Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1922-01-27
Washington Conference Goes
Far Toward Establishing Real
Open Door in China.
AGREEMENT BLOW TO JAPAN
Foreign Policy Of New French Gov
eminent Stated by Premier Pon.
care-lrish Free State Formally
Observation-Disclosures General
Hays Announces Coming
Resignation.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARD


G TRONGLY backed by the British
~ and Italian delegations to the
Washington conference, Secretary
Hughes and his American colleagues
last week pushed far toward compile
ticn of their plans for the establish
ment and maintenance OF a real "open
door" in China. In effect, 1t was a big
week for China and a rather unpeas-
ant one for Japan.
Mr.. Hughes submitted to the Far
Eastern committee set Of resolutions
| by which the powers In the conference.
other than China, agree: .-
"(a) Not to seek or to support their
nationals in seeking any arrangement
which might purport to establish in
favor Of their interests any general
superiority of rights with respect TO
commercial or economic development
in any designated region of China;
"(b) Not to seek or to support their
nationals In seeking any such monop-
oily or preference as would deprive
other nationals of the right of under
taking any legitimate trade or industry
in China or of participating with the
vincial government, In any category of
public enterprise, or which by reason
of Its scope. duration, or geographical
extent Is calculated to Illustrate the
practical application of the principle of
equal opportunity"
China, for its part, declares its I'm
tenton of being guided by the same
principles In dealing with applications
for economic rights and privileges
from governments and nationals Of all
foreign countries whether parties to
that agreement or not.
Provision Is made for the establish
Ing Of an international board to which
questions Of compliance with the open
door principle may be referred for in
vestigation and report. As first draft
ed, the resolutions made this applca-
Bile to existing concessions. France OBJ
jected to this and the Japanese,
though accepting the plan "ln princi-
pie" were plainly nervous and wor-
rled and asked for time to study the
text. In the interest of speedy action
the Objectionable clause was with
drawn, and thereupon the plan was
given unanimous approval by the
committee. The Americans did not |
look on this as defeat, for, under
their construction of the resolutions, |
II will still be possible TO bring before
the international commission any open
door question involving existing con-
cessons. including the privileges
which Japan>by her notorious p de-
mands forced China to concede In 1918.
The japanese maintain they got moth
Ing through those demands that vio-
lates the open door principle Ambas-
sador Shidehara does not believe the
board of reference plan is practicable,
but finally accepted It,
1t really looks as though the COM
mercial open door In the Far East Is
about to become, In the words Of Mr..
Hughes, a fact instead Of a motto.
In the latter part of the week the
committee was considering the matter
Of the reformation of China's railway
system. The British proposed that the
powers undertake to abolish all trans
portatlon discrimination in China, and
the Americans suggested that China
unity her railways under her own con-
troll with such foreign financial and
technical cooperation as may prove
necessary
Some dispute, unknown to the public
1t this writing, held up final compile
ion of the naval treaty. Apparently 1t
involved the question of Notifications,
md members of the British and Jap.