The sun., 1904-08-31
We Shall Not Help to Rob Japan OF
the Fruits OF Victory.

According to a telegram from Paris,
an impression prevails in French official
circles that in case Russia should be
beaten to her knees France, Great Brit
ain and the United States should in
terpose to limit the concessions to be
e1acted by Japan from her helpless op-
ponent. That is to say, the United States
may be invited to take part in combina-
ton similar to that formed by Russia,
France and Germany nine years ago
for the purpose of wrestling from
japan the most valuable part Of the
gains accruing from her victory over
China.
We have no doubt that France. as
Russia's ally, would be glad to repeat
the performance in which she partici-
pated in 1885, and we deem it highly
probable that she could now find in Ger
manv, as she did then, partner in an
interposition obviously unfriendly to
Japan. We do not believe, however,
that our State Department or the British
Foreign Office will lend any countenance
to such a move. Neither the British
Government nor our own took part in
the intervention which occurred nine
years ago, although the plausible pre-
text for the demand then made that
Japan should retrocede the Liaotung
peninsula was professed desire to
maintain intact China's territorial in
tegrity. The real motive was quickly
revealed when, under the guise of
lease, Russia secured for herself the
strategic and commercial advantages de-
rivable from possession Of Port Arthur
and the adjoining district. Had the
real intention of the Russian, French
and German interveners been known in
London at the time it never could have
been carried out, for Japan would have
repelled the demand made by the sham
friends of China if she could have relied
upon support from the British feet So
far as the Toxic Government is con-
cerned, one of the principal incentives
TO the conclusion of the existing treaty
with Great Britain was a desire to pre-
vent a repetition of the man9uvre by
which in 1895 it was robbed of the fruits
Of victory. Unquestionably. a proposal
on the part Of France alone, or of France
and Germany, to dictate the terms which
Japan should impose on her defeated
opponent would be looked upon in Toxic
as an act of enmity. 1t is inconceivable
that Great Britain can be deluded sec
ond time, and persuaded virtually to
repudiate her treaty obligations by
joining in the application of unwelcome
pressure, tantamount to coercion, on
an ostensible ally.
As for our State Department, it has
learned by experience the hollowness of
Russia's and Germany's solicitude for
the preservation Of China from dismem-
berment Scarcely, in the fulflment of
a pretended altrustic purpose, had
those Powers compelled Japan to sur
render all that part of Manchuria ao-
quired by the treaty of Shimonoseki,
than one Of them, as we have recalled,
got possession of Port Arthur, while the
other seized Kiaochou Bay. 1t may be
said that England made herself an ac-
cessory after the fact when, by way of
equivalent, she wrested from China the
harbor of Wei-hai-wei. 1t should be
noted, however, that the lease of the
harbor jnst named is to terminate when
ever Russia ceases to hold Port Arthur,
an event which, according to present
appearances, is not distant. There il
no such condition in the lease of Kiao-
chou. The Germans will retain that
foothold permanently, unless, indeed
they should eventually be dislodged by