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THE CHINA-JAPAN TREATY AND THE POWERS.
(1st May.)
The situation in the Far East has, if anything, grown more critical during the past week, that is, if the reports which reach us through Reuter's agency are reliable. It is true that the position has not greatly changed, but the danger of collision appears to have grown. The dissenting Powers (Russia, France, and Germany) have pro- tested against the terms of peace exacted from China, so far as they relate to the cession of territory, and the Japanese Government are reported to have replied that, in the present excited state of public opinion in their country, they practically dare not moderate those terms, as to do so might lead to a rebellion. And this, we believe, is no idle fear. The war spirit has been deeply roused in Japan, and the patriotic feeling of the people would be up in arms at any attempt to deprive them of what they consider the rightful fruits of their well earned victories. Elated and encouraged by their successes on sea and land, the Japanese feel a confidence in their strength and resources which may be exaggerated but is quite natural and understandable. That confidence may even impel them to bid defiance to the protesting Powers, if they have to choose between civil strife and foreign war. Great as is the might of Russia, the Japanese Government might prefer to face her before the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway, while she is practically cut off from her base in Europe, rather than have to recken with an angry nation disappointed in their dreams of con- quest and left with nothing but the barren husks of the prizes they had reckoned on enjoying. Meantime the MIKADO has ratified the Treaty, and it now only awaits the signature of the Emperor KWANG SU to complete the settlement between the two nations. As we intimated in a former article, there is always this difficulty ahead of the Treaty-the Chinese Government may, at the last moment, refuse to ratify the act of their Envoy on some plea or other, and the protest of the three Western Powers above named is certainly calculated to encourage them to take such a course. The prospects of a complication are, therefore, it will be seen, considerably, increased by the action of some of the neutral Governments. The presence of so large a Russian fleet in these waters must, moreover, acquire a sinister significance both to China and Japan in the presence of her strongly worded remonstrance against the occupation by the latter of any Chinese territory on the main land. It is true it is stated that the protest is a friendly one, but the gathering of a large naval force, and the dispatch of reinforce- ments to the garrisons in Siberia, are not too reassuring to the Japanese mind of purely pacific intentions on the part of Russia.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[ May 9, 1895.
and strong holder. It is true that at first the Japanese Government adopted a rigid and unyielding attitude, as they were well entitled to, but later the counsels of prudence prevailed, and it is reported they have con- sented to relinquish the Liaotung peninsula in consideration of some other concession, believed to be an augmentation of the in- demnity. But whatever this condition may be, it is satisfactory to find the threatened war cloud has blown over, and that the not about to com. two nations are meuce a contest the end whereof could not easily be predicted. It has been freely stated that the Russian Government, true to its traditions, only desired to make use of the present crisis in order to secure a fresh rectification of their frontier: that, in short, they wished to repeat the diplomatic feat of 1860, when without striking a blow they inanaged to add a considerable province to the Czar's dominions in Asia. It was be lieved, also, that they objected to any other Power obtaining any footing in Korea, lest the peninsular kingdom should be prevented from falling, when sufficiently ripe, into the eager mouth of the Muscovite Bear. It was generally thought that, sooner or later, ere that time arrived, the King of Korea would be asked to cede a port in southern waters to Russia, to enable that Power to maintain her seaward communications through the winter months. Did Russia cherish such a design, and, if so, has she relinguished it because Japan has become tutor to Chosen?
