only that 1t was
right as opposed to wrong, however unwise
and untimely the proposition may have
: seemed TO those who are seeking thoroughly
. to enslave the Chinese.
But the fair and just diplomatic policy of
the United States as 1t applies TO China
, will not save the Americans from sharing
the fate of other foreigners If the Chinese
are aroused to an anti-foreign war. The
Chinese knows only that the foreigner Is
, his natural enemy. and a foreigner is q for
eigner. He sees the foreigner come to his
country and seize great cities and whole
provinces. Sees foreign railways enjoying a
> monopoly because the foreign governments
, will not permit the Chinese to build other
railways in Chinese territory. He sees the
foreign merchants insisting upon taking
away the stores OF rice from famine-rldden
districts. He sees the foreigner, in his
arrogance, setting aside as nailght all that
the Chinese hold dear and sacred
1t is difficult for him TO understand that
. an anti-forelgn outbreak might mean the
certain end OF his independence. He knows
only that he is being treated unfairly, that
g he rs being oppressed and that he has not
y had square deal" The encroachment
of the foreigners upon Chinese territory
y and Chinese rights must be considered as
e OF at least equal weight with ''Chinese bar.
= barism as the cause of the present anti
d foreign agitation in tho Celestial Empire.
: BY FREDERICK .HAsKxN.
e Tomorrow-rroubIs in China. nI-Mr
Z Knox's Policy,