122
A CHINU-JAPANESE ALLIANCE,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
"to expel the foreigner and hamper trade "rather than to police the country and "assist advance in the gentle arts of peace." We cannot endorse our contemporary's sen- sational predictions. Japan's aim is to secure recognition as a first-class Power, not only in point of military strength, but also in point of civilisation and commerce. use her prospective position in China for the purpose of expelling the foreigner and ham pering trarle instead of policing the coun- try would be fatal to that object. More over, if trade was hampered and the country left unpoliced how could the "enormous
and efficient armies" of China be main tained?
August 12, 1899.
region for their own. When Japan woke up to this fact, a little later on, she was of course indignant, but powerless, The in- cident, however, taught her a lesson, which she will not easily forget.
Now that China, having been stripped bare of the tiger's skin in which she masquer- To aded, stundis revealed in all ess and}
puerility, though potentially strong still by reason of wealth and numbers, the Japanese Government seem to have formed the idea that the troops, if only efficiently drilled and led, would soon become valuable fight- ing material. Whether the Japanese could convert the Chinese hosts into a disciplined army that would stand against a Russian army is a matter for speculation, but the prospect of any attempt of the kind being attempted must be sufficiently disquieting to Russia, and is evidently regarded with an- easiness in St. Petersburg. If the stubborn little Japanese, with their discipline and patience, could succeed in utilising the vast stores of raw material in the Central King- dom there is no foreseeing the end. The tables might be altogether reversed, and the tide of invasion be turned against Rus sin. The idea of an alliance between Japan and China could in no case be regarded with perfect equanimity by Russia even if her relations with the former were more assured. As it is, Russia has thrown down the gage to Japan, and the latter must either take it up or abandon her ambition to be recognised as a dominant factor in the course of international politics in the Far East.
(Daily Press, 8th August.) Curious reports are in circulation in the respecting the secret treaty said to been concluded between China and Apan. The N. C. Daily News believes that the alleged treaty is or will be a fact, but our contemporary does not imagine that it will have any practical effect on the situn- tion, except to make the Chinese rather more pigheaded and suicidal than they are now The Peking and Tientsin Times, on the other hand, anticipates momentous re sults from the alliance. If Japan is to avoid selling herself to Russia, says our contemporary, "she must strike a blow for
But although the conclusion of an alliance "Herty while Russia is at a discount. between China and Japan may be accepted “Russia is distinctly at a discount now, almost as a certainty it cannot be supposed though she is leaving no stone unturned that Japan will be allowed an absolutely free "to strengthen her position and get on an hand in the reorganisation of China. All "offensive footing in East Asia. Once that the principal Powers will have word in accomplished, farewell to Japan's free to say in the matter, and although their dom and expansion. It will be too late mutual jealousies may up to a certain point then for her to struggle against the in-restrain them from active interference, any "vitable, and it therefore behoves her to symptom of an aggressive spirit on the part "atrik. now." As to whether she stands a of Japan would soon all into being an good chance against her northern neigh- adverse coalition. So long, however, as bour we have not the slightest doubt. Japan's policy in China works simply for "When Russians have frankly admitted in the reformation of the country we take it unguarded moments that they are not she will have the moral support and active equal to a tussle with Japan, it is unneces- co-operation of Great Britain, and possibly "sary for outsiders to be at pains to con- also that of some of the other Powers. "tradict them. We rather fancy, if Japan But with the present Government acts promptly, she stands a very good in power at Peking, with its corrup- chance of pricking Bubble No. Z." A con-
tion and peculation, it will be difficult tributor sends to the Shanghai Mercury what to effect any tangible improvement ho believes to be the substance of the letter in the condition of the country and of its pent by the Empress Dowager to the Mikado. public services. Unless the Japanese can This may be genuine or apocryphal; it is secure full executive control their chances certainly interesting and amusing. Accord of success are small, and the Empress to this remarkable document, the Em- Dowager and the mandarins would hardly Dowager has solicited Japan's assist be prepared to surrender such control in chiefly with the view of curbing Eng-practice, even though they made paper land's ambition and aggression. England, promises to that effect. In China in its France, Germany, and last of all Italy have present transition state almost anything | presented demands, says the letter, and the may happen, and it would not be altogether Empress does not know what to do to satisfy surprising if the Chino-Japanese alliance these greedy dogs. England is represented led up to another Chino-Japanese war owing as the worst of all, and one of the offences
to China failing to act up to her engage laid to her charge is that she has attempted ments and generally exhibiting bad faith. to frustrate the Empress's relations with -Russia 1 From this it would appear
that the Empress has thrown herself into the RUSSIA AND THE CHINO-JAPANSE arms of Russsia; in no part of the alleged letter is any request made for assistance gainst that Power, although it is from Rusia that China has the most to fear in the way of aggression.
