200 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



pelled by the stress of force in Manchuria and Shan-tung, and extends 

 a freedom of welcome to all. It is true that nations occupying Chinese 

 territory make so far no invidious distinction between their own and 

 other people; but it must be remembered that their tenure is only 

 nominal, and while the title to these lands remains vested in China, 

 it would be difficult, in the face of existing treaties, to impose discrim- 

 inating rules. Let Eussia, however, become legally, as she is virtually, 

 possessed of Manchuria; let her Trans-Siberian railway be completed, 

 and let her claim openly as her own, not only Manchuria, but also the 

 metropolitan province of Chi-li, is it to be supposed for one moment 

 that the present freedom and equality of trade that China offers will 

 be maintained? If anyone believes this let him talk with those in 

 China who direct the course of Muscovite affairs. These officials, when 

 in a confidential mood, will explain that the Trans-Siberian railway 

 is a Government enterprise, and that it is much more important for 

 Russia to give low and special rates to Russian cotton and other manu- 

 factures which the Government is fostering at home than to look for 

 a direct profit from the operation of the railway. And yet Manchuria 

 and the northeastern part of China are to-day the best market for 

 American goods. During the year 1899 no less than $6,297,300 worth 

 of our cottons alone entered the port of Tien-tsin, and $4,216,700 

 worth entered the port of Mu-chwang in addition. The latter amount 

 was for consumption in Manchuria, Chinese and Russian. It is inter- 

 esting to note that the whole import trade (including exports through 

 Hongkong) from Russia, Siberia and Russian Manchuria to the whole 

 of the Chinese Empire amounted to less than the imports of two grades 

 of American cotton goods at ISTiu-chwang alone. When, therefore, 

 Russia seized Lower Manchuria, the country most interested next to' 

 China, whose territory was being despoiled, was not Japan, who was 

 being robbed of her fruits of victory; was not Russia, who was adding 

 another kingdom to her empire; was not Great Britain, the world's 

 great trader, but it was, little as it was appreciated, the United States. 

 The American interests in seeing commercial equality maintained, far 

 and away transcend those of any other nation. 



Foreign trade in China to-day is confined exclusively to the treaty 

 ports located along the coast and up the Yang-tze River. "When goods 

 are shipped to China, they are resold by the foreign houses resident in 

 these treaty ports to Chinese merchants, and by them in turn are re- 

 tailed in the interior. So far, therefore, as the foreigner directly is 

 concerned, his trade is confined simply to the outer edge of the country; 

 to him the interior is a terra incognita. The success of a commercial 

 invasion depends, not on these treaty ports, not on the purchase of 

 goods along the outer edge of the country, but on the possibility of 

 reaching directly that great mass of population which lies far away 



