the path of empire-第31节

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er　superficial　in　many　cases；　had　influenced　the　European　powers；　particularly　since　the　time　of　the　Holy　Alliance。　Accustomed　to　clothe　their　actions　in　the　garb　of　humanitarianism；　they　were　not；　when　caught　thus　red…handed；　prepared　to　be　a　mark　of　scorn　for　the　rest　of　the　world。　The　cult　of　unabashed　might　was　still　a　closet　philosophy　which　even　Germany；　its　chief　devotee；　was　not　yet　ready　to　avow　to　the　world。　Of　course　Hay　knew　that　the　battle　was　not　won；　for　the　bandits　still　held　the　booty。　He　was　too　wise　to　attempt　to　wrench　it　from　them；　for　that　indeed　would　have　meant　battle　for　which　the　United　States　was　not　prepared　in　military　strength　or　popular　intention。　He　had　merely　pledged　these　countries　to　use　their　acquisitions　for　the　general　good。　Though　the　promises　meant　little　in　themselves；　to　have　exacted　them　was　an　initial　step　toward　victory。

In　the　meantime　the　penetration　of　foreign　influences　into　China　was　producing　a　reaction。　A　wave　of　protest　against　the　〃foreign　devils〃　swept　through　the　population　and　acquired　intensity　from　the　acts　of　fanatic　religious　leaders。　That　strange　character；　the　Dowager　Empress；　yielded　to　the　〃Boxers；〃　who　obtained　possession　of　Pekin；　cut　off　the　foreigners　from　the　outside　world；　and　besieged　them　in　the　legations。　That　some　such　movement　was　inevitable　must　have　been　apparent　to　many　European　statesmen；　and　that　it　would　give　them　occasion；　by　interference　and　punishment；　to　solidify　their　〃spheres　of　influence〃　must　have　occurred　to　them。　The　〃open　door〃　was　in　as　immediate　peril　as　were　the　diplomats　in　Pekin。

Secretary　Hay　did　not；　however；　yield　to　these　altered　circumstances。　Instead；　he　built　upon　the　leadership　which　he　had　assumed。　He　promptly　accepted　the　international　responsibility　which　the　emergency　called　for。　The　United　States　at　once　agreed　to　take　its　share；　in　cooperation　with　the　Great　Powers；　in　whatever　measures　should　be　judged　necessary。　The　first　obvious　measure　was　to　relieve　the　foreign　ministers　who　were　besieged　in　Pekin。　American　assistance　was　active　and　immediate。　By　the　efforts　of　the　American　Government；　communication　with　the　legations　was　opened；　the　American　naval　forces　were　soon　at　Tientsin；　the　port　of　Pekin；　and　five　or　six　thousand　troops　were　hastily　sent　from　the　Philippines。　The　United　States　therefore　bore　its　full　proportion　of　the　task。　The　largest　contingent　of　the　land　forces　was；　indeed；　from　Germany；　and　the　command　of　the　whole　undertaking　was　by　agreement　given　to　the　German　commander；　Graf　von　Waldersee。　Owing；　however；　to　his　remoteness　from　the　scene　of　action；　he　did　not　arrive　until　after　Pekin　had　been　reached　and　the　relief　of　the　legations；　which　was　the　first　if　not　the　main　object　of　the　expedition；　had　been　accomplished。　After　this；　the　resistance　of　the　Chinese　greatly　decreased　and　the　country　was　practically　at　the　mercy　of　the　concert　of　powers。

By　thus　bearing　its　share　in　the　responsibilities　of　the　situation；　the　United　States　had　won　a　vote　in　determining　the　result。　Secretary　Hay；　however；　had　not　waited　for　the　military　outcome；　and　he　aimed　not　at　a　vote　in　the　concert　of　powers　but　at　its　leadership。　While　the　international　expedition　was　gathering　its　forces；　he　announced　in　a　circular　note　that　〃the　policy　of　the　Government　of　the　United　States　is　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。〃　To　this　position　he　requested　the　powers　to　assent。

Again　Hay　had　hit　upon　a　formula　which　no　self…respecting　power　could　deny。　Receiving　from　practically　all　a　statement　of　their　purpose　to　preserve　the　〃integrity〃　of　China　and　the　〃Open　Door〃　just　when　they　were　launching　the　greatest　military　movement　ever　undertaken　in　the　Far　East　by　the　western　world；　he　made　it　impossible　to　turn　punishment　into　destruction　and　partition。　The　legations　were　saved　and　so　was　China。　After　complicated　negotiations　an　agreement　was　reached　which　exacted　heavy　pecuniary　penalties；　and　in　the　case　of　Germany；　whose　minister　had　been　assassinated；　a　conspicuous　and　what　was　intended　to　be　an　enduring　record　of　the　crime　and　its　punishment。　China；　however；　remained　a　nationwith　its　door　open。

