The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-08
THE WAR IN THE EAST
1T BRINGS TO THE FRONT A CUES
TION OF GREATEST IMPORTANCE,
Involving Possibilities that May AZ
feet the Politics and Business
of All Civilized Nations.

When / had the honor, short time ago.
of writing some observations upon the
present war between China and Japan this
prediction was ventured: II have no idea
that the great powers win permit it to
be fought to finish. hurried peace will
be imposed by Russia and Great Britain.
There will be peace with compensation
to the intervening powers in the way of
land or seaports. The pity of it is that
China and japan are fighting under the
very eyes of the ravening eagles ready TO
pounce upon one or the other as their
prey"
Already, as may be seen from the latest
dispatches, the great powers has instructed
their representatives in Toxic and Picking
to press upon the governments of China
and Japan the necessity of peace" Thus
japan, in her hour Of mastery, is ham
strung by the sword of Western diplomacy.
And unless this warning is needed moth
ing remains but an armed interference is
''the interests of civilization
All the signs, so far as they can be
studied and above the dissertations Of ques-
tionable telegrapffic news, indicate that this
question will be one of the most moment
Gus of the century.
If may take permission, I will, at the
outset, say word of protest against the
UNIVERSAL tone OIL the american press dS
against China. 1t can do no good to
either contestant. 1t is ungenerous and
unprovoked. To find parallel we must
recall the news and editorial comments
in the English press concerning President
Lincoln during the civil war. And es-
pecially is this protest pertinent as against
the denunciation of the Viceroy Ii Hung
American people as the sole instigator of
the war. treacherous barbarian thirsting
for blood.
Lii Hung Chang is an old man, bowed
down with infirmitfes, and a friendly word
ought TO be said Of him the one Chinese
Western ideas. l will, however. confne
myself to the Viceroy's attitude in the
the American press
d On Nov. is, 1894, the viceroy wrote to
Ing Mr. Detring as a peace envoy. Al
though Mr.. Detring is described as an ''ad-
tage Of his friendship know N him i'm as an
amiable gentleman and an accomplished
scholar, whose life has been spent in China
in his letter. referred to the Tfentsfn treaty
of 1885, which Count Ito himself had ne
gotiated. Such solution" he wrote, Zen
treaty, when duly signed and sealed, to be
regarded as a guarantee of eternal peace.
Never was there monetary anticipation
that within my own lifetime would arise
such a depforable state of affairs as now
'time, with it's full measures of calamities,
has rolled on, and / never cease to ponder
between the two countries. Should war with
its resultant misfortuneS, continue year
after year, asssursdly the people will be-
plete exhaustion supervenes. / now en-
deavor to reopen this question in order that
to. an Understanding. II look apxion pI
across the seas, Straining my eyes, gazing
toward you Excellency's distant home, feel
nc mot how ffo "a
DRY of our former intercourse; it must re-
main craven upon both hearts,
JAPAN'S CONQUEST"
This letter was as will be seen, written
in November last by the master of China,
and will show the sentiment which inspired
the fruitless Detring mission. Since then
campaign has been fought, and we read of
the already assured conquest of China,
As a matter of fact, the Japanese have
conquered China about as much as a Brit
ish army might be said to have conquered
the United States when it crossed the
British-American frontier and occupied ST.
Paul China, as American readers are apt
to forget, is territorially as large as the
United states, and it's rich, densely-populat-
ed provinces are a thousand miles from the
seat OF war. Japan has skinned Northern
provinces Corea is squalid, barren, unde-
slrabie, and its occupation by a Japanese
army means SO far the integrity of the
empire is concerned what the occupation
VI Tic upper ulSlT1ctS Oh Maine DIV an
friendly army would mean TO the United
States. Add to this the destruction of some
naval vessels and the. taking Of Port Ar
thur Chee-Foo and a few promontories and
islands on the northern coasts, and we have
an idea of the material extent of the Japan
csc invasion. Japan has not even crossed
the threshold of the Chinese empire. At the
door and barring the way stand Russia
and England
There is something sad in the position of
Japan. She has reversed the policy of
ages only to become the possible Instrument
policy was an alliance with China Her
statesmen must have read of the conquest
of India. how race was arrayed against
race, religion against religion, prejudice
against prejudice, until races. creeds and
preJudices were crushed under the heel of
mighty England They must have seen
that there could be no weakening of China
or Japan, and especially what might come
as the result of prolonged devastating
their empire and invite Western ipterven-
ton. Iaremember General Grants declara-
with which he impressed upon Prince Kung
and the Mikado the necessity Of self-pro-
Grsn evar faes n vn ss
advice. not alone to China, but to Japan.
Among. his letters to myself find one adj
dressed to me in Picking, dated New York.
Nov. e, 1882. Corea was then, as now.
an angry question. quote from the origin
al autograph lying before me; 1T is grati graft.
the Corean question passed off without a
conflict between China and Japan. A war
disastrous to both, no matter which came
out victorious, civil war in any other
country. / hope Prince Kung and Lii Hung
Chang will see this What the illustriouS
President then dreaded is now apparent
in the light of this unfortunate war. China
down-China under terrible debt--China
in bonds to the usurers of Lombard street
China enduring army of occupation up-
til English interests were assured and
Japan, with her prestige. her victories and
the satisfaction of her military spirit, would
be as much under the sway of Great
Britain as the Kingdom of Dude or as
much dependency of Russia as her con-
quests on the Oxus.
1t is because of this that those who like
the writer of these lines, love Japan, see
the pathetic side of her proud, brave en-
deavors Can Japan hold hep place against
powers like England and Russia, who have
ever treated her in brutal fashion-Russ
taking her territory, England Stacking her
commerce and debating her tariffs? And
will even a successful war. resulting in
the Gripping of China give to Japan that
sense of security without which the stabil-
ity of her empire becomes one of those
diplomatic problems which distressed the
Cabinets OF Western nations? Is there
any peace possible, involving. as il must
a dormant Chinese vendetta that VIII
weaken Japan in the day of stress that
must come to her as surely as II came to
Khiva, Burnah and Siam?
WHY CHINA is HELPLESS
To the American mind nothing is so unac-
countable as the military heplessness of