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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1921 Excerpt:... ever progress either government makes in opening this vast empire to the influence of foreign commerce is for the common good of each other and of all Christendom."" These arrangements marked the first stage in the development of the principle of equal treatment, which, as has been seen, was introduced into China as soon as she abandoned her policy of seclusion and opened her doors to foreign intercourse. As the maritime commerce of the world in general was rapidly increasing, and as the ships of Western nations were traversing all seas, owing to the application of steam navigation, the volume of China's foreign trade increased by leaps and bounds. Nations in the West, which had had hitherto very little to do with China, also sought to establish commercial relations with her. Thus, Belgium, Brazil, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Peru, etc., all began to have treaty relations with China. In 1858, Great Britain and France made fresh stipulations for most favored nation treatment, after the conclusion of the "Arrow" War. And the United States, though not a participant in the war, also reaped its fruit by entering into a similar agreement with China. "The allies were able to dictate their own terms; and they got all they asked for.... The rest of us got the same, though we had struck no blow and shed no blood. One article known as 'the most favored nation clause' (already in the treaty of 1844) was all that we required to enable us to pick up the fruit when others shook the tree."' In this connection, it should be noted that the most favored nation clauses inserted in the British Treaty of Tientsin of 1858--and in the Chinese-American and Chinese-French treaties of the same year, were much broader in scope and more inclusive in langu...