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If a treaty has not yet been signed it is ain that negotiations are or have been progress, and there can be little doubt
think, that an alliance will ultimately be concluded. What would be the effect of stich an alliance ? · Japan might fail in her empts to reorganise China's army and navy, in which case her own position would beberiously compromised, for the alliance would then prove a source of weakness instead of strength and Russia would laugh * Japan's discomfiture and, if it suited her gna, take advantage of it to carry those gns into effect. But suppose the experi- succeeded? According to the N. C. News, the prospect of enormous and icient armies of yellow men, unhampered traditions of interrational morality, eva conventions, Hague conferences, Iso forth, with a mission to conquer and nder the whole of Asia and drive away. Western barbarians, is not comfortable, essful opposition to aggression would dly develop ambition for conquest and Japanese would be irresistibly tempted the easier path of persuading ignorant ally to use the new weapon
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ALLIANCE.
(Daily Press, 11th August.) That there is something definite and real in the proposed alliance between China and Japan would appear from the announcement telegraphed by Reuter under late of the 8th inst. This states that a note from M. DE GIERS warns China that an alliance with Japan will give great offence to Russia and that the consequences would be most serious. There can be no doubt that the Russian Chancellor means -all
that he says. Åt the present moment Russia and Japan regard each other with profound distrust. The Japanese, it must be confessed, have some reason for this distrust. They have not forgotten the exchange of Saghalien for the Kuriles forced upon them by pressure, and they have a still livelier recollection of the part Russia played against them so recently in the Liaotung peninsula. When with the aid of her allies, Frauce and Germany, Russia was able to warn off the victorious Japanese armies from taking permanent possession of the territory known as the Regent's Sword, she did not breathe a hint of what was intended to be the ultimate fate of that important peninsula. But the plans of the Russian railways were, if we mistake not, already in existence, and the agents of the Czar had marked the
warn-
M. de GIERS'. note is addressed to Chiun, but it is intended as a ing of hands off to Japan. A war be tween Russia and Japan has been:
pre dieted for some years past, and Russia's present warning cannot but be regarded as bringing the prediction nearer realisation. It is, indeed, not beyond the bounds of credibility that Japan may have intended from the outset to provoke such a warning in order to bring matters between Russia and herself to a-head. It is considered in many quarters that as things stand at pre- sent Japan would have a fair chance of emerging victorious from a conflict with the Colossus of the North, but that if the war be postponed until after the completion of the Siberian and Manchurian railways and the consolidation of the Russian position she would be placed at an almost hopeless disadvantage. If that theory be accepted by Japan it would constitute a very good reason for precipitating a quarrel, supposing war to be regarded as sooner or later mevit- able. The other Powers, however, might object to having the peace of the Far East disturbed again so soon, and the principles of mediation and arbitration so recently aired at the Hague Conference might be placed before the disputants. There is abun dant room for conjecture, but one thing is certain, namely, that the situation is full of danger. We can only hope that British statsemen are alive to the changed and chang- ing conditions in the Far East, and will take care that the interests of Great Britain suffer nothing in the struggle for pre-eminence.
At the Magistracy on Saturday an arms dealer at 191, Queen's Road Central, was fired $100 for an offence against the Arms Ordinanes. A coolie who was arrested in Praya East on Friday with three rifles and seven revolvers in his possession said he was engaged to carry the arms. Subsequent enquiries showed that the arms had been sold by the arms dealer in question to a person who was not iu posses- sich of a license. Hence the arms dealer was summoned and dealt with as stated above, the coolie being discharged with a caution..
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