To the Editor of the "Norra-Catwa Dany News."
Sm,—In the discussion of the boycott, instead of pointing out the errors' of each side, it would probably be. more productive of results desired if suggestions were submitted as to methods and means to adopt to give the Chinese the relief asked for, to call a halt of the boycott, It is admitted, that in the administra tion of the Treaties and Laws intended to exclude "coolies," abuses have existed, resulting in discourtesy, to uso mild phrase, to Chinese. It is admitted that, these abuses must stop, and the President, of the United States has personally, by proclamation, removed these abuses und specifically ordered that " any discourtesy to Chinese by a Custom official shall be cause for instant dismissal."
If it is not known there should be no difficulty in having it generally understood that under the form of government of! the United States any further action upon this question must be by a treaty between the two Governments, to be ratify-d by Congress before it becomes operative and the law.
Negotiations are now in_progress between China and the United States, and Congress does not in regular session' meet until next December:
ful protest against and for the object of The boycott was inaugurated as a pence. modifying or removing the existing abuses in the admimstration of the laws. It has succeeded, as is in evidence by the President's order; but it has also. succeeded with far greater success than oven the most sanguine.of the originators anticipated. It has stirred up that great medium of publicity, "the Press," whereby the mass of the American people are now familiar with the Chinese version, and to-day if we are to judge from the leading articles and even the. public utterances of American leading statesmen and merchants the issue can: now safely be left to the recognised: sense of the American people for justice and fairness if "something" does not happen that will overshadow the ut issue and estrange the otherwise friendly relations of the people of both countries, This is surely a time for action by merebauts, loth Chinese and Americans; who are hound by many ties, who have only one caus of complaint, and the remedy lies with joint friendly action, not in recriminations and in official pressure that is only widening the breach. I would suggest that the American Asiatic. Association call a meeting of merchants to appoint' a work ing committee to confer with a committee of the Chinese Board of Commer". It can be assumed, we all agree, that (1) The Chinese have not been treated rightly and remedies must be obtained.
(2) The boycott has practically done all that can be expected aid its continuanes is an injury to all—Chinese as well as Amerioana—porbaps other nationals.
'The two elements or sources of danger are now (1). The boycott may get beyond control, resulting in an act by the people which will take the question out of the peaceful sphere of commerce into that of "force," which could only have one' result—to the injury of China and the straining of friendly relations. 3 (2) The other danger lies in not ko-ping the issue alive before the American people until finally disposed of, In your dispatches of to-day there is "The State Department at Washington declares: that the Chinese boycott on American goods is not serious, Some headway his been made at Shanghai, but it is unsuccessful at Canton and elsewhere."
Let every reader of your paper answer, is this true?
What wants to be done is for the American Committes. to confer' with the Chinese with the object 6f havin, President, Roosevelt's order tr and sent all over Chinn with the order or request to call the " boycott" off, and in return the Americin Committee will send 4a petition to Congress through the friendly hands of the President, signed. by the American merchants of China, which will have more weight than any other evidence in influencing the coming legislation. Let the American merchants put out the hand of friendship ani, see if the Chinese are not as eager to grasp it.
Tam, ete, 17th August.
AN Anenicay.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.