Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12
RUSSIA IN MANCHURIA
MUSCovITE SUPREMACY MIMI
CAL TO UNITED STATES.
Partition Of China Among European
Powers Would Injure
American Trade.
From the New York Journal Of Commerce

= "0 the New York Journal Of Commerce
Nj. A. M. Knapp, the editor Of the Japan
Advertiser of Yokohama, talks interesting
ly on the situation in the orient of the vital
interest to the United States of preventing
the partition of China and of preserving
equal commercial rights for all western ma
lions in every part of the east
Replying to a question as to how the
Americans in the Orient regarded the ag-
gressions of Russia in Manchuria, Mr.
Knapp said: There is only one opinion on
this subject among Americans living in
eastern Asia. We believe that the qGes-
ton raised by the presence of the Russians
in Manchuria, foreshadowing as it does the
inevitable partition of China among Euro
pean powers, Is essentially an American
question, and that upon it's solution depends
the future of our country politically as well
as commercially in the orient and in the
Pacific. The United States is the one coun-
try that has nothing to gain and every
thing to lose by the partition of China
among European powers that, in spite of
whatever promises they might make, would
inevitably establish their commercial Sys-
TENS in their oriental colonies and would
give their own merchants advantages that
would be none the less real though they
might be concealed under professions of
equal rights for ALL Aside from the COM
mercial question, there Is the political as
pect of the situation.
The partition of China means that the Eu-
ropean nations among which it Is divided
VIII eventually have at their disposal vast
armies of native troops, organized and
trained on the European system and off,
cered by Europeans. These armies will be-
come menace to the peace OF the world
but, above all, they win be constant men,
ace to the United Sta ties and to our interests
in the entire Pacific ocean.
Effect on. Our Trade.
Izjp LII
Manchuria upon the trade Of other nations
in that part Of China has already been
very disastrous. American merchants are
finding it constantly Becoming more difficult
to carry on business there and the Japanese
trade has suffered very severely Before
the Russian occupation Manchuria was the
principal market for Japanese cotton goods
Their cotton trade has been depressed ever
since the beginning OF tfe Russian occupa-
ton. 1t was inevitab3e that this should be
SO, and that the Russians should put OBJ
stacles in the way of merchants of other
nationalities. This brings up the question
of the value of the epen ports of Mukden
and 1AntHng secured to- the United States
by the pending commercial treaty with
China. These ports will be OF little practi-
cal value If the territory for which they are
the great distributing centers is to be con-
trolled by nation that will not hesitate to
use it's power to: advance the interests of
the expense of those of other ma tons.
We Americans on, the ground who I'M
derstand how such things are done have
no doubt that if Russia remains In con-
troll of Manchuria the opening of the
ports of Antung and Mukden will be of
little practical value to American CONNER
cial interests. Russia might not do any
thing that could be construed as a viola
ton of the treaty bue she would find some
way of neutralizing it. The ports would
remain open, but the markets would be
closed. The Japanese understand this. and
Japan is the only power that is today
standing In the way of the contamination
of the Russian plans.
The Japanese opposition to the Russian
ization of Manchuria is based on CONNER
cial reasons, but their opposition to the
threatened Russianization of Corea is
based on patriotism The Japanese look
upon Corea az being historically and ira
ditionally part of their empire and.
further than this. the Corean peninsula is
so near to their island empire itself that
they could not lock upon the establish
ment of Russia there in any other light
than as seriously threatening the continued
existence of Japan as an independent ma
ton. We hear great deal of the war
sentiment in Japan. In some quarters it
Is regarded as pure jingoism, as a desire
to fight for the sake of fighting. but there
is nothing of this in the Japanese senti-
ment in favor of war to restrain the am
billions Of Russia. 1t is sentiment of pure
patriotism. and patriotism is the religion
of Japan.