THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1909. INTRIGUING POWERS IN CHINA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9563, 9 August 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1909. INTRIGUING POWERS IN CHINA.

While it is one of the objects of the reform party in China to conserve for China all rights of ownership in the extensive railway system now bein? constructed in the country, the time has not yet come when foreign capital* and foreign engineers can be dispensed with. Hence, while traffic was proceeding over about 4,000 miles of railway, in which different Powers were interested, in China last year, new railways to the extent of about 2,000 miles are now under coi struction, and further lines, with tb ut 800 miles of track, are in contemplation. British, French, German, American and capital is invested in the construction and operation of different lines in this large and continually increasing system. Chira herself hyvinc, as yet, a comparatively small amount of capital invested in the railways of the country. It may readily be understood that such a condition of affairs ine*itabiv breeds mischievous intrigues, and Dr. Morrison's account in "The Times," (London), is very enlightening. He related that President Taft had telegraphed to Prince Chun, the Regent, pointing out that the United States had certain rights in the Canton-Hankow railway, which is an important line with a 1 surveyed routu of 650 miles, now und°r construction, only a small portion of the track having been laid as yet. The Pekin correspondent of "The Tirr.es," who has earned the right to ba regarded as an unimpeachable authority, stated that President Taffc's telegram was occasioned by the intrigues of the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank, and adds that German intrigues are persistently carried on with the idea of making trouble between the British in China and tha Americans, whose policy and aims are identical. The /act is that there is a perfect welter of conflicting financial interests in China. America is very largely interested, because she finds in China a large market for her steel rails and railway material of every kind. It was the late Secretary Hay who promulgated on behalf of the Washington Government the doctrine of the open door in China and equal opportunities for ail. But it is a doctrine which has hitherto been more..honoured in the breach than in the'observance. The Japanese have consistently ignored the doctrine, not only in luckless Korea, which is now a preserve for the Japanese trader, but al?o in Southern Manchuria, which they still occupy, although the province of Manchuria is

as much a part of the" Chinese Empire as California is a part of the American Union. And now, according to Dr. Morrison, the Germans, who have>a large amount of capital in-, vested in Chinese railways, are using the railway construction in China as a meana of breeding difficulties between England and the United States President Tatt's telegram is an indication that the little plan has been detected at Washington as well as by the vigilant Dr. Morrison. Probatly intrigues of this kind, which might conceivably create a vast amount of diplomatic trouble between two friendly nations will continue tj be engineered by certain powers in China until the time arrives when China is sufficiently reconstructed to buy out all the foreigners and to own and operate all the ilwayß in her own territory.