16
in Asia to warrant such an understanding | being arrived at and, upon this point, those who have watched the course of recent events can have very little doubt. It was not only not deaied, but on more than o occasion ostentatiously declared that part of Russia's policy, in endeavouring to obtain supremacy in Manchuria and generally in the East, was to strengthen her position in the direction of India; nor can any one doubt that this would be the result of her succeeding in the policy of aggression which has fortunately received a check England has, therefore, a direct and most important interest in withstanding such advances. Ou the other hand, there can be no question that any success obtained by Russia in the direction of India would have the most serious effects upon the position of both China and Japan. The interests of the two countries are, therefore, at one in maintaining the peace in both these direc. tions, and a compact between the two nations to withstand the undue advance of Russia in either of the directions indicated would seem to be what is naturally dictated by ordinary considerations of prudence, as suggested by recent events.
THE WAR SETTLEMENTS,
(Daily Press 7th July.)
It seems plain to some people that Germany is itching to act the part over agaiu that was played by Russia with regard to Japan in 1895, and that this is the true cause of her effusive desire for peace. We have had a very distinct enunciation by the British Foreign Office of its opinion that in view of the successes in the war hitherto gained, Japan is entitled to name the conditions on which she is willing to enter into peace negotiations with Russia. What are likely to be the conditions are not at the present time disclosed, but Japan from the first has been consistent in slating that they will include the absolute retirement of Russia from Manchuria, and should she persevere in striving to maintain her position by force of arms, that the total expense of the war will have to be repaid to Japan. The principle is that neither Russia nor Japau should obtain at the expense of China any territ. rial advancement, and that, so far as the outer world is concern, d, affairs should
as nearly as possible be restored to the position in which they stood before the
war.
This palpably covers the whole of the interest of any outside Power in the
war.
Neither Germany or any other Power has any concern with the arrange nents which the successful Power may deem fit to impose on the other, provided that no infringement of the received practices of International Law be attempted.
Without any pretence at "exclusive information, we have been able to gather from influential sources some of the opinions prevalent in official circles as to the con- ditions likely to be put forward. These of course divide themselves into two categories; one of public international concer, the other the private demands of Japan, as between herself and Russia. The chief of the stipulations under the former heading,
i
·
1
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
4
[July 10, 1905.
Japan. With regard to Port Arthur, opin- | in the corresponding position in America, it ions vary between retention and immediate is now forty four years since, by an act of unexampled falsehood and treachery, it tell surrender, but probably the consensus of
What has Russia opinion is in favour of retention till China into its present hands. has shown her complete ability to adminis since done to atone for her part in the ter the entire territory, in her military as transaction? It may be said, Absolutely Yet Eastern Manchuria is one will as civil capacity. Other demals in Nothing.
of the finest and fairest provinces on the which the outer world may have some con- ceru, include the entire withdrawal for a earth. When she took possession, it was term of years from Asiatic waters of a Rus. 1 practically uninhabited. Originally it had sian war feet, beyond what may be actually been an appanage of the Manchu people, necessary to guard her bona-fido mercantile whose chief now occupies the throne of interests. The immediate surrender of China. In the conquest of China, the Vladivostock as a guarantee of good faith, Manchus ha literally exhausted themselves, before commencing negotiations, will also and to hold their new possessions they found probably form ne of the stipulations. it necessary to remove their old subjects in mass to garrison the chief towns. Eastern With regard to the private demands of
even worse than the Japan, in which the world at large is only Manchuria fare
western districts, and with the exception of interested so long as they conform with
a few hunters, the fertile soil of the seil- general International Law, it is certain that
coast province was absolutely unpeo- Japan will demand, and insist up-n, a sub-
Governor, & stantial indemnity for the enormous cost, pled. In 1876 the Civil
German froin the Baltic provinces, pro- both in mouey and blood, of a war forced où
posed the introduction of agricultral her by direct aggression.
