New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-14
The Open Door

AAAS OPCA1 0OOA
Mr.. Hughes's reaffirmation of the
"open door" principle indicates re-
turn to the policy abandoned by Mr..
Wilson when the latter sanctioned
the Lansing-Ishii agreement in No
vember, 1917, and consented in 1919
to the Shantung clause of the Yer
sailles Treaty.
Briefly stated, the "open door" pol
ley is declaration which recog-
nizes equality Of commercial oppor-
tunity for all nations in China and
denies that so-called special spheres
Of influence" claimed by various
European nations and Japan in
China entitle these nations to
discriminate commercially against
others. It is directed not against
China, but against the selfish eco
nomic exploitation of different Sec
tions of that country by those ma
tions at not only her expense but
that Of other nations. At the same
time the policy implies that her terri
torial integrity shall be preserved.
Il was enunciated by John Hay in
1899 to prevent the then threatened
dismemberment.
Following the collapse of the Chi
nese Empire, in 1894, Great Britain,
Russia, Japan, Germany and France
had endeavored to extend their in
duence to the exclusion of all
others. In 1899 England and Rus
sia agreed that England should take
China south of the Great Wall for
her sphere" and Russia should have
the country to the north. These
powers did not wholly welcome the
restraint put upon their expansion
by the "open door," but were forced
to accept it, Great Britain being the
first to acquiesce.
In 1908 the policy was reaffirmed
In the so-called Root Takahira agree
ment, which stated, among other
things, that Japan and the United
States were determined to preserve
the common interests of all powers
in China by supporting by all pacific
means at their disposal the independ-
ence and integrity of China and the
principle of equal opportunity for
commerce and industry Of all nations
In that empire"
Soon after the beginning Of the
Norld War, however, Japan ap-
sarently ignored this agreement
ny a series OF extraordinary de-
mands upon China, known as the
twenty-one demands, the severity Of
which has since been sharply criti-
cized by certain japanese statesmen.
Their effect was to disturb the Far
Eastern equilibrium.
In 1917 Mr.. Lansing made the
agreement which bears his name and
that Of Viscount Ishii, in which he
admitted a principle that negatived
the policy Of the open door. This
was 'that territorial propinquity
creates special relations between
countries, and consequently the
government Of the United States
recognizes that Japan has special
interests in China, particularly in
the part to which her possessions
are contiguous"
Even though this clause is mod
i1ed by a subsequent proviso that
neither government has any purpose
TO infringe in any way the independ-
encs or territorial integrity of China
OF the principle of equal opportunity
Tor commerce and industry in that
country, 1t has been generally used
by pro-Japanese interests there to
imply recognition by the United
States of Japan's special rights in
that country, and hence was equiva-
lent to the abandonment of the open
door policy by the United States.
Mr.. Hughes's recent declaration
makes 1T clear once more that Amer
ica will recognize no superior rights
or privileges of any particular ma
ton in China which would abridre
the rights of the nationals of other
friendly states.
Another bank Of Wilson fog has
been driven away by Mr.. Hughes's
clear statement Of an old and ac-
copied American policy.
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