reaching out to find foreign markets, we are beginning to build up a trade which was beyond all the conceptions of those who first thought of the possibilities of friendly trade relations with the people of the Far East.

Here are some figures to show how in the last three years alone that trade has developed. We all know the demand that has been made in this country in recent years for various silk products, but I do not believe that we appreciate how much of that silk comes to us as raw silk from the Empire of Japan. In 1917 we imported from Japan raw silk worth $154,000,000; in 1918, $173,000,000 and in 1919 we imported raw silk to the enormous total of $328,000,000.

From that amount, sent to us by Japan, Japan obtains the funds with which she can purchase in our market the cotton needed in her mills in order to supply the market which she is developing in China. Here is the strongest conceivable basis for the closest possible coöperation in the development of a splendid trade on the Pacific between these two countries.

Just a word in regard to the spirit of coöperation which has characterized some of our recent trade efforts in the Orient. The organization of the consortium of which you have read, an effort of the leading nations to join together in solving China's pressing financial problems and assisting in the improvements which the Chinese need, is one of the coöperative efforts. The effort which was made under the leadership of the United States in Japan during the period of the war, and afterward, in the international supervision of the Chinese Eastern Railway in an effort to hold open that trade route

dence of that general international and trade coöperation. It is along those lines that lies our greatest hope, and the greatest possibility of closer coöperation with the Japanese people; and it is because of this that I turn back again to the spirit that pervaded the negotiations of our first representative, and ask, "Are we not justified in believing that, as in a solution of the questions which he had, he found success by his spirit of generous sympathy, understanding and real earnestness of purpose and firmness, so may we not, studying the various problems which may arise between these growing interests of our two countries, adopt precisely the same spirit and same method and be assured of the same success?"

Just one thing more: The fact that there are problems or questions between nations is in no sense an evidence of unfriendly relations between them; rather it is evidence of the growth and the closeness of their mutual interests. Those are the things that bring these questions up for adjustment. I have tried to show you thus briefly how close those mutual interests have been -historic, educational, commercialand my one hope is that we as a people, freed from bitterness, from prejudice, from hasty judgment, will study the new questions as they arise, calmly, in a spirit of generosity, confident that if we are sympathetic, are loyal to our own interests but generous in understanding the interests of others, we will find in the Japanese people a response which will show to us anew the faith that they have always had in our unselfish purposes and in our high international ideals.

I

AM to speak about the feeling which the Chinese people entertain towards America at the present time. I shall therefore not be able to go back to look at the historic origins. Our relations with China go back one hundred and forty years; and, as you know, our first national consular representative was appointed to China in 1786. It is an inspiring part of our national history-that venturesome and perilous voyaging from New England and the Middle States around Cape Horn to the ports of the Far East; it shows the spirit of national adventure, one that later expressed itself in the pioneering progress across the Continent. At the time Townsend Harris did his work in Japan we were just on the verge of turning away from these world-wide developments, and concentrating on our home affairs. Through the Civil War we lost our merchant marine, which happily now is being restored so that our flag will again be seen in these distant countries competing with the other great commercial nations of the world. That is one of the few advantages we can see coming out of the troublous times we have passed through during the past few years.

In that long period of one hundred and forty years there has developed in the minds of the Chinese quite a definite idea as to what America is, and what America stands for. Wher

1 Author of: The Common Law in the Early American Colonies (1899), World Politics at the End of the Nineteenth Century as Influenced by the Oriental Situation (1900), Colonial Government (1902), Colonial Administration (1905), American Legislatures and Legislative Methods (1907), Intellectual Currents in the Far East (1911), International Unions (1911).—The EDITOR.

