The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-29
RUSSIA GAN DECIDE ON WAR OR PEACE She Must Either Back Down or Fight Japan BOTH POWERS DETERMINED Majority of Nations Seem to Be In Sympathy With Japan and This
 Is Especially Noticeable
 In Washington.
BOTH POWERS DE TRIMMED


 Wellman, the well-known Washington correspondent has this to say about the Russo-Japanese situation:
 If Russia does not back down there will be war in the east. What will Russia do? This is the burning question of the hour the greatest question that now confronts civilization. For the answer the whole world is anxiously waiting The tense- ness of this moment of pause before the 1 verdict is to be seen in government and diplomatic circles here, and in foreign capitals the suspense is far more painful How keen is the anxiety of the present hour may be judged by the fact that among the best informed officials and dipomatists there exists a well settled fear that war between Russia and Japan cannot be restricted to those two powers. but that soon or late virtually all of Eu- rope may be drawn into the vortex of the struggle for supremacy in Asia.
 Advices of a trustworthy character re- ceived here indicate unmistakaby that at last the crisis is at hand. Japan has taken her final stand; she has reached the irreducibe minimum of her demands. l Russia must accede or fight. Japans att titude is sign or fight" Russia is at the parting of the ways. One leads through surrender of all pretensions in Korea to peace; the other through refusal to war. 1 There is no middle course Compromise is impossible. The artifces of delay will no more avail Russian craft has at last been brought to bay by Japanese courage and determination. The issue between ! the two powers must be settled, and be settled now. Furthermore, it must be set tied on the terms named by Japan The alternative is war.
 This is the situation as it is described to me through sources of information which are the most trustworthy and au- thoritative to be found in this country. Within a few days the answer of Rus | sia Is expected, and upon it hangs the | issue of peace or war with the dread possibility that the whole of Europe may be ultimately involved lurking ever in | the background.
 What is the issue between Russia and Japan? Is it possible for us of the far west to reach a clear understanding of | the character and significance of this | oriental dispute which now threatens the peace of the world? I have sturiously sought information on this score at the best available source, and will tell The | Record-H Herald's readers the result of my | inquiries:
 Japan demands that Russia sign treaty stipulating the independence of | Korea.
 l Russia has expressed a willingness to l sign such a treaty, with conditions, and the conditions are that Japan shall stipu | late free rein for Russia in Manchuria, and, by implication, in other Chinese 1 territory.
 | Japan has refused to accept any condi- | tions, has declined to take any step which might be construed as recogni- ton of Russian sovereignty in Manchu- ria and has insisted upon settlement of 1 the question of the future statues of Ko- req without involving that settlement with the status of the Chinese province.
 Japan has not, so far as is known at 1 out state department or at the embassies of the powers here. as yet issued what in diplomatic form is known as an uti- | matum. The Japanese government could | still entertain a counter proposal. But | it is declared by men who are in posi- tion to know that the government at To- lSio will not consider any proposal that ! departs from the letter of the demand al- | ready submitted. In other words, the 1 issue has been simplified and narrowed to the one question: Will Russia surren- der all pretensions to Korea and bind herself in solemn treaty to respect the independence of that empire. or will she refuse to do so and accept the conse- quence?
 This crisis is the natural, the inevitable collision of two great forces which for years have been working toward one an- other. The national policies of the two powers have for years drfted nearer and nearer to actual collision. Peace has been preserved through makeshift and procras- tination of the evil hour. But at last they are face to face: they are drawn up in martial array; it is difficult to see how there can be further delay or truce. One side or the other must yield. Japan is ap- parently determined to win or to fight; If war is to be averted it must be through the retreat of Russia. The two forces which have come into collisions are the nstinctive lines of expansion of the two countries. On the one side Is Russia marching steadily. almost resistlessly eraftily, sometimes trickily. toward the l Pacific advancing with railroad and army traders and assumption of local authority wholly subversive of the nominal sover- eighty of Picking; moving on powerfully l through assmila ton of the masses, i through a pressure almost glacial. masked behind stealth fairly feline; creeping
 
 seeming to pause but only seeming, for crafts sake
 | On the other side is Japan, whose na- | tional instinct centers upon two points: First, self-preservation by preventing the vast orge of Russia sweeping through to the Pacific and there spreading up and down with an expansive grasp which in | the end must threaten and finally crush Japans very existence. Second the more immediate and practical aspiration of Ja- pan for an outlet upon the mainland of Asia. Japan lacks room. It's little island kingdom is not large enough for it's peo- pie. To the east the vast Pacific; to the ' west, the tottering governments of Korea and China, and it is to the west Japan must perforce look for expansion. for her opportunity. for self-preservation com mercially and politically.
 When Japan turns her longing gaze to the mainland she beholds there. en- trenched. greedy. powerful stealthy. al- most resistless. the hordes of Russia. and back of them an nstinctive national pol icy which deliberately plans and unceas- ingly seeks to overrun all China. With painful anxiety Japan has watched | the steady eastward march of Russia the railroad, the trader. the complete local rule. the outpost ever moving farther out. Russian predominance through fear and bribery at Peking and finally Rus sia playing in Korea the same game of industrial concessions, the establishment of local trading companies backed by the government a gradual enlargement of Russian influence over the weak and