port of Weihaiwei and adjacent territory, under ninetynine-year leaseholds, while China had agreed not to alienate any territory adjoining the Yangtze River “to any other Power."

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France, already intrenched in Annam and Tonking (Indo-China), held the Bay of Kwangchow in Kwantung Province under a ninety-nine-year lease, and had exacted a promise that China would not alienate the Island of Hainan or the provinces of Kwantung, Kwangsi, and Yunnan, bordering on Tonking, to any other Power.

Germany had secured a ninety-nine-year lease of the Bay of Kiaochou, with a neutral zone fifty kilometres wide around its shores; also the right to construct two railways in the Province of Shantung, to develop mining properties adjacent thereto, and to have preferențial trade rights for her nationals throughout the whole of Shantung.

Russia had demanded and secured a twenty-five-year lease of Dalny, Port Arthur, and the lower part of the Liaotung Peninsula, while she asserted and was conceded special rights in the territory beyond the Great Wall.

Japan, through her war with China in 1894, secured Formosa and the Pescadores Islands, while Korea, theretofore claimed as a vassal state by China, became independent. Subsequently Japan exacted a promise from China not to alienate any part of Fukien Province, opposite Formosa, to any other Power.

Portugal held in perpetuity the Peninsula of Macao, the oldest of the European colonies in eastern Asia.

China was impotent to resist this steady invasion of her sovereignty, while the nations involved, being in accord as to their respective interests, were naturally concerned in hastening rather than in halting the process of dissolution.

It was at this critical stage that the United States acquired the Philippine Islands, and was compelled by such fact to think and act in terms of an Asiatic Power. Fortunately, Mr. John Hay, then Secretary of State, was endowed with the ability and the vision to realize the importance of this new development in our Far Eastern relations and the obligations it imposed. Foremost among these obligations was to safeguard our interests in China through forestalling a further invasion of her sovereignty or the carving of her territory into exclusive trade areas. He acted promptly, our respective Ambassadors and Ministers to Great Britain, Germany, Russia, France, Japan, and Italy being instructed in September and November, 1899, to request of such governments “formal assurance"

That any claims made by them to spheres of influence in China would not interfere with any vested interest within such so-called spheres.

That the Chinese tariff then in force would apply to all merchandise, to whatever nationality belonging, landed in or shipped to all ports. within such spheres, and that the duties levied thereon should be collected by the Chinese Government; and

That no discrimination whatever be made in the matter of harbour dues or railroad charges within such spheres as to vessels or merchandise belonging to the citizens or subjects of any other nationality.

Italy, the only country notified which had acquired no special privileges in China, promptly assented. The others, while unable to question the right or justice of Mr. Hay's position, conditioned their assent upon a "like acquiescence" by the other Powers. The answers in this regard being uniform, they were treated as acceptances and the Powers were so notified by Mr. Hay in March, 1900.

The laying down of this equality of opportunity or "Open Door" policy-first fruits of our political entry

into Asiatic territory-not only halted the impending partition of China, but in its eventual workings has assured to the United States a place of commanding influence and importance in the whole Pacific area.

The action taken by Mr. Hay was timely. Within less than three months thereafter events took place which, had the Powers not been pledged otherwise, would have furnished ample excuse for their intervention in the government of China. In June, 1900, the world was startled by news that the foreign legations at Peking had been shut off from outside communication-and were being besieged and threatened with extermination by an organization colloquially known as "Boxers." Taken by surprise, the principal Powers exerted themselves to assemble a relief force at Tientsin. The United States, through the presence of American troops in the Philippines, was enabled immediately to rush two regiments to the scene, and thus take an active part and voice in the relief operations. Realizing the attitude of the belligerents, the American Government on July 3d, before marching on Peking, stated its policy as follows:

To seek a solution which may bring about permanent safety and peace to China, preserve Chinese territorial and administrative entity, protect all rights guaranteed to friendly powers by treaty and international law, and safeguard for the world the principle of equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese Empire.

This principle was accepted by the Powers, and the "territorial integrity of China" became linked thereafter with the Open Door policy. While the promiscuous looting of non-combatants following the capture of Peking, and the exorbitant indemnities imposed by certain of the Powers, were outrageous and indefensible, the outstanding fact is that China, largely through the stand taken by

the United States, weathered the crisis without dismemberment.

The struggle, however, was but beginning. In January 1902, an alliance was entered into between Great Britain and Japan, whereby they mutually agreed to assist each other should any third Power intervene in hostilities undertaken by either of them in defence of their "special interests" in China and Korea. Backed and protected by this alliance, Japan declared war on Russia in February, 1904, to test the growing power of the latter in Manchuria and Korea. With her reserves of men and supplies thousands of miles away, Russia in the Far East met defeat. As fruits of her victory Japan acquired the southern half of Saghalien Island, Russia's unexpired leasehold of Dalny, Port Arthur, and adjacent territory, as also the South Manchurian branch of the Chinese Eastern Railwaybeing a line from Changchun to Dalny and Port Arthur. As a heritage of the war, Japan also asserted certain preferred rights in Manchuria, this notwithstanding that her peace treaty with Russia expressly stated:

The Imperial Government of Russia declare that they have not in Manchuria any territorial advantages or preferential or exclusive concessions in impairment of Chinese sovereignty or inconsistent with the principle of equal opportunity.

It is interesting to note here that the subtle force of propaganda-with which our country has been so deluged in recent years-was first exploited on a large scale in this Russo-Japanese War. Through a skilful press campaign, and at no small expense, the sympathies of most Americans were enlisted with Japan in the war, and her aims and victory applauded. It illustrates the power of the printed word which, despite every disillusion, is still accepted as gospel by the majority of people.

The Anglo-Japanese alliance of 1902 specifically recited in its preamble that both parties were "specially interested in maintaining the independence and territorial integrity of the Empire of China and the Empire of Korea, and in securing equal opportunities in those countries for the commerce and industry of all nations." Japan had recognized the independence of Korea in her treaty with China following the Sino-Japanese War, and had, after declaring war on Russia, entered into formal treaty with Korea guaranteeing the independence and territorial integrity of the Korean Empire. In August, 1905, Russia having been defeated, the original Anglo-Japanese alliance, though not expiring until 1907, was replaced by a new instrument which omitted all reference to "maintaining the independence and territorial integrity of Korea," and expressly recognized "the paramount political, military, and economic interests" of Japan in that country. In November, 1905, Japan established a protectorate over Korea, and in August, 1910, followed this step by formal annexation. This latter was staged through a "treaty" whereby the Emperor of Korea ceded his rights of sovereignty to the Emperor of Japan. Thus ended the Open Door in the Hermit Kingdom.

By ultimatum delivered to China in 1909, Japan secured the right to construct and operate a railway from the Yalu River dividing line between Korea and Manchuria―to Mukden. This established a through connection with the port of Fusan, south Korea, and gave her, in conjunction with the South Manchurian line, Dalny to Changchun, a strangle-hold on transportation in South Manchuria. That this monopoly should be used to favour her own traders in the matter of rates, shipping facilities, and commercial privileges was inevitable. Not only this, but ob