Present Conditions in China 



709 



reports and pamphlets of the Interna- 

 tional Bureau of American Republics of 

 this city, which is always doing its best 

 to bring about closer acquaintance and 

 relations between the United States and 

 the Latin-American nations. It is also a 

 pleasure to commend the excellent reports 

 of the United States Consul General at 



Bogota, and the consuls at Barranquilla, 

 Cartagena, and Cali, which are published 

 in the "Commercial Relations of the 

 United States" and the "Daily Consular 

 and Trade Reports" issued by the Bureau 

 of Manufactures, Department of Com- 

 merce and Labor. 



PRESENT CONDITIONS IN CHINA 

 By Hon. John W. Foster 



{Continued from page 672) 



cities, of an abundant supply of pure 

 water, introduced by the International 

 Government. With these improvements 

 there has come an intense activity in 

 business. This renovation of the native 

 Chinese cities must have a marked in- 

 fluence in strengthening the reform 

 movement in all the departments to which 

 I have referred. 



CONDITION OF MANCHURIA 



In one respect the country still suf- 

 fers from the effects of the Russo- 

 Japanese war. Manchuria continues to 

 be held by the two belligerents, greatly 

 to the injury of foreign trade, and espe- 

 cially of that of the United States. Until 

 Chinese sovereignty is restored and 

 custom-houses are re-established, foreign 

 commerce, except that of Japan and 

 Russia, is practically excluded from that 

 vast region. The responsibility for this 

 unsatisfactory condition seems to rest 

 upon Russia. Soon after the war closed 

 the Japanese government sent a special 

 embassy to Peking, and a treaty was 

 made adjusting all questions with China 

 growing out of the war. The negotia- 

 tions with Russia to the same end have 

 not yet been concluded, owing, it is said, 

 to the unreasonable demands of the lat- 

 ter ; meanwhile foreign commerce suf- 

 fers and the Chinese erovernment is ex- 



cluded from its sovereign rights in its 

 own domain. 



Dr Morrison, who has recently re- 

 turned to Peking from a visit to Man- 

 churia, reports as a result of his obser- 

 vations that Japan is faithfully fulfilling 

 its obligations with regard to the with- 

 drawal of troops and trade matters. Dur- 

 ing the last summer a commission of 

 British and American merchants of 

 Shanghai visited Manchuria to look into 

 the trade conditions, and in their report 

 they vindicated the Japanese government 

 from purposely interfering with or plac- 

 ing any obstacles in the way of foreign 

 commerce with that important part of 

 the Chinese Empire. Chinese custom- 

 houses are now being established at 

 Dalny, Newchwang, and other southern 

 ports ; but so long as Russia holds posses- 

 sion of the northern section and allows 

 the free import of Russian goods, other 

 foreign countries will be placed at a dis- 

 advantage. At present the prospect is 

 very unfavorable for the Chinese govern- 

 ment to regain its control of the vast and 

 productive province of Manchuria, the 

 ancient home of its present dynasty. 



INFLUENCE OF OTHFR NATIONS 



In the time allotted for this lecture it 

 will not be possible to speak in any de- 

 tail of the part already taken and to be 



