The Washington times., 1923-12-11
OPEN DOOR
CLOSING
TO U.s..
Expert Points Out Result Of
Island Empires Far
Seeing Policy.

By W. F. FULLAM,
Rear Admiral. o. 8. N, (Retiredl.
Copyright. 1898. by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)
Foreign trade is q species Of
war. It is waged in virtual
accord with the principles that
govern actual warfare. In the
commercial strife between nations
there is no poetry, no sentiment
none whatever.
In the campaigns and battles
between nations in quest Of the
almighty dollar we find the same
bitterness, the same relentless
ness, the same strategy, the same
tactics that prevail in world
war.
Nation All Ready.
When nations line up for this war
for dollars we find that they have
spies. sentinels, administers, 'front.'
line trenches, bases OF supply-it
e a war organization. And when
the fog and smoke clear away over
land and sea It win be found that
the winning nation is the one that
practiced preparedness" In an, Of
fensive and defensive organization
perfect In every detail from front
to rear-from the advanced slzirm.
ish line across the oceans to the har-
bors Of refuge along the commercial
routes back to the main bases at
home.
Preparedness and organization al
ways win. A strong far-sighted
national policy, backed by wise laws
that conserve the interests of the
nation and Of the whole people will
inevitably triumph. The nation that
ignores this truism dooms itself to
humiliating defeat In the worlds
commercial strife. It surrenders the
vast benefits Of foreign trade. It
grossly neglects its duty to fits farm
ers. it's merchants, its citizens In
every peaceful trade and occupa-
ton. It proves its incompetency to
control its own destiny In peace
and war.
eAAAA-SAA4Abe
This subject f. Of paramount i'm.
portance today. The United States
has q vast interest at stake. II Is
interesting, as II II alarming and hu.
initiating to contrast our policy and
our preparedness with thos6s0R our
competitors. -.s.s
An English writer IN the Nine.
teenth Century Magazine paints q
picture for us, and sounds q warn.
ing for the people Of the United
States that no statesman and no
political party in this country has
seen tit to do, or has had the vision
to do!
He says: Suffice it to say that
the question of the China trade
that Is, trade with some 420, 900, 900
industrious folk-must sooner or
later become the bone of contention
between Japan and her chief COM
United States"
Japanese Policy Stated.
The semi-official japanese Journal
put this clearly in 1914, saying:
mot only viii Japan try to erase the
ambitions of Russia and Germany, It
will also do its best to prevent Eng
land and the United States from
touching the Chinese cake"
The policy Of Japan, shown in
the famous twenty-one demands
she put on China in 1915, involved
the complete control Of China by
Japan.
I'm 1920 the share OF the British
Empire In the foreign trade of
China was 18 per cent, japan, %
per cent, and the United States
16 per cent.
Now there IL a movement in
the Philippines in favor of indie.
pendence from America, just as
there used to be movement in
Korea in favor of independence
from China. and should this move
ment receive open or secret sup
port from Japan, there is little
doubt that the fate Of Korea would
follow for the Philippines. In
this case from what T heard in
America last year, 1t IL not incon.
seivable that America would acqui.
esce rather than fight"
Conclusions Drawn.
In this frank and perfectly truth.
ful statement by an Englishman
we find the following main conclu.
gions:
l. That commercial bases and out.
lying possessions beyond seas are OF
great value to q nation.
2. That the trade OF China Is a
bone Of contention" between al
least three nations.
3. That the independence Of the
philippines would not only be a
loss to the United States, but would
ultimately lure the islands tn the
fate Of Korea.
4. That the United States will
surrender its rights and it's advan.
tages in the Philippines rather than
fight for them.
.. That the United States will