Once　more　in　1904　the　fate　of　China；　and　in　fact　that　of　the　whole　Far　East；　was　thrown　into　the　ring。　Japan　and　Russia　entered　into　a　war　which　had　practically　no　cause　except　the　collision　of　their　advancing　interests　in　Chinese　territory。　Every　land　battle　of　the　war；　except　those　of　the　Saghalien　campaign；　was　fought　in　China；　Chinese　ports　were　blockaded；　Chinese　waters　were　filled　with　enemy　mines　and　torpedoes；　and　the　prize　was　Chinese　territory　or　territory　recently　taken　from　her。　To　deny　these　facts　was　impossible；　to　admit　them　seemed　to　involve　the　disintegration　of　the　empire。　Here　again　Secretary　Hay；　devising　a　middle　course；　gained　by　his　promptness　of　action　the　prestige　of　having　been　the　first　to　speak。　On　February　8；　1904；　he　asked　Germany；　Great　Britain；　and　France　to　join　with　the　United　States　in　requesting　Japan　and　Russia　to　recognize　the　neutrality　of　China；　and　to　localize　hostilities　within　fixed　limits。　On　January　10；　1905；　remembering　how　the　victory　of　Japan　in　1894　had　brought　compensatory　grants　to　all　the　powers；　he　sent　out　a　circular　note　expressing　the　hope　on　the　part　of　the　American　Government　that　the　war　would　not　result　in　any　〃concession　of　Chinese　territory　to　neutral　powers。〃　Accustomed　now　to　these　invitations　which　decency　forbade　them　to　refuse；　all　the　powers　assented　to　this　suggestion。　The　results　of　the　war；　therefore；　were　confined　to　Manchuria；　and　Japan　promised　that　her　occupation　of　that　province　should　be　temporary　and　that　commercial　opportunity　therein　should　be　the　same　for　all。　The　culmination　of　American　prestige　came　with　President　Roosevelt's　offer　of　the　good　offices　of　the　United　States；　on　June　8；　1905。　As　a　result；　peace　negotiations　were　concluded　in　the　Treaty　of　Portsmouth　（New　Hampshire）　in　1905。　For　this　conspicuous　service　to　the　cause　of　peace　President　Roosevelt　was　awarded　the　Nobel　prize。

Secretary　Hay　had　therefore；　in　the　seven　years　following　the　real　arrival　of　the　United　States　in　the　Far　East；　evolved　a　policy　which　was　clear　and　definite；　and　one　which　appealed　to　the　American　people。　While　it　constituted　a　variation　from　the　precise　methods　laid　down　by　President　Monroe　in　1823；　in　that　it　involved　concerted　and　equal　cooperation　with　the　great　powers　of　the　world；　Hay's　policy　rested　upon　the　same　fundamental　bases：　a　belief　in　the　fundamental　right　of　nations　to　determine　their　own　government；　and　the　reduction　to　a　minimum　of　intervention　by　foreign　powers。　To　have　refused　to　recognize　intervention　at　all　would　have　been；　under　the　circumstances；　to　abandon　China　to　her　fate。　In　protecting　its　own　right　to　trade　with　her；　the　United　States　protected　the　integrity　of　China。　Hay　had；　moreover；　so　ably　conducted　the　actual　negotiations　that　the　United　States　enjoyed　for　the　moment　the　leadership　in　the　concert　of　powers　and　exercised　an　authority　more　in　accord　with　her　potential　than　with　her　actual　strength。　Secretary　Hay's　death　in　1905　brought　American　leadership　to　an　end；　for；　though　his　policies　continued　to　be　avowed　by　all　concerned；　their　application　was　thereafter　restricted。　The　integrity　of　Chinese　territory　was　threatened；　though　not　actually　violated；　by　the　action　of　Great　Britain　in　Tibet　and　of　Japan　in　Manchuria。　Japan；　recognized　as　a　major　power　since　her　war　with　Russia；　seemed　in　the　opinion　of　many　to　leave　but　a　crack　of　the　door　open　in　Manchuria；　and　her　relationship　with　the　United　States　grew　difficult　as　she　resented　more　and　more　certain　discriminations　against　her　citizens　which　she　professed　to　find　in　the　laws　of　some　of　the　American　States；　particularly　in　those　of　California。

In　1908　Elihu　Root；　who　succeeded　Hay　as　Secretary　of　State；　effected　an　understanding　with　Japan。　Adopting　a　method　which　has　become　rather　habitual　in　the　relationship　between　the　United　States　and　Japan；　Root　and　the　Japanese　ambassador　exchanged　notes。　In　these　they　both　pointed　out　that　their　object　was　the　peaceful　development　of　their　commerce　in　the　Pacific；　that　〃the　policy　of　both　governments；　uninfluenced　by　any　aggressive　tendencies；　is　directed　to　the　maintenance　of　the　existing　status　quo　in　the　region　above　mentioned；　and　to　the　defense　of　the　principle　of　equal　opportunity　for　commerce　and　industry　in　China〃；　that　they　both　stood　for　the　independence　and　integrity　of　China；　and　that；　should　any　event　threaten　the　stability　of　existing　conditions；　〃it　remained　for　the　two　governments　to　communicate　with　each　other　in　order　to　arrive　at　an　understanding　as　to　what　measures　they　may　consider　it　useful　to　take。〃

The　immigration　problem　between　Japan　and　the　United　States　was　even　more　serious　than　that　of　the　open　door　and　the　integrity　of　China。　The　teeming　population　of　Japan　was　swarming　beyond　her　island　empire；　and　Korea　and　Manchu