Evening star., 1922-01-30
China's More or Less "0pen Door.

By the infusion of tonic in the
form Of a definite program for max
ing the open door In China a fact
instead Of motto" Secretary Hughes
has effectively stimulated the slug
gish pulse and low respiration of the
far east conference just at the mo-
ment when. according to the Brooklyn
Eagle independent democratic). "ob-
servers were predicting that little OF
nothing was to be accomplished in
solving the great Chinese problem"
The open door policy" as Mr.
Hughes defines 1t. is an effective
agreement among nations prohibiting
the establishment of ANY special
would abridge the rights Of the SUBJ
jects or citizens Of any friendly
states" To make that doctrine az
actuality instead of phrase the mead
of the American delegation to the
conference made four proposals by
which. the Hartford Times (demo,
cratic) remarks. "he put the good
faith Of the powers to the test" The
conference adopted three of them, the
net result, as the Waterbury (Conn.
Republican (republican) gives 1t, be-
ing that the delegates pledge the
nations not to seek spheres or IN
fiuence or monopolies in China in the
future. and provide for an interna.
tional board Of reference, to which
NAV be referred differences regard
ing future concessions and leases for
Investigation and report.
The American policy gains only q
partial victory in the lndorsement
ence delegates. as the Wheeling In
tellieencer (republican) points out,
because the important fourth article
was "withdrawn" upon Japans OBJ
lection. This article, which, IN the
opinion of many American editors. Is
the only one that can MAKE 1or JUS
NIT the powers to a review Of "exist-
ing concessions" and for the sub
mission of any of them which ap-
peared inconsistent with other con.
cessions or with the principle OF
equal opportunity ito ooard o. reI-
erence for the purpose OF endeavor-
ing to arrive at a satisfactory ad-
iustment on equitable terms. The
Iananese Interpretation of the open
door. as advanced by Baron Shidehara
and reported by the New York Times
"tbat' the door will be open to trade
m equal terms in those parts OF
China which have not already been
reserved for the exclusive profit and
hehoof of Japan and other powers.
Thus "the past is secure, the Phlla-
delphia Record Gndependent demo-
cratic) says. for with the abandon
ment of any attempt at retroaction
"the Hughes resolution will, not re-
!. Article " was withdrawn with
ont prejudice" it is reported. and
NAV later be considered, but it is by
no means $50 unimportant" as its
abandonment without protests sug-
gests, the New York Globe (inde-
pendent) holds Mr.. Hughes ac-
knowledged that declarations essen
his resolution were accepted in 1900
NV ali the pow ers. including Japan.
and in the opinion of the Globe. it
naturally follows "that the applica-
fion Of these principles to the con-
cessions obtained between 1900 and
1922 would not be unfair. But the
other powers have made it plain to
the cleveland Plain Dealer independent
democratic) that while they accept the
thew do not intend it to be Inter
preted too literally or applied too
reientlessly' as policy. Frankly.
'the nations have agreed that the
burglar may keep the loot he has.
but shall get no more" the Phila-
delphia Public Ledger independently
observes Some good horses have
been stolen, but the stable is to be
locked" n
But. "even thus emasculated, the
Hughes proposal is valuable" the
plain Dealer says further, for "it
furtbep wlrt p9eOes 9eneroachments," and, as the
Buffalo News {republican) expresses
1t, I'VE are getting along when eight