views were openly colonists, but is ridiculed by his subordinates, and inet with no favour at St. Petersburg, he was almost immediately recalled; and from that day to this the state of affairs has gone from bad to worse. The only use na le by Russia of this rich country, which in civilised hands would long ago have been the gem of the western Pacific, has been to build the grim fortress of Vladivostock. For defensive purposes, as there were then lutely no possible en mies to attack Russia, the fortress was needless, and stood self- condemned; its only use has been from time to time to shelter a flet, always sent to the East for aggressive ends. With Vladivostock and the coast, is connected the kindred subject of the navigation of the
party amongst the Since the capture and of Port Arthur and the defeat of the Russian have been urging that the opening of the Amur, and the cession of the coast, should army before Moukden have set free a con- silerable force of the Japanese army, Japan be made one of the demands of the Japa- nese. However utilitarian from a world has been concentrating her strength for an attack on Vladivostock, feeling that as long as Russia continue in assession of this formidable stronghold there would always
Most well-informed circles say that the probable amount demanded will amount in round figures to a hundred millions ster- ling. Ex ept as an appeal ad misericordium foreign Powers have no ground here for interference. Another demand in which foreign concern is an absolute minimum, is the retrocession of Saghalien. Some twenty, years ago it was understood that a settle ment had been arrived at by which Russia was; to occupy the northern, and Japan the south- ern half of the island. Under pressure, Russia, subsequently forced on Japan the useless, to her, group of the Aleutian Islands, and took possession of the whole of Saghalien. Japan has never willingly acquiesce in this position, and has always expressed her in tention of reclaiming the island at the first convenient opportunity.
the temptation to engage again in an aggressi e policy. A few weeks ago a piece of information was permitted to transpire, that Japan was intending to occupy Sagla. lieu as a base for further operations against Vladivostock. There is nothing inherently improbable from a military point of view in the scheme, and it is likely that the occupa ion has been, at least in part, accomplish.1. ¡Saghalien is known to be richi in coal, and probably in other minerals. We know little of the products of the soil, but they are apparently not inferior to those of other countries under the same latitude. Some quarter of a century ago, Sagbalien was not alt gether unknown in the mercantile world. Some cargoes of cod from Doui did, at all event find their way to the China coast, where they met with a ready sale. Since the Russian occupation it has been male use of ouly as a prison for criminals thought in Russia to bad for Siberia; and has been practically closed to the word, and the unsavoury conditions of Siberian pri-ous been repeated there, with surrounding more unsavoury still. There is no doubt that the world at large would be benefitted by its iransfer to Japan.
!
i
1
a
At all events
Amur, Japanese
point of view would be these measures, it can hardly -e said that at the nioment Japan is in a position to enforce them and certainly
the outsile Powers have not ret awakened
to a full comprehension of the impretant interests involved.
In both instances Russia has misused her stewardship; and the time for retribution will assuredly come. It has not yet, however, arrived, and we be- lieve the far seeing counsellors who guide the affairs of Japan have consistently declined to urge any demands not the direct sequence of Russin's eularged pretensions since 1900.
THE CHINESE AMERICAN BOYCOTT.
(Daily Press, 8th July.) Tientsin papers are full of the Chinese boycott of American goods and American people, and we notion that the Peking and Tientsin Times takes quite an original Where other journals
or
stand in the matter. have argued nedemically pr, et con, tried to lay bare the rights and wrongs of the question, our northern contemporary simply denounces he movement as impolitic. and dangerous, and warns the Chinese Govern. sibilities it iacurs, by allowing the Chinese ment of the dangers it runs, and the respon- public and press to take the line they are taking. Our view of the agitation was that it was a plausibly justifiable expression of an unjust fiable general anti-foreign pre- judice; and our contemporary, while it does
of course, refer to the evacuation of Man- churia. No party in Japan seeks terri, rial advancement in this direction, and the wish is very general that China will be prepared to take full possession of the territory as
There yet remains what from an external it existed before the events of 1900, and point of view may be regarded as the most unhampered by any stipulations as to the important of all; and that is the position of presence of a Russian force. Under such the cast province of Eastern Manchuria, conditions Dalny, Newchwang and some koowu since its Russian occupation as
be opened other
Here Russia is in the position of Treaty Ports
to the world at large, the unjust steward who had wasted his goods. no special privileges being claimed for Situated on the east coast of Asia, as Canada unlikely to distinguish between a special
stations
would
as Primorsk.
not burrow for th: motives and origins movement, is struck by the that the Chinese tuitsses are
تی
fact
the
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.