Evening star., 1902-03-04
ANGLO-JAPANESE PACT
TREATY NOT AGREEABLE TO ALL
ENGLIsHMEN.
British Objections to the Alliance
Albion Risks Much, Gains
Little.
From the London Spectator.

From the London Spectator.
We cannot profess anything approa ching
satisfaction in regard to the alliance with
Japan. Indeed, the more that alliance IS
studied and the greater the number of as
poets in which 1t Is regarded, the more 1t
seems to us fraught with danger and diff
Guilty. What Japan gains is. Of course.
clear enough. What We gain is far from
manifest. We object to the treaty, not only
because it Is an open declaration Of hos
tilty against Russia-of course this Is off,
cially denied, but the public opinion Of the
world has at once accepted 1t as aimed a.
Russia-and because it places our relations
with Russia and France at the mercy of
Japan, but because even If We accept the
view that our and Russia's interests in the
far east are necessarily antagonistic it
meets the case in the wrong way.
Even If we he'd that Russia were the
enemy and could never be the friend of
this country We should protest against the
form Of alliance adopted in order to curb
her. Finally. we hold that we have de-
parted on insufficient grounds from our
fixed policy of not making alliances. and
that we should have acted far more wisely
had We remained unpledged in the far
east, and SO been able to hold aloof from
any diplomatic complications which did not
directly and vitally concern us.
Russian Enmity Invited.
We will take our objections In order.
After the proclamation Of an alliance with
Japan. all hope OF an understanding with
Russia must be abandoned. Russia will
feel confirmed in the conviction, already
largely held by her rulers and people, that
England Is the enemy and that unless and
until England as a world-power Ia destroyed
Russia can never fulfill her national as
pirations. Eve wanted to expand in the
near east and to take Constantinople: Eng
land forbade us. We desire to reach open
water in the Persian gulf: England tells us
she cannot allow any movement In that di-
rection. We wish in the far east to de-
velop our empire in regions now misrued
by China; England meets us there also,
and orders us to abandon our aspirations"
That Is the view that Russians, rightly or
wrongly, will derive from the agreement
with Japan. They will regard it as final
and conclusive proof that Russia must be
on the side Of any and all who wish to de-
stroy the wOrld-power of England. In
fortunately, too, the evil effects or the
Japanese alliance are not confined to Rus
STA. ANYTHING which precludes a better un-
derstanding with Russia also precludes a
better understanding with France. We do
not mean to suggest that France will make
every quarrel with Russia her own, but
France clings so closely to Russia that we
cannot be on bad terms with one power
and on good with the other.
At Mercy Of Japan.
Our next objection to the treaty is. as We
. have said, that 1t places us at the mercy of
japan. It Is possible. OF course-nay, We
will admit that 1t Is most likely-that Japan
will use the immense power with which We
have intrusted her wisely. but at the same
time it is evident that We have made her
the arbiter of our fate not merely In the far
east, but throughout the whole world.
Japan at any time during the next f1ve
wears has it in her power to light flame
of war which will burn not merely In the
Gulf Of Pechili, but in the English channel.
in the Baltic. In the Mediterranean and
wherever Russia, France and England are
in contact.
1t may be urged that this is very ex-
aggerated way of stating the case. and
that, as a matter Of fact, Japan could not.
even II she would, plunge us Into war. We
are not bound. we shall be told. to come to
the aid Of Japan unless she becomes IN
yolyed with two powers. That Is true; but
Japan has a perfectly free hand to prose-
cute her own interests In China and Corea
Now it is conceivable that In the prosecu-
tion of these interests Japan might be In
clined to think that il war were to result
II would be better to make II war with
two powers instead of only with one, In or
der To bring In her ally.