Denver labor bulletin., 1917-01-27

| powers OF the united StateS Inlnk
that at the close of the war their in
ternational interests may be endan-
gered by some foreign commercial
group. In further support of that
statement / will here explain briefly
the drama now being enacted in the
Orient, which at the close of the war
may draw fresh characters, among
them being the United States.
During the last fifty years China
has been subjected to unscrupulous
exploitation by all the great CONNER
cial powers of the world. They have,
like birds of prey, hovered over the
land and snatched up everything that
looked worth while. They have di-
vided China into spheres of influ-
ence," and chopped off a piece here
and a piece there, raised flag over
it, and used it as a base for troops
with which to overawe the Chinese
masses. Great Britain, acting in be-
half of its imperial financiers and
traders, has raised the British flag
over Hongkong, and established ma
val base further north. Germany
had a colony in China, but Japan
captured it shortly after the out
break of the war. Other powers have
established themselves in one form
or another on Chinese soil-on be-
half of their traders and financiers.
A number of them claim spheres of
influence" and between them they
have established what is known as
the "open door" doctrine.
The open door is doctrine sup
posed to be agreed to by all the COM
mercial and financial powers doing
business in China. China is supposed
to be an open field to the financiers
and traders of the world, and the
door" to this field is supposed to be
wide open. No group or combination
of groups is supposed to offer re-
strictions or obstacles to another
group. 1t is a sort of an agreement
between thieves, grafters and conf
dence men-free field for all.
Open Preserve For Nations.
The drama that is now being en-
acted in the Orient is entitled THE
| Closing of the Open Door" Now that
the European powers are engaged IN
a gigantic war, Japan, seeing her op-
portunity, is busily engaged in grab
bing up Chinese trade, which accord
ing to business ethics she is perfectly
justified in doing. She has notable
precedent in England and its grab
bing of German international trade
whilst Germany is busy in Europe.
Also the United States in its grab
bing of the loose trade of all the bel
ligerents. Business is business"
and business is a game of grab"
1t looks on the face of it as if
Japan, aided by Russia, is aiming to-
wards closing the open door, either
by direct political domination over
China or indirectly thru political in
fluence. The latter is more likely the
object of Japanese and Russian big
business.
Now here is where the United
States comes in. American big bust
ness has large interests in China
The Standard Oil company has
growing trade there; American fl
nanciers have railway concessions
and are expecting more, and Ameri-
can big business in general has
either already established itself or
has it's eyes on Chinese trade. The
closing of the open door will endan-
ger this trade.
Possibility of War With Japan.
But if big business has its way the
open door will not be closed. If it
cannot be kept open by agreement
between Japan, the United States and
the European powers, then, if big
business has its way, there will be
war between the United States and
on the side of Japan and one or more
of the European powers on the side
of the United States. That is, if big
business has it's way.
And big business has often had its
way. 1t had its way in the Spanish
American war. 1t very nearly had
its way in Mexico recently, and still
further back when the United States
marines landed in Vera Cruz and
fighting occurred. And it had its way
in Nicaragua, and still has its way
there.
And in support of the statement
that the open door will not be closed
in China if big business has its way
and that war will occur if it is closed,
| refer you to the stand taken by the
kept press, mouthpece of American
trade and finance.
The Far Eastern Review, published
at Shanghai, organ of American i'm
peralism and big business in the
Orient, has been most industriously
engaged for some time now in stir
ring up the business world to a
realization of what the closing of the
open door means to American bust
ness. Its editorials and certain arti-
cles published in it, are calculated to
cause sentiment against Japan, and
are misleading to the people not ac-
quainted with the motive back of
them. Doubtless this organ of big
DuSllleSS hnOWS one reason why Jne
United States should have a big
navy.
Some Papers Are Very Frank.
The journals of the big cities do
not, as a rule, tell frankly what a
big navy and army are wanted for.
They beat about the bush and fool
their readers with high-sounding
stuff like national defense" But
the papers of the smaller cities are