ever you may travel in China, you can not fail to be struck with the universal confidence in America. That is not merely holiday talk, or diplomatic courtesy-it lives in the hearts of the Chinese people; that living faith in America, existing throughout so vast a population-the most antique and complex civilization in the world-I believe is one of the greatest treasures that we possess. It appears and expresses itself on many occasions, but I shall just cite one illustrative instance. When the American War Works Drive was undertaken in 1918, word was sent to China that it would be desirable if the Americans there did their part, and perhaps some Chinese friends might wish to contribute a little. The Chinese were then in a difficult situation, and nobody had any expectations at all, but it was thought possibly they might contribute something like one hundred thousand dollars. I casually mentioned the matter after a dinner to two prominent Chinese officials with whom I was sitting, simply telling them about the drive and saying, "Do you think that the Chinese would wish to express their good will in some way just to show that they have taken notice of it?" They looked at each other and. said, "yes." Within five days they had formed committees in every prominent city in China, and whereas we had thought that possibly a few rich individuals might give a testimonial, they raised without any further suggestion, entirely of their own motion and with their own methods, a million and a half dollars, within two weeks. I might cite a great many similar striking instances which speak of

their feeling, but it is the expression of it as one encounters the Chinese in every-day life that makes one feel it so strongly, and that makes people say, "the best passport anywhere in China is to be an American."

When we look into the reason for this feeling which is encountered everywhere, we think first of the action of the American Government which has in general aimed to be helpful to China. We have helped the Chinese in the opium matter; we have always taken the attitude that their rights as human beings and as a nation should be respected; we have always stood for a liberal interpretation of the provisions of the treaties which are sufficiently harsh under any circumstances.

The return of the Boxer indemnity is often cited; in fact, a great many people have an idea it is because of this act that the Chinese are so friendly. Indeed, the Boxer indemnity will be mentioned as an outstanding fact on very many occasions in China, and yet it is rather the spirit of that act than the amount of money which has impressed the Chinese. The fact that the indemnity was returned to them without any show of virtue or without an intimation that we were doing the Chinese a favor and expected something in return, but as a banker pays back the balance that is due, an act of simple equity, that impressed the Chinese. Of course, our foreign friends have broadly hinted that this matter was craftily arranged so as to impress the Chinese, but the Chinese fortunately did not take any stock in such insinuations, because they know Americans and have known them for one hundred and forty years. We could have treated it as an act of charity; we could have made it a lever for getting concessions; but we did none of these

things. We said, "Here is your money, it belongs to you."

The Chinese are characterized by an innate sense of equity; in all of their social arrangements there is a basic equity which manifests itself at all times. They are the one nation which could most easily get along without any government whatsoever, by simply relying upon this feeling of equity which lives among the people. And it is because the diplomatic action of the American Government has at all times been based upon the idea that the Chinese are entitled to human rights, that we respect these rights, that we do not ask any concessions for respecting them, that the Chinese have conceived such deep confidence in America. Of late when we were involved in the war in Europe, and in the settlement thereof, it has not been possible to fulfill the expectations which the Chinese people had entertained with respect to effective support of their just claims. Nevertheless, they have felt that there probably were difficulties of which they themselves did not know. They in their essential reasonableness have not charged us with lack of sympathy and support, and they have kept their confidence. fidence. They have maintained the same attitude on the Exclusion Law. They are most reasonable; they consider that the United States is justified in not desiring large bodies of people of entirely different traditions to settle within the United States.

During all my intercourse with the Chinese as American Minister I never heard a harsh word of criticism concerning this matter. It is possible, of course, the Chinese could be stirred up about it; there are plenty of people who are ready to call the attention of the Chinese very pointedly to the fact that there is a grievance here. That has

been done abundantly, but the Chinese have taken the view which I have stated to you. Should we become guilty of any injustice against them, or should we coldly abandon them to the intrigues and aggression of others, their attitude on this point might change.

On one point the Chinese have often been indignant, namely, that Chinese who have a perfect right under our Laws and treaties to come to the United States-Chinese officials, merchants and students are often at our ports of entry, subjected to very annoying delays, and in fact, from their point of view, to indignities. I shall mention only one case which recently happened. A Chinese merchant came here to inspect our electrical industry, expecting to place a large order. He had letters of introduction to American firms, and his patronage had been sought for years. The immigration official at the port of entry sent him into the detention place for several days; when he emerged from there he not only bought his ticket to New York but beyond, to England. It is a very poor policy even from a purely commercial point of view; every other nation labors to attract the Chinese.

