The New York herald., 1921-11-09
WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 9, 1921.
The Distinction John Hay Made.

The Distinction John Hay Made.
Soon after the beginning of mill
tary operations in the war between
Russia and Japan, and with a view
to preserving the integrity Of China
against the accidents of that strug.
gle, Secretary JOHN HAY addressed
from Washington to our diplomatic
representatives at st. Petersburg,
Toxic and Pekin this note Of In
structions, dated February 10, 1904:
You will express to the Minister
OF Foreign Affairs the earnest desire
OF the Government OF the United
States that in the course of the
military operations which have begun
between Russia and Japan the neu-
trality of China and in all practic-
able ways her administrative entity
shall be respected by both parties.
and that the area Of hostilit!es shall
be localized and limited as much as
possible, so that undue excitement
and disturbance of the Chinese peo-
pie may be prevented and the least
possible loss to the commerce and
peaceful intercourse OF tho world
may be occasioned."
The purpose and scope and limita-
tions Of this effort on the part OF
the sane statesman who gave to the
country and the world the American
doctrine of the Open Door were ex-
planned three days later in private
note for the information of the Edi-
tor OF TIE Sun. This letter, we be
liev& is now for the first time
prinasd:
IL think you will see there is no
dynamite in this and no promise or
potency OF it.
"We ors not forming an ulN-
snce 10TH any one: we are not bind
ing ourselves to any action, !rnmo-
date or prospective. We are simply
trying to get both of the combatants
to agree not to drag China into
anarchy--a thing to be deprecated
BY all the world. Yours faithfully,
John HAY.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
"'wAsuINGToN, February IS. 1904"
The distinction here so clearly
drawn between a voluntary agree
ment of international cooperation,
morally binding on both parties but
embodied in no formal treaty, and,
on the other hand, an entangling alli-
ance fraught with the potency il not
the promise of unforeseen RESPONSE.
bilities and complications, is of con-
siderable present interest. It is
characteristic Of JOHN HAYS policy
and methods throughout his labors
ir behalf Of the Open Door in China
end the protection of the Chinese
nation against spoliation by greedy
nggressors.
Association and cooperation with
out alliancel That was the basis OF
our own participation in the recent
war with the Central Powers.
What Secretary HAY meant by the
dynamite" there might be in an alli.
ance to bring about the result he
had at heart II is not difficult to
conjecture.
Suppose he had proposed to the in
terested Powers a league OF nations
Of the Wilsonian kind, subordinating
national sovereignty TO supergov.
ornamental scheme.
Or suppose he had proposed a cast
iron treaty contract, to which the
United States was a party. estal-
fishing a joint guaranty Of China
neutrality and integrity during and
after the war then beginning. That
would have been an alliance. and a
committal on our part TO military
action, IL necessary, TO enforce neu.
trality and to safeguard admins
trstive estity." IL would even have
been an agreement to engage in war
operations, IL necessary. to compel
China to remain neutral; and what
would have been our plight, after
having guaranteed China's neutral
ity, IL through q revolution in her
Government, or through an upheaval
OF Chinese sentiment unfavorable tc
foreign participation In her affairs
ohe should have refused to remain
neutral? What would have been our
lob II league duty or treaty engage
ment had summoned us to force
these four hundred million people
half way around the globe. back into
the neutral state for which we had
made ourselves responsible?
Plainly. that was what JOHN HAY