The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-01-12
PARTITION OF
CHINA WOULD
INJURE u. S.
Great Powers Seem Likely
to Divide Vast Region,
Get All Trade.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripns- Howard Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-Once
again, as in 1900, China is threat
ened with yartition among the
great powers
Japan already is expanding in
northern China with the avowed
intention Of forming a new empire"
there under her protection.
London Paris ana some Of the
other capitals Of Europe openly are
sympathetic 10 Japan, on the score
that China is "hopelessly chaotic, +"
and that nothing else is left for her
TO do.
From such a stand it would be
only short step for Britain, France
and certain other great powers to
camouhage similar ventures of their
own as moves to protect their own
interests.
Britain is interested heavily in
the Yangtze valley, central and
western China; France in south
China, and Russia in northern
Manchuria and Mongolia.
U. S. Once Saved China
A generation ago Britain Russia
Germany and France seemed about
to divide China among themselves
They went so far as to make out
very definite spheres of interest
and set up naval bases from which
to strike when the time came.
They were stopped largely by the
United States. State Secretary
John Hay set up the doctrine of
the open door" and equal oppor-
tunity for all and made it stick
The belief then existing that the
United States likely would fight to
uphold this doctrine, plus the pre-
vailing international jealousies. and
fear Of each other among the
powers, saved China.
No Fear of America Now
Today there is no fear Of the
United States. The other powers
are pretty certain the United States
would not go beyond protesting,
were China dismembered.
The League of Nations seems
powerless to stop even one of the
major powers, let alone several act
ing more or less together.
The nine power treaty, safeguard
ing China's territorial integrity, has
been strapped by Japan, and by
many now is regarded as a dead
letter, while the Kellogg peace pact,
likewise, has been houted again and
again.
May Go Way of Poland
Unless China pulls herself to-
gether, therefore, and ceases to give
what the powers may seize upon as
an excuse for action, she may go
the way Of Poland when Russia,
Prussia and Austria tore her to
pieces and divided the spoils $50
years ago.
The partition of China would be
a tremendous blow to the United
States. America would refuse to
participate in her diSmemberment,
and the nations that swallowed her
naturally would absorb her trade.
.Chinas 450O00,000 people offer
the greatest potential market in the
world today
The Chinese have just begun to
absorb the worlds products. AS
consumers of all but the barest ne
cessities, they are almost at the
bottom of the scale.
Might BE Our Best Customer
For every dollar per year that
the per capita mass standard of
living rises, there will be added al
most half a billion dollars in pur-
chasing power.
If China is allowed to 60 ahead
without being hijacked by one or
more of the stronger powers, she
may become Uncle Sans best GUS
toner, and provide hundreds of
thousands of jobs for American
workers producing the things she
demands
If the process of slicing her to
pieces continues, bulk of this vast
future trade will go to the nations
cunning tho SlirpS