The Republican journal., 1903-10-22
AMERICA, RUSSIA, JAPAN.

The United States has gained its COM
merclal treaty with China, relating in
mart to a section of China which has
ceased to be Chinese. Russia occupies
that particular part of China, though
the time agreed on for evacuation has
passed. Both Russia and Japan are ma
neuvering for position on the border of
Korea. with the evident purpose on the
part of each to check the other in at
tempting to get possession OF that To-
caiity. Each has an interest IN keep
ing the other out. Only the alu and
the Tu Man rivers separate Korea from
Manchuria, which is now as much Rus
sian as is the Amur province OF Trans
Caucasia. Only the straits OF Korea
divide Korea from Japan. 1t Russia
gets foothold in Korea she will be in
a position to dominate the politics OF
Japan. If Japan gets control OF Korea,
Russia's further advance IN ASIA Will
be stopped, for time.
Naturally. each of these two powers
has far more direct issue in the Man
cburia- Korean matter than any other
nations can have Until quarter OF a
centurya ago Korea was hermit nation,
as japan was until quarter OF cell
tury earlier. The United States
brought Japan out of its isolation, and
secured the first commercial treaty ever
negotiated by Japan with any other
power. Japan performed like service
for Korea, and received like conces-
sion. Her trade treaty with Korea IN
1876 was the first that the latter ever
entered into with any country. Since
then Korea has become connected dl-
Dramatically with nearly all the great
nations. China being the second and
the United States the third which gain
ed the privilege of commercial inter-
course with her. While Russia has en-
deavored several times to establish
something like a protectorate over
Korea, the government and the people
of that country lean toward Japan, Tor
chronological and other reasons. and
Japan's influence is potent in it. When
the story was published the other day
of the entrance of strong body of
Japanese troops in Korea to guard
against contemplated movement OF
the same sort by Russia, or to gain a
position by which Japan could bring
pressure on Russia to get out of Man.
churia, the people of Korea were rep
resented as being pleased. Probably
they were pleased Their sympathies
very likely are with Japan in the fight
with Russia for dominance in the pc
ninsula, but it is the heaviest fleets and
not the feelings of the Koreans which
will decide the issue as to the possession
of Korea should war take place.
In the meantime, what is the treaty
worth by which China grants us Ger.
tain commercial concessions in Man
churia? That convention has to be
accepted by the Senate at Washington
before it can 60 into operation. And,
what is of immeasurably greater i'm
portance, it must get the Endorsement
of the government at st. Petersburg
before it can have any effect. With
out Russia's assent, the convention
which Minister Conger and the Chi
nese representative have just signed at
Shanghai will not be worth the ink
which these two persOnageS spent on it.
The chances are that Russia ultimately
will grant the concessions. Russia has
made promise to the United States
that two Manchurian ports shall be
opened to us and the world. The
United States has a greater CONNER
cial interest in the opening than any
other country except Japan, but the
United States can not do anything
which will have any other effect thar
to hasten Russia's action, favorable OF
adverse. The United States is not il
the Asiatic or the European concert
AS an interested spectator, this country
will follow the course OF events in Asia
but it will take no hand in them, what
ever shape they assume. With Rus
sian and0 Japanese fleets in or around
the same harbors in Korea, and witt
the soldiers of the two countries sepa
rated from each other by only a few
miles, almost anything can take place
within the next few days. The sensi
BILE thing for the government at Wash
ington and the American people to dt
in the interval is to keep cool and avail
the turn of events between the two ma
tions which have the most vital con
cern in the Manchuria- Korean ISSUE
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.