ily demonstrated that Great Britain had no permanent control
of commerce in the East, not even in her own possessions. The Teuton,
for a time content with trifling profit, underbid all rivals--and orders
and contracts poured into Germany. Belgian products competed only in
price; and American manufacturers seemed too busy in providing goods for
home use to seriously try for business in Asia--they booked orders
coming practically unsought, that was about all. The Chino-Japanese
conflict of a dozen years ago, although disastrous to China's army,
stimulated the absorbing power of the Chinese for goods of western
manufacture, and Germany sold her wares right and left.

Important steamship lines were then subsidized by the German government
to maintain regular services between Germany and the Far East, carrying
goods and passengers at reasonable charges: and it was known that in his
personal capacity the Emperor had become a large shareholder in one of
them. Germany was prospering, and the Trade-Lord and his lieutenants
were happy. All recognized the possibilities of Oriental business. China
was preparing to throw off the conservatism and lethargy of centuries,
and trade was the key-note of everything pertaining to Germany's
relations with the Pekin government. German diplomatists on service in
China were instructed to employ every good office to induce German
business, and the Kaiser himself selected and instructed consular
officials going to the Flowery Kingdom. Able commercial attaches, with
capacity for describing trade conditions, were maintained there, and
required to be as industrious as beavers. For trade-promoting capacity
German consuls in China have no equal--and they all know that the
Kaiser's interest in Chinese trade amounts to mania.

The assassination in the streets of Pekin, in 1900, of Minister von
Kettler, Germany's envoy, and the subsequent sending of an imperial
prince of China to Berlin to express the regrets of the Chinese
government, strengthened materially the Kaiser's hold upon Chinese
affairs. Reiteration from Washington of the "open door" in China struck
no terror to the Kaiser, justified in believing he could hold his
position against all comers. As proof of this belief he might point to
German steamers in Hong Kong and Shanghai literally vomiting forth each
week thousands of tons of goods "Made in Germany," penetrating every
section of China even to the upper waters of the Yang-tse. A few years