Distribution of The Chinese Pie
8/18/1909
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In this cartoon, a Chinese man with a large knife stands next to a pie plate labeled “Hankow RR Loan.” Uncle Sam stands with the British, German, and French who smile about their slices of the pie while the unhappy Russian and Japanese look down on them.
The cartoon refers to the 1909 railroad construction loans made by Western powers to China. The Hankou loan was originally negotiated as an arrangement exclusively among France, Germany, Great Britain, and China. The United States, feeling that its exclusion was an injustice threatening its future role in China, worked its way into the deal. The British were pleased by this development as they preferred America as a partner over Germany.
The cartoonist suggests the closeness of the United States and Great Britain by showing characters representing the two nations in the foreground smiling at one another. He presents the loan as beneficial to its Western participants, and acknowledges the resentment of the powers who were excluded from it.
This cartoon was drawn by Clifford Berryman, one of Washington, DC's best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.
This cartoon is featured in America and the World: Foreign Affairs in Political Cartoons, 1898–1940, a free PDF book from the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives.
The cartoon refers to the 1909 railroad construction loans made by Western powers to China. The Hankou loan was originally negotiated as an arrangement exclusively among France, Germany, Great Britain, and China. The United States, feeling that its exclusion was an injustice threatening its future role in China, worked its way into the deal. The British were pleased by this development as they preferred America as a partner over Germany.
The cartoonist suggests the closeness of the United States and Great Britain by showing characters representing the two nations in the foreground smiling at one another. He presents the loan as beneficial to its Western participants, and acknowledges the resentment of the powers who were excluded from it.
This cartoon was drawn by Clifford Berryman, one of Washington, DC's best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.
This cartoon is featured in America and the World: Foreign Affairs in Political Cartoons, 1898–1940, a free PDF book from the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate .
National Archives Identifier: 6010812
Full Citation: Cartoon N-031; Distribution of The Chinese Pie; 8/18/1909; Berryman Political Cartoon Collection, 1896-1949; Records of the U.S. Senate , Record Group 46 ; National Archives Building, Washington DC, 20408. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/distribution-chinese-pie, March 18, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.