The Washington herald., 1921-02-20

NEW YORK, Feb. 1s.-One Of the
distinguished visitors to New York
during the week was Carl L. Seitz,
Of Shanghai. Mr.. Seitz is an Amer
lean. who has been engaged in busi-
ness IN China for the past twenty
si< years He controls vast ship
ping and lumber corporations and
Is one Of the most representative
business men in the Orient.
He is q world traveller, having
twice crossed Borneo, voyaged to
the far-away patches Of the South
Sea Islands on the outer rim OF the
world. At sea and on land, under
the blaze Of the Southern Cross, or
amid the fogs Of London, Seitz is
equally at home.
1t Is quite surprising the num-
Der OF Americans who are making
good in Shanghai. The majority
have been selected by Mr.. Seitz, who
is devoting most Of his time in de-
veloping American trade with
China. He believes in American en-
teprises and has faith in his coun-
trymen-
American enterprises have sut-
fered in China recently, because
they have not been placed on an
equal footing with their competi-
tors British business predOminates
in China, being operated under the
British Hongkong Company ordr-
'nances, which have been extended
oF Pr1fisb rnpn
panies throughout China under the
extra-territorial Jurisdiction priv
leges which foreign powers enjoy
in China.
In China the American merchant
alone is taxed. British merchants
as also French, japanese and Chi
nese pay no income or excess prof1ts
tax. Consequently American busi-
ness can not survive in active COM
petition, and existing trade Condi-
tions in China show that relief is
urgently needed.
So long as this handicap exists
il is not possible for American
business in China to interest Chi
nese capital in building up joint en-
terprises. The fact that the trade
between the United States anC
r'hins has nearly quadrupled in If
teen years gives some idea Of fu
Jure possibilities if American firms
can be afforded the same opportu'
mites as their competitors.
Shanghai has a large American
colusy. They drift back to Amer
lea almost every year and there 1!
talk Of a Shanghai Club in New
York where Americans may put VI
when they arrive. Every one knows
every one else in that city. There
is a remarkable comraderie among
them.
Nearly every American who visit!
Shanghai eventually meets Car
SeitZ- What Rodman Wanamakel
is to New York as an officia
greetsr. so Seitz is to Shanghai. anC
Shanghai is the most popular Of al
Chinese cities.
There are quite a number OF
clubs with strictly American mem
berships. Tom Miuard, an ole
Herald reporter, is running al
American newspaper out there. H
has been very successful.
The standards for Americans il
China in the American colonies ar,
very high. They are even subjec
to espionage on the great steamers
crossing the Pacific and after they
arrive they are not permitted to e
to work until they are officially en-,
tertained. While on pleasure bent
al rule, the worst side of a mans
nature is revealed.
IL the American does not meas.
ure up to the standards fixed by
their countrymen in China he doe.
not remain. He gets his passage
home, a lump sum of money and the
incident becomes a closed book II
strange countries men sometime.
throw on their natural inhibition.
and forget the standards Of theil