Allowing for language difficulties, it is to be presumed that the English version of the recent address of Mr. Masaji Yoshida, President of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce and Industry at that body's annual meeting en Tuesday, represents the views of he Japanese commercial community in Shanghai, and as such deserves close scrutiny On the subject of the Open Door Policy, Mr. Yoshida is reported to have said:—"Though I do not understand the tech phases of equal opportunity based on diplomacy, I firmly believe that this does not mean equal allotment of concessions—in other words an qual distribution of assets such as that made among the children of a family by their father. The open door policy means to recognize the freedom of future development while respecting vested rights." It is just as vell that the policy of the Open Door in China should be re-stated from the original documents. Thus on November 13, 1899, Mr. John U. S. Secretary of State addressed to} ut Aoki Sivzo, Japanese Minister for Affairs a communication on the sub-
Which commenced "This Government animated with a sincere desire to insure to the commerce and industry of the United States and of all other nations perfect equality of treatment within the limits of the Chinese Empire for their trade and navigation, especially within the so-called "spheres of influence or interest" claimed by certain European Powers in China. has deemed the present an opportune time to make representations in this direction to Germany The three points on which assurances were required dealt with non-interference with any treaty port in any phere of influence" or teased territory which those countries might possess, the uniform application of the Chinese tariff to all merchandise no matter to what country it might belong, and the provision there shall be no discrimination in the matter of rates charged such as harbour dues, and railroad charges. To that communication Viscount Siuzo replied "I have the happy duty of assuring Your Excellency that the Imperial Government will have no hesitation to give their assent to so just and fair a proposal of the United States, provided that all the other Powers concerned shall accept the same."
That condition having been complied with by all the Powers concerned, the United States informed Japan on March 20, 1900, that its conditional assent was now considered as final and definitive. The end for which the United States had strived was that despite the spheres of influence which certain Powers then claimed to have in China, there should be, to quote Hay's own wor li "perfect equality of treatment wi limits of the Chinese Empire for their and navigation." It has nothing to do with distribution of assets or the chopping up of China, but defines a clean cut proposition with which Japan has agreed that the foreign Powers shall have complete equality in the matters of trade and navigation, and that means that there shall be no discrimination between them, By military action Japan has succeeded in establishing a new "sphere of influence" in Manchoukuo, for no one will be deceived by the establishment of an "independent" government in that country. At the present time the Japanese are establishing similar spheres in China proper, setting up governments which are now, and be expected to be in the future just as completely under Japanese influence and control. In this connection Mr. Yoshida again gives the assurance:—
"We intend to carry on enterprises with fair play based on an equal footing by rethe policy pursued by the Nationalist nent of giving prejudicial assistance to "We shall go a step farther in heartily coing with foreigners and Chinese in the t of enterprises." given in the s well and look er on paper, but, judged in view of as happened happening, they to be very considerably discounted, if ct complete abandoned. They simply do de with the facts as foreign interests m in these particularly trying times. Take for example the wool trade in north nina, under Japanese dominance. References de to that p ticular instance shows that her than Japanese have this if not completely ex-The discrimination tariff in connection imports into the same area is h another denial of the Open Door policy. Instances of a similar nature can be adduced from Manchoukuo, and it is for precisely these reasons that Japanese industrialists, sud as Mr. Yoshida, hear the "ironical wor and complaints" to which he refers. The language difficult is often held to be responsible for much of the misunderstanding between Japanese and other foreigners in China, In the case of the many incidents which have occurred since hostilities began, involving Japanese and other foreigners, it is readily conceded that this is very probably the case, but in this matter of the Open Door there can be na such argument. In this connection action speaks louder than words, and if foreigners see their interests imperilled by these repeated cases of breaches of the undertaking which Japan gave so long ago, and which is still binding upon her, they cannot be blamed if they take the ironical and cynical view which is to be found in so much of their public utterances and writings. In this matter of trade with China, Japan has the dice loaded in her favour even under the Open Door policy. With her close. proximity to the Chinese market, with small freights to pay, and much cheaper labour costs there is no need for Japan to stimulate the discrimination which is being demonstrated against the traders of other nationals. Their handicaps are already sufficiently imposing to operate considerably to Japan's benefit, and the realization of that fact makes the foreign observer more than a little impatient over a situation which is fast worsening. It is as well that these things should be stated frankly and open: There can never be any misunderstanding as to what the Open Door policy means, no doubt as to whether its terms are being faithfully observed, and all the eloquence in the world will fail to convince the foreigners that what they see before their eyes is really not happening. Indeed this is very'much of an instance in which soft words butter no parsnips.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.