Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-02
CHINESE WELCOME
YANKEE DOLLARS
American Capitalists Hailed as
Princes of Good Will and
China's Friends.
DOCTRINE OF OPEN DOOR

Correspondence of The Associated Press.)
Picking, Oct. 15.-Chinese news
papers are unanimous in welcoming
American capital into China to build
railroads. The announcement OF the
conclusion of the agreement whereby
Stems and Carey, financed by the
American International Corporation,
are granted contract for over 1000
miles OF railway, costing approx
mately $l00,Q00,000 gold, has been re-
ceived with great enthusiasm. Neither
the Chinese PUBLIC nor the Chinese
press has any fear that the United
States has any Interior motives.
Since the death of President Yuan
Shi-kai, the most important single
fact in the history of China has been
the signature of the Stems and Carey
railway agreement" says the Picking
Daily News. 1T reintroduces into
practical politics a principle that was
in danger of being forgotten. Ameri-
cans do not seek political power, in
fuence or sphere. They seek trade
and trade only, and they have now as
sumed that other nations seek moth
ing more and really mean what they
say when they pledge themselves to
the maintenance of the open door and
equal opportunity for all in China.
Not Lip Service"
"All the powers interested have
expressed their adhesion to the prin-
ciple of the open door, but in spite
of the lip service rendered to this
doctrine there has been sneaking de-
sire to evade its real consequences.
Great Britain, when more than once
once non-British schemes appeared to
have ramihcations that reached the
Yang-tse valley, has been obviously
uneasy; as witness the French port
of Pukow scheme and the Japanese
Hankow development project. Japan
has almost openly repudiated the
open door doctrine. The Japanese We
toes on the Chinchow-Aigun railway,
on the Hsinmintun- F akumen project,
, and on Mr.. Knox's Manchurian rail-
way naturalization proposals, all go
to show that Japan has in its heart
repudiated the open door dogma long
ago. The Japanese demands of last
year, and the corollary to them to be
found in the side issues raised in con-
nection with the Chengchiatun ne
gotiations, only confirm them. Rus
sian diplomacy for several years, and
its latest public displays of 1.-THE
treaty with Japan and the protest
against the presence of members for
Outer Mongolia in the Chinese par
liament-can only be interpreted in
the light of virtual reputation of
the doctrine of the open door. The
Germans nearly did the same thing
in Shantung previous to the outbreak
of the war.
Had the Department of State in
Washington set itself to devise test
for the sincerity of the powers that
have declared their adhesion to the
doctrine of the open door and equal
opportunity in China, it could not
have devised one better than the pres
ent contract"
Practically all the Picking papers
and the important Chinese papers in
other large centers, express satisfac-
ton at the decision of American CAPT
tai to look for an outlet in China.
For several years but little American
capital has come to China. This fact
has been discouraging to Chinese who
are interested in development pro-
jects, but the railway agreement has
given them new hope.