Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-11-17
China's Approximations
Unfounded
fFrom Nnnpeapolis tribune

China appears to be somewhat
"peoVeds because she was not eonsuit-
cd about the Ishit
IatandinK before It was drafted n
lpublished. She Is to be excused ior
Ise~nsitiveness on the subject. put "
UNITED States government is less less
friendly to her than before. :
This country did not 90 to the pains
| OF consulting Latin-American coun-
tries upwards. Of a hundred years ago
! when the Monroe doctrine wa lald
down as q fundamental political 3prina
.cipleS affecting the western Rents-
phere. That doctrine was prhtnul-
gated in washington. not because our
ward the peoples of Central and South
America, but because 1t wished to be
the best possible friend to those peo-
ples. The Latin-Amertcans are not
even vet fully convinced that our In
tentions are altruistic, but they are
nearer that frame OF mind today then
ever before.
The United States has a deep heart
Interest In the independence N ter
ritorial integrity Of China. That fact
has been revealed many times and Vt
is. one of the essentials Of the Lansing
lIshit understanding. This government
is lust as firmly set as before against
the exploitation of China by any 9th
er owe 1t recognizes that Japan
| has Especial interests" in China Tor
| substantially the same reasons II
| claims for itself special Interests n
Mexico. It assumes that the inten>
tons of Japan are Just as honorable
and ~unselfish toward China as are
ours toward our neighbor. In other
words, it accepts the understanding
at its lace value and implies that 9TH
err powers, including China, will SO APP
| praise it. The understanding Is not q
treaty, Endorsed by the United States
senate. AS has been pointed out; 1t Is
q '~gentlenlen's agreement Sno4io
there come a time or circumstance
leading this government to hin the
understanding is being mislnterpret.
| ed or abused by Japan, the United
States would not be bound in honor
to abide further by it.
The United States showed its friend
/ illness to China unquestionably when
}upon its own motion it RENTED the
Boxer Indemnity. Did not China. in
its attitude toward that ~altruistic act
confess itself q nation which needed
and welcomed the kindly overnight
of a power outside itself and stronger
than itself? It has been asserted tina
!one reason which impelled China te
become q helligerent in the world wal
was that it hoped thereby to be &C
!ouitted OF indemnity obligations b,
! other great powers. If that be true
lis it not also an admission that China
stands ready to throw herself upo1
the mercy and guardianship of strong
er .poweSe Does not China thereh,
! confess herself a child among nations
requiring for her own hest welfare
the Intervention of her elders. mean
ing her elders in the fact OF stable
government.
: China should feel grateful that Thu
atmosphere has been cleared as vel
as It has by this Lansing-Ishii under
/ standing. The big. sprawling nation
still uncertain on it's feet. need ed thi'
new deAnition of japanese relations
to it This country and Japan need
led 1t still, more in view of the sus
lptcion bred largely by Germa.
tpropaSNnda and intrigue. All tn,
powers active against Germany need
ed it 10 give them a clearer motion
of what they might expect during thu
irest Of the war period We do not be
| Eeve China is going to get any thu
worst Of It on account 81 the Anieri
can-Japanese understanding.