New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-09

OF Japan would become the Russian BLACK DC"
Of the East" BY way Of strengthening such al
alliance Japan would willingly see Dfe"'
Britain occupy either Wei-Hai-Wet or Chusah Dis
her northern naval base and Canton as her op-
portunitv Of commercial expansion, Japan taxing
Formosa and holding Port Arthur. On the o'"eF
hand. failing England Japan would turn %
France or to Russia. Russia has long "e@'' ~
absorb Manchura with It's vast potential riches'
and to establish herself at Port Arthur. ln'S Is
well known TO those whose business II Is 70 KNOW
such things and it explains the Willingness VI
Russia to promise to take no step In Corea THIS
Is what Russia would gain by an alliance win
Japan: France would get something TO Keep her
sweet as Orentas say; crippled emma "ouiu
be a mere corpus for japanese trade; Nei-iia'-
Wei tho native CITY OF Shanghai and For
mosa would be japanese; and with PORT arthur
Russian and Yunnan French whore would Eng
land be-" But these are all contingencies Japan
chooses 10 avoid them II possible. The plain IN
ference is that her statesmen would prefer CHINA
strong and capable to China dismembered ana
shared among the European powers IN Asa.
But she must now wait to see whether ch'Na s
chastisemcnt has been severe enough 10 make
her progressive and useful Meanwhile the signs
OF harmony between Russia and England In the
East must cause alarm in the japanese Hhnu'
Nevertheless Japan stands to win under the most
adverse conditions II she accepted n poSl'ioh IN
a sort Of triple alliance with these powers she
would have the actual, If not formal. controi OF
Corea, all the advantages gained by the present
war and China would be out 81 the way forever.
Tho CRY or "Asia for the Asiatics'' would cease to
be uttered but Japan would be free to strengthen
herself Indifferent 10 the fate Of other Or'entaIs
Russia would get the winter port which she longs
for. and England would have a free hand in
Thihct II Is needless 10 enumerate what else
these two powers would get. In fact what they
did not get would be Simply what they did not
care II ,akc. And Mr.. Norman adds genialIE
that TO an arrangement OF this kind the power
ful sympathy Of the United states would hardly
he wanting" In any case. it is Mr.. Normans
idea that England must control tho results OF
pcace between Japan and China. This Is. Of
course what he says everywhere. 1t is EnEiand
only that can make siam and Malaya valuable
to the world His argument against. the utility
Of French coonizing schemes is a very strong
ono backed by figures from the French Foreign
Office C,.onies which invariably cost more than
they come t. must at length weary the most
chivalrous nation Spain In the Philippines ana
Portugal ut Macao are not worthy Of being
counted in the politics Of tho Far East. France
will have 10 be rockoHcd with. not because OF ner
interests. but because Of hcr susceptlbties
such are in brief the conditions OF the who.e
problem r. this is correct. then every question
centres at last in the fate e China. Japan has
shown that the Government Of China - mere
imposturc The author maintains then. that
Tnrlaud's duty Is to insist on tho opening OF inc
whole = china 20 trade as rapidly as possible
He would Ike 20 see this done on the instant II
it were not that the people Of the Inland prov
ircos mus, have time TO discover that the mon
- the West are not mere barbarians. England
must secure a naval base ! thousand niles nprth
of II ,ng-KonC Above al. she must insist on
tho literal fulnlmont " her previous convention
with China regarding Indian trade with Thioet.
The Chinese will say" he adds, that they can
not guarantee that tho Thibctans Will not oppos"
Us hy force This is quite true-.t IS wholly OUT
~ tho power q the Emperor ~ CHINA 10 give any
such guarantee. our answer must be that In
that case w. will look after ourselves This
Thihc'an business. on tho face Of II. seems 70 be
tho most difficult among ali the details ~ East
crn politics But there IS good evidence that
Western China IS FAR !ess unfriendly u foreign
crs than IL has been made % appear. some por-
lions = this evidence ar, At hand In two thick
volumes n travel now 20 be mentioned