The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-21
PULLING OFF FROM CHINA

The foundation of the foreign policy OF the De
rnocratio marty of this country. George Wash
,ngton and Thomas jefferson were fearful al
ways lest their young republic become tangled
In the foul and treacherous politics Of Europe
base and foolish then now. MIR Washington
and Mr.. jefferson were persons regarded In their
zine as possessing some sagacity and foresight
It is well TO refer back occasionally to their
actual principles and utterances, even If we
must do so in secret to avoid having the stigma
OF 'reactionary" Pit upon us by Colonel Roose-
welt and our swift friends of the West.
President Wilson seems to have gone back to
the foundation when he Cancelled the guarantee
given by our government, under authority of
President Taft to the group Of American bankers
who undertook to lend the Chinese government
sixth of the money it Is trying to borrow from
the world When we would know whether any
given action is right and sensible we must first
consider the argument against 1t,
The South and Richmond has direct interest
In the matter because China is an enormous
market for our cotton goods. Formerly the sec
tions of South Carolina to which this city sells
goods shipped train load after train load of
in Virginia we have some trade with that coun
try, ginseng and other articles. The gentle
man who. from present Indications will be our
next governor, the Hon IT, c. Stuart. has among
bis other enterprises large ginseng farm on
which the root is cultivated for the Chinese
trade
We cannot accept the Washington and Jefrer
Neither of these citizens imagined the possibility
of our having large interests In and with Asia
They were instructing and guiding feeble and
raw confederacy, cIinging to the edge of a huge
and unexplored continent, doubtful sometimes
whether it could hold its own against the Indians
Their anxious. minds were on the viIlanies and
intrigues Of European diplomacy and the Euro
pean greed for territory They never imagined that
the country, the concern of which then was to
borrow little gold at Amsterdam, would be in
position to finance the empire or the newborn
republic OF China.
Obviously the purpose of President Taft in
offering to guarantee government aid If needed
In collecting interest and finally principal On
the proposed loan was to secure for this coun-
try an interest there. Such an interest would
give Us the right TO a voice in the regulation
OF Chinese affairs and in the conduct of the
government so that our trade rights and oppor-
tunities might be protected The VirginIan is
not among those who sheer at dollar diplomacy,
II is very we'll for statesmen drawing salaries
from the government, college professors and
doctrinaries and established millionaires to scorn
the dollar, hut those Of us who have livings to
make find it a mighty handy thing to have NOV.
ing about ard coming in One Of the duties and
functions Of government is to foster and help OK.
tend commerce, 10 provide opportunities for the
enterprise Of its own people and work for their
hands TO do. The question is whether this
special investment Of the money of our bankers
and the power Of our government would be
wise
We have interests in China we have mis-
sions and missionaries there. considerable
number of our citizens live there and many others
have large investments. We have the same
pretext. or Justification, for interference, If it
becomes necessary. we had at the time of the
boxer disturbances. The chief, and probably the
conclusive objection to our participation, as
government. in the proposed one-sixth of total
loan IS that inevitably we would be drawn into
sntangling alliances with the European powers
who would furnish the other fvesixths Our
Interest in China is to build up the country and
develop trade along legitimate mercantile lines
The interest of the European powers is to tear
the country to pieces, each trying 10 grab from
the other the biggest and richest piece TO estab-
fish the largest and most important sphere OF
influence" We would be in the position of a
philanthropist in association with FIVE greedy
Woves. We might be able to do good and by a
policy of honesty and fairness help to give the
new republic peace and stability and its people
prosperity. TN our effort to do this we might
be drawn into quarrels and complications which
would cost us enormously in money and men.
No business man buys law suit If he can avoid
u or buys into 2 disturbance or dubious expert
naent- AS the proposed loan is business enter
prise strictly. it should be considered ON bust
ness prineiplea
Those who study ont the subject deliberately
viii conclude. we think, that President Wilson