I have thus far spoken of matters relating to the government. The feeling of confidence expresses itself also quite universally in the daily intercourse among individuals. Certain outstanding things have been done by America and Americans, which have enlisted the good will of the Chinese. Great enterprises for human betterment have been undertaken, like th China Medical Board of the Rockefeller Foundation, with its splendid new hospital and medical school in Peking, and similar work elsewhere; a great many missionary hospitals; colleges and universities in Peking, Tientsin, Foochow,

Shanghai, Changsha, Chengtu and Canton, which are all doing splendid educational work. These institutions are centers from which there radiates an influence that goes to the most remote parts of China, and far exceeds in its beneficiaries the number who come within the gates of such institutions. They are models upon which other institutions fashion themselves; men go out and exert their influence in establishing similar training institutions elsewhere. In the great work of giving to China a share in the modern education of the world, these institutions have taken the lead.

If these great enterprises had been established with the established with the purpose of a charity, to do work for the Chinese, the latter would have remained apathetic; but as the universal spirit of Americans is to help the Chinese help themselves, confidence and real friendship are the result. As in the Boxer indemnity, it is not so much the money that is the essence; the twenty million dollars that Mr. Rockefeller gave did not of itself impress the Chinese, as they are not easily impressed by sums. They were, however, impressed by the spirit of that gift, and the spirit of the men who came to work there. This is the real heart of the feeling of confidence the spirit that has animated the Americans in China through these

pable of managing their own affairs, and that the best thing for China would be to institute a foreign control. That has been done in the Customs Revenue, in which the Chinese themselves have no chance for promotion to the higher offices, and which is therefore a distinctly foreign service. What in the eye of the Chinese distinguishes the American point of view from that of the other nations is that whatever the Americans have done they have done in a spirit of coöperation, not with a view to establishing a hierarchy of officials or a group of mentors that would perpetuate itself and pass to its successors authority over the Chinese. America has been true to her democratic ideas in her treatment of the Chinese.

This may be well illustrated from the work of the Young Men's Christian Association which has a very powerful and beneficial influence in China.

The Y. M. C. A. men have gone to China, not in order to build up there a permanent American organization which would tutor the Chinese, but with the idea of arousing in the Chinese a desire for better things, and helping them to achieve improvements for themselves. Thus, for instance, the development of athletics was exceedingly necessary in China, both on the physical and on the moral side. The classes engaged in business and learning had led a sedentary life for centuries; they needed more physical stamina, because our Western method of work and life requires more intensive and long continued exertion than the Chinese were accustomed to. They needed athletics for their good health, to take them away from cards and chess and other indoor games, and to take them out into the open; but on the moral side too, to overcome clannishness, to make them realize the meaning of fair play in competition;

to learn that defeat can be as glorious as victory in a fair struggle. Young China has made decided progress in such training as one may see at their great athletic meets. I saw one not long ago in Taiyuanfu, an interior capital. The athletic field was in a corner of the city walls; these huge ramparts had been cut in tiers, to afford seats for at least fifteen thousand Chinese whose blue and white gowns made a bright background to the scene.

There were tents on one

side where the different competing teams had their quarters, and a grandstand closed the quadrangle. The whole performance went off like clockwork. All the colleges and universities of North China were represented, including six provinces. There were four or five "events" going on at the same time; after every series there were passed around multiple tally records so that everybody could know what was being accomplished. There was no hitch, no tedious delay.

Such contests had first been nurtured by the Y. M. C. A. But Americans were not in control as managers; they were there ready to give a hint when needed or to act as referee; but they had impressed upon the Chinese, "this is your affair, you manage it." The readiness of the Americans to start useful work in China and then to withdraw into the background and take joy in the Chinese doing it themselves that has won the hearts of the Chinese more than anything else. As a result of all this these men have gathered confidence, trust and esteem, which could not be won in any other way.

The same spirit prevails among most of our merchants, who are entering upon coöperation with the Chinese. They train up young Chinese in the methods of Western business. It is there we can perform one of our great