China, by the payment of a money indemnity, has settled certain of the
long-pending claims of our citizens, and I have strong hopes that the
remainder will soon be adjusted.
Questions have arisen touching the rights of American and other foreign
manufacturers in China under the provisions of treaties which permit
aliens to exercise their industries in that country. On this specific
point our own treaty is silent, but under the operation of the
most-favored-nation clause we have like privileges with those of other
powers. While it is the duty of the Government to see that our citizens
have the full enjoyment of every benefit secured by treaty, I doubt
the expediency of leading in a movement to constrain China to admit an
interpretation which we have only an indirect treaty right to exact.
The transference to China of American capital for the employment there
of Chinese labor would in effect inaugurate a competition for the
control of markets now supplied by our home industries.
There is good reason to believe that the law restricting the immigration
of Chinese has been violated, intentionally or otherwise, by the
officials of China upon whom is devolved the duty of certifying that the
immigrants belong to the excepted classes.
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