New-York tribune., 1900-07-08
JAPAN'S WORK IN CHINA.

An attempt is apparently being made to throw
upon Japan the blame for the abandonment of
the Peking legations to the fury of the usurper
and his mobs. The Parliamentary Secretary of
the British Foreign Office declares that the
British Government has assured the Japanese
Government that it would regard with favor the
sending Of a large Japanese force to Taku, and
he adds that no objection to such an act on the
part of Japan has been made by any European
Power 1t is also denied, ION high authority,
that France has made any objection to Japans
Intervention. and other representations are to
the effect that Russia, Germany and all the
European Powers have laid aside all jealousies
and are, and indeed have all along been, will
ing for Japan to 60 in and do what she can for
the sake of humanity in China. All of which
would make ii appear that Japan has been
either unwilling unable to undertake the job.
1t is ALL however, TO be taken with consider
able grain of salt. What Japan wanted weeks
ago was not merely permission TO go in nor
mere absence of objection to her doing She
Wanted-we may confidently assume-what Is
technically termed a mandate That means
direct authorization by the concerted Powers to
act in behalf of them all and direct assurance
of their moral and financial support. Japan is
not in the business of pulling other Powers
chestnuts out of the fire and getting cuffed in
to war with China for the sake Of the European
Powers and at the end to be told that it was
her own war and she must foot all the bills and
then get out and leave the land she has con-
quered for others to possess.
On that score Japan has some bitter memories.
A few years ago she went to war with China
for the sake Of civilization and humanity. With
splendid and world admired bravery she
quished her huge antagonist. She then pro-
posed 10 exercise the recognized right of n vic
tor to indemnify herself for the cost of the
and to take such steps would guarantee her
against any further trouble from that source.
Her plans included such treatment of China
would have solved the Chinese problem" Mt
once and forever, in the interest not of Japan
alone but of all civilized Powers, of free com
merce of progress and of civilization. But that
was not TO be Russia, by some means pre-
vailing upon France and Germany to act with
her. interfered to rob Japan of the legitimate
fruits of the campaign, to balk her generous
schemes for the opening of China to the world
and to restore and to maintain the old, hateful
dangerous Tartar system at Picking
The natural consequence Of that interference
is seen in the present awful crisis. And now
an attempt is made TO blame Japan for not
renewing and completing the work in which
they baked her without the slightest assur-
ance that they would not similarly balk her
again 1t will scarcely work. Japan under a
proper mandate would doubtless have done the
whole work much more quickly and much more
economically than it can possibly be done here
after by the allied Powers, because she is close
AT hand, she has the ships and the men; and
for campaigning in China of her men is
worth at least two OF any others in the world.
But such mandate was not given and she did
not do the work. II now, after all this fatuous
and fatal delay anything like n satisfactory
mandate is given. Japan will doubtless do all
that can be done at so late date But it will