The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-11
The Orient's Problem.

The Orient S Problem
1t is noticeable that sthe lower
house of the Japanese parliament3yes !
terday declined to show Its custom
airy obsequiousness to the emperor,
Mitsu Hito. The emperor failed, in
his speech from the throne, to give
the Importance to the Manchuria-
Korea question which the representa-
tives of the people thought should
be given to-it. and the house roundlX
denounced the cabinet as failing to
meet promptly the expectations Of the
| nation, as to the progress of the en-
| pire. which was menaced by the de-
| lay in the settlement with Russia.
| The emperor will have to get used
| to protests from the lower house.
! When he consented to have g rep
resentative chamber he ought to have
taken into consideration 4the conse-
quences of parliamentary govern
ment
The trouble is that the gentlemen
of the lower. house are aware that
/ the government. as a. result OF the
negotiations at TOXIC, has! committed
itself to the abandonment OF the pro-
(. .glam of fightingsfor Japan,ss rights in
! Manchuria, as was at: first the talk,
i and to retaining Japan,s control of
sISorea. This program is reported as
1 the. one accepted by the czar, who
/ has been represented as pale and
wlinkled from his great anxiety lest
he should have to fight to retain the
vineyard he sinfully wrested from the
Chinese Naboth.
i The Japs have a big cotton goods
/ trade in Manchuria and have been
practically. dominant in trade III
Korea Russia, left in control OF
/ Manchuria is likely, after a few years,
to renew her encroachments upon
i Korea. She is, by her predatory acts,
!. restricting Japan's growth and plac-
! ing bounds. to her commercial ambi-
! ton Russas course will inevitably
lead to the partition Of what remains
of the Chinese empire, as the eagles
are now gathering for the quarry, and
will not be restrained unless powers
like the United States and Great Brit
ain call halt on the movements Of
old Adam Zad,' who is notorious for
faithlusisness to solemn pacts.
The United States is now facing the
strong probability of losing her
orie,;ta, trade. Our government holds
four distinct pledges by Russia that
she has no intention of holding Man
:. churlu, and that her movements were
simply tc protect. her interests along
her railway lines, and the troops
would be Withdrawn on certain speci-
fed dates. They have notsbeen> with
drawl:.f and Russia has 9, 900 troops
in Malelsuria; on the most conserHa-
tive estimate. *.s &sEsS. 81 g%~#}
According to q statement Of the sit
ua.lnn by Mr.. A. M. Knapp, an: Amer
iLan, and editor OF the Japan Adver-
tiser Of Yokohama. the opening OF
tn, pcrts of Mukden and Antung in
= MancEuria. under the treaty now be-
: fore the senate for ratification, is
= useless, as Russia is practically III
control of all the country tributary~tc tc
Il these ports; so that while the ports
would bc open, the markets would be
closed to Americans and, indeed; The
. traders of any "otl2er nation. Mr.
:, Kuap,, Says that the only effective
;. way with which to deal with Russli
. is to call attention to her pledges, be
ginning liz 1900. and say to. her irm
;. ly: "Ycu must keep your promises o.
8 all friendship ceases He thinks sue.
= an ultim;*tum would halt Russian per
> fitiy and make the open door .
: trade" an actual practical commeraia
G fact. .-.-., . ..-....-. ... ..a ,.-. -.
. Notwithstanding the 'tradltiona
friendship of Russia and the United
States, our government, as Paclfi
- ocean power, our flag flying, at brie
- I intervals, from our Pacific coast t.
the Philippines, within a few hun
- dred miles Of the Asiatic coast is i
>c duty bound to protect our trade right
g by a firm, formal protest against tn
= perfdious aggression Of Russia upo
&c, those rights. Such protest should b
- in the form and with the sting Of
II warning. =
n Referring to the reduction of the prie