Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-28
JAPAN
FOR WAR
Island Empire Alarmed at
Entertainments OF
Russia.
Will Latter Secure Inn
portant Terms From
China?
If so rIanChuria Goes
and Korea Is
r1enaced.

London, MdfCQ Zo.-lue ChihO"N
minister, Sir Chin Chen Lo Feng Luh,
called at the foreign Office yesterday
and urged that the British govern
ment bring pressure to bear in order
to prevent Russia from securing the
necessary signatures to the Manchur-
ian agreement. The foreign office
is still in the dark as to whether the
agreement will be signed or allowed
tn lapse when the time expires today.
The officials of the Japanese legation
are inclined to believe that Russia
will succeed in getting the necessary
signatures. The situation is still
more complicated owing to the fact
that there are two secret ureatles,
one of which is to be signed at st.
Petersburg dealing with Russia's
military control of Manchuria and an
other to be signed at Pekin dealing
with her civil powers.
Chinese appeals for support have
failed to produce any direct remon-
strances from Great Britain or ap-
parently from any other powers to ST.
Petersburg, for Russia persistently
adhered to her contention that the
secret agreements concern no one eX-
cept herself and China. On this
ground Great Britains request for
copies of the agreement have
oh,
planned at the foreign office here
that it would be dangerous and use
less breach of diplomatic procedure
to endeavor to enter upon expostula-
tions with Russia which would only
be based upon information supplied
by the Chinese. In other words
copies of the secret treaties and al
legged notifications of them recently
given to the powers by the Chinese
are worthless documents and will re-
main such until Russia herself
chooses to communicate the text OF
actual treaties and notifications. In
the absence Of the Japanese minister
first secretary of the Japanese lega
ton, made a comprehensive statement
of the issues involved. He said:
"Russias insistence and China's
helplessness and the probable victory
of Russian diplomacy tomorrow viii
bring us to the brink of a dangerous
situation in which none of the powers
is SO deeply concerned as Japan
Even if secret treaties have been mod
ified as is alleged, the changes are
SO trifiing as to make the documents
thoroughly Objectionable to Japan.
Assuming that China signs the
treaties, l suppose Great Britain, Ger
many and the United States will pro
test to Russia. But that is about as
far as they will go and about as much
as they will get. With Japan it is a
matter of fighting The question is
whether we are to fight Russia
now or fight her later on
She has no right to Manchuria, and if
she secures Manchuria she will be on
the way to securing Korea.
Our government, l believe, is
seriously considering the crisis. The
officials eyes are wide open and they
Will not be driven to precipitate ac-
ton by the jingoists of Japan who
are openly clamoring for immediate
war. Yet, if they see war is unavoid-
able, they will not hesitate to strike.
Japan has no reason to be afraid as to
the result. Many reasons occur to
the average Japanese mind in favor
OF forcing, at the present moment the
struggle which must come eventually.
The chief reason against so doing is
the fact that Japan is just beginning
new industrial era which will be
temporarily killed should we endeavor
Dy force of arms TO prevent Russian
entertainments
# we follow the lead of other pow
ers and do not threaten hostilities.
we realize we must sit down tameIv
am see any other nation step in and
make agreements similar to those
which China seems on the verge of
signing with Russia. This would mean
the partition of the Chinese empire
and the end of the open door If we
opposed 1t we naturally think we
would have the moral support of the
United States, which has been the
champion of these principles and also
of Great Britain and Germany"