Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-12-04

\
been successfully concluded. and it Is
anticipated that the payment of the
/ old loan and the issuance Of the bonds
of the 1912 loan for the rehabilitation of
! the finances of Liberia will follow at
| an early date. when the new receiver
ship will go into active operation. The
new receivership will consist Of gen
eral receiver Of customs designated by
/ the government of the United States
and three receivers of customs desig
mated by the governments of Germany
France and Great Britain. which coun.
| tries have commercial interests in the
republic of Liberia.
The Far East.
| The political disturbances in China
in the autumn and winter of l9l1-l2
resulted in the abdication of the Man
| chu rulers on Feb. IL, followed by the
| formation of provisional republican
| government empowered to conduct the
affairs Of the nation until permanent
government might be regularly estab-
| liShed. The natural sympathy Of the
| American people with the assumption
F, of republican principles by the Chinese
people was appropriately expressed in
a concurrent resolution of congress on
April II. 1912.
constituent assembly. composed of
representatives duly chosen by the
people of China in the elections that
are now being held. has been called
to meet in January next to adopt a
permanent constitution and organize
the government Of the nascent repub-
lie. During the formative constitutional
stage and pending definite action by
the assembly. as expressive Of the
popular will, and the hoped for estab-
lishment Of stable republican form
of government capable Of fulfilling Its
International obligations. the United
States is, according to precedent. main
tanning full and friendly de facto re-
lations with the provisional govern
ment.
The new condition of affairs thus
created has presented many serious
and complicated problems. both of In
| ternal rehabilitation and Of interna-
tional relations, whose solution it was
realized would necessarily require
much time and patience. From the
beginning Of the upheaval last autumn
1t was felt by the United States. in
common with the other powers having
large interests In China. that indie
pendent action by the foreign govern
! ments in their own individual inter-
ests would add further confusion to
situation already complicated. A pol
Icy Of international cooperation was
accordingly adopted in an understand.
ing. reached early in the disturbances
to, act together for the protection Of
the lives and property of foreigners II
menaced. to maintain an attitude of
strict impartiaIity as between the con-
tending factions and to abstain from
any endeavor to influence the Chinese
In their organization Of a new form of
government
1t was futher mutually agreed. In
the hope Of Fastening an end to hos
tilities. that none Of the interested pow
ers would approve the making Of loans
by its nationals to either side. AS soon.
however. as a united provisional gov
eminent of China was assured, the
United States joined in favorable
consideration Of that governments re-
quest for advances needed for imme-
date administrative necessities and
later for loan to effect permanent
national reorganization. The interested
governments had already. by common
consent, adopted in respect to the pur-
poses. expenditure and security of any
loans to China made by their nationals.
certain conditions which were held to
be essential. not only to secure reason
able protection for the foreign invest
ors. but also to safeguard and strength
en- China's credit by discouraging indis-
criminate borrowing and by insuring
the application Of the funds toward the
establishment Of the stable and effec-
tive government necessary to China's
welfare.
In June last representative banking
groups of the United States France,
Germany. Great Britain. Japan and
Russia formulated. with the general
sanction Of their respective govern
ments, the guarantees that would be
expected In relation to the expenditure
and security Of the large reorganization
loan desired by China. which. however.
have thus far proved unacceptable to
the provisional government.
The Cuban Situation.
The republic of Cuba last May was In
the throes of lawless uprising that
for a time threatened the destruction
of great deal of valuable property
much Of 1t owned by Americans and
other foreigners-as well as the exist
ence Of the government itself. The
armed force of Cuba being inadequate
to guard property from attack and at
the same time properly to operate
against the rebels, force Of American
marines was dispatched from our naval
station az Guantanamo into the province
Of Oriente for the protection of Ameri-
can and other foreign life and property
The Cuban government was thus able
to use all its forces In putting down the
outbreak, which 1t succeeded in doing
H. - t.