Evening star., 1922-01-19

prive other nationals OF the right Of
undertaking any legitimate trade or
| industry in China. or OF partfcipatin 6
4 with the Chinese government or with
any local authority in any category
Of public enterprise, or which by
reason of its scope, duration or
geographical extent IL calculated to
Illustrate the practical application OF
the principle Of equal opportunity.
| ut is understood that this agree
ment is not to be SO construed al
to prohibit the acquisition of such
properties or rights as may be nee
commercial, Industrial or financial
1 undertaking. or to the encouragement
| OF invention and research.
| China Takes Note.
III. The Chinese government
takes note of the above agreement
and declares it's intention Of being
guided by the same principles In
dealing with applications for eco
nomic rights and privileges from
governments and nationals of all
foreign countries, whether parties to
that agreement or not.
iii. The powers, including China
represented at this conference agree
IN principle to the establishment IN
China of a board Of reference to
which any question arising on the
above agreement and declaration may
be referred for investigation and re-
port.
| IA detailed scheme for the constftu-
tion Of the board shall be framed py
China of a board Of reference. to
article 1 of the convention on Chinese
customs duties.)"
| II were desired by any delegate az
this time to bring forward article Nv,
it could be dealt with at once.
| Mr.. SEE said that in view of the fact
| that time was limited. he asked the
chairman to extend the right just
mentioned by him Of bringing up the
substance of section w at a later
/! time
The chairman assented.
Railways to Be Discussed.
| The chairman said that there was
one subject which might possibly be
dealt with in the short time left be-
! fore adjournment. With the reserva-
ton which had been made. the com .
mitteo would approach as the next
] subject on the American agenda the
4 matter of railways in China. lneiuo-
! ing the specific matter OF the Chlhese
l Eastern railway.
He added that he did not intend 10
review the history Of that enterprise.
He assumed that 1t was familiar TO
all. and that each delegate had before
him or at his command the 1ocu-
mentary history of the Chinese East
ern railway. The members of the com
mittee were probably conversant with
the problems before them in relation
/ to the proper and efficient manage
ment Of that important line or com
munication. These problems con-
cerned finance. the form OF manage
ment and efficiency of management
So far as the United States OF America
was concerned. there was but one IN.
| terest and that was that the railroao Q
| should be maintained as an artery oi
lcommerce, with free opportunity TO al
! and unfair discrimination against
none.
J derstood it. the concluding para graph
! Of article of the resolution was IN
| tended to protect the particular com
! mcrcial. industrial or financial under.
| takings which might be prosecuted
! consistently with the maintenance OF
| the general principle which. was
i stated in paragraphs ta) and I'd
| PARAGRAPH Oh referred to such un-
dertakings which. by reason OF ehelr
l'scope, duration or geograpnlcal eA-
| tent. were calculated to frustrate tne
| practical application Of the principle
| Of equal opportunity. AS he had ex-
| planned the day before. they were
dealing with the open door-an ave
| nue. to opportunity, an avenue TO ie-
| gitimate enterprise-and not win
obstacles to legitimate enterprise
and all that was embraced In the va
! rious undertakings which, to the eN-
| tent Of the particular rights essential
| to their prosecution. Of course, mo-
| nopolized a special line Of endeavor
! in a concrete or particular case. were
amply protected by the last clause Of
the first article. The purpose was,
| however, to safeguard the principle.
| SO that, under the gulse OF particular
underfak inCs. there should not be any
assertion Of a general superiority OF
| right. or a monopoly or preference
| which would be in conflict with the
| principles to which we adhere.
| Questions About Consortium.
Baron de Cartier asked il. in view
| of the proposed withdrawal of ar
| ticle ". whether there would be any
| change, in the declaration made by
Sir Auckland Geddes?
i The chairman asked II the REFER
! ence to the consortium was meant.
| Baron de Cartier having confirmed
| this, the chairman continued, saying
! that the reference made was to the
consortium, and the adoption Of this
| with the activities of the consortium
which. for the purpose Of helpful CO.
! operation. were entirely consistent
with the principles declared.
4 The chairman added that there
i were two verbal Amendments. one
Belgian ambassador, that in place OF
| the words provincial government
| in paragraph (b) Of article should
be inserted the words local author
ity." He understood that that amend
ment was adopted with the consen,
of all
| The other amendment was the one
suggested at the present meeting
with respect to article Ill. and that
was the omission of the words ''in
| principle"
He added that he would like to say
were many cases in which the use
| of the words in principle" which
had the sanction of abundant usage
I might be taken to detract from the
force OF any specific statement en-
bodying the principle. He said that
! whole statement was statement OF
a principle. In other words. there
was no attempt to prescribe details
and his own opinion was tina,
whether the words ,'in principle
were in or out. the article mean,
mission of Mr.. SEE and that under
standing, in order to avoid unneces-
| sary discussion, he would sugges,
! putting the three articles to a vote
with the one amendment of the in
sertion of local authority" in place
of provincial government"
Resources to Be Available.
'Tt is agreed on all sides that China
is country with immense poten.
tialities. She is richly endowed by
nature with arabic soil, with mine
and with raw materials of various
kinds. But those natural resources
are Of little practical value so long
as they remain undeveloped and un-
utilized. In order to make full use
of them, it seems essential that China
shall open her own door to foreign
capital and to foreign trade and en-.
l tarpriaa