provide for both these aspirations. The British Government would be perfectly will- ing to see them gratified; that very dear friend the French Republic would not be disposed to cavil, and Germany would feel constrained to follow suit and give her sanc tion to the necessary appropriation from the territory of China. With Russia thus securely seated as a great Power on the Pacific coast and Japan in possession of Port Arthur, Formosa, and the Pescadores, with China reduced to an invertebrate and therefore dangerous condition, Great Britain would find it essential for the protection of her vast commerce in the Far East to have a naval station to the north of Hongkong and within easy reach of Shanghai. She should therefore negotiate for the cession of Chusan and dependencies. That island has already twice been in her possession, and now the need for it as a naval station has become urgent no false scruples should be allowed to stand in the way of its acquisition by pur- chase. China should at the same time be asked to cede so much of the adjoining peninsula of Kowloon as will enable us to provide adequately for the protection of Hongkong and the suppression of gambling in Kowloon city, which does so much to ruin and demoralise the Chinese servants and workmen of this city. No doubt our French friends would be ready to exclaim and pro- test against these trifling territorial conces sions, but they have their own little bill against China, which might be settled at the same time, and all parties be thus satisfied. It may well be doubted whether Russia The incursions of Chinese soldiers into has abandoned any of her projects for the Tonkin, where they engage in acts of strengthening of her position on the Pacific. brigandage of an intolerable kind, ought If she has nourished them during the period to be put a stop to for the future and past she believed in China's strength, and under offences atoned for. How this can be best ac- that conviction gave up a large part of complished it is for French officials to sug. Kuldja rather than incur the enmity of the gest, but it is idle for the Chinese Govern mandarins, she is not likely, now the hope- ment to disclaim responsiblity or to plead in- less weakness of China has been demon- ability to prevent recurrence of such acts. Thestrated, to pursue a similar policy of conces soldiers have hitherto been encouraged to go sion to her in the future. In fact, it is only in search of loot in Tonkin in compensation too evident that the Chino-Japanese War for arrears of pay. Now is the time for the has acted as an eye opener to every civilised squaring up of accounts with China, who has State in the world. China has been weiglied so long evaded her obligations with unblush-in the balances and found miserably want- ing impunity, and it would be only bare jus-ing. The corruption known to be rampant tice that, to prevent further complications, throughout her administration has been she should be made to assist by timely con- proved to be hopelessly incurable. China is cession in the amicable settlement of ques-a vast jelly-fish, devoid of moral backbone or fibre, saturated with one universal in- tions growing out of the terms of the Treaty of Peace which, if left to smoulder, may bye satiable longing to squeeze, à longing it is useless to try to appease. Any and bye break into a conflagration.
attempt at reform or improvement in China must come from without, must be urged with unrelaxing energy, and still may fail to make any visible impression. The Press in Great Britain have with singular unanimity recognised this fact, and that of other European countries has followed suit to a very large extent. There is no longer any talk of an Anglo-Chinese or Russo-Chinese alliance; the idea of shackling a great civilised Power to a mass of festering corruption like China has been completely A Russian journal, the St. given up. Petersburg Bourse Gazette, writing on this "it would be a positive crime on subject, says "the part of Europe to attempt to rehabi- litate China. Millions upon millions of "helpless people are groaning under the "cruel despotism of the Manchu dynasty, "and it has now become the sacred duty of "the civilised humanity of Europe to sweep "from the face of the earth the last "traces of this antediluvian and accursed
• terror. The great mission of the seven European Powers to whom China now ap- 'peals is to introduce a new and civilised "system of Government, and to see that the Manchu sovereignty is not succeeded by "a Japanese despotism." Some of this is rather funny coming trom the source it does. It may be admitted that official corruption
(8th May.)
The political horizon in Eastern Asia is again a little clearer. The cloud that seemed to be rising so portentously between Russia and Japan is dissolving without the storm it foreboded, and the prospects of peace in this part of the world appear more secure from disturbance. While it was evident that there was some danger of a collision be tween the Colossus of the North and the newly Risen Sun of the Far East, we always entertained the hope and belief that matters would be arranged before the parties drifted into war. Neither Power wanted to fight. The Japanese haye already expended much blood and treasure in the contest with China, and have won great honour and credit as a result of the campaign, which might be lost in a struggle with their great northern neighbour. Russia had no wish to engage in a conflict in a region so far from her base, in seas where she has but one
Nevertheless we are loth to believe that the CZAR will lightly permit himself to be drawn into a conflict which may give rise to still further complications.. The object of the Russian Government in protesting against the annexation by Japan of any part of Man- churia is professedly an unwillingness to allow the insular kingdom to acquire any foothold on the mainland, but France apparently en- tertaius as strong an objection to Japan securing Formosa as an addition to her island chain. Is it not, however, quite possi-port at which to coal, and to engage a foe ble that both objections might be dissolved by the application of some remedy? Russia covets a port on the Pacific that would re- main open to navigation during the icy months of winter. She also desires some further rectification of her frontier, the bet ter to secure her new railway. Surely it is not beyond the resources of diplomacy to
whose measure she has not taken, and who, to say the least, would give her great trouble. Moreover, Russia, on this occasion, brings forward no special demand; she merely objects to a new military Power acquiring a foothold in Manchuria, territory too nearly adjoining her new Trans-Siberian railway to be comfortably handed to a new
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