The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-06-21
COUNT CAssINI.

demanding again that Russia incOrpO-
rate in a separate treaty between the
st. Petersburg and Tokyo governments
a declaration defining anew the rights
which Japan was to enjoy in Manchu-
ria and a reiteration Of the statements
OF my governments future intentions
in that province. First because such a
subject was quite irrelevant to the ne
gotiations in progress and for the addi-
tional reason that Manchuria was a
question to be settled between Russia
and China, in which Japan was no
more legitimately concerned than any
other power my government refused
to accede to these demands. To have
entered into a, separate arrangement
with Japan regarding Manchuria
would not only have been a violation
! of good faith with China, but with the
powers which, with Russia and Japan,
signed the peace protocol of 1900.
However. in another effort to bring the
negotiations to a peaceful conclusion
! my country did all that dignity would
permit and offered to give assurances
| again that the sovereignty of the IN
peror of China in Manchuria would be
recognized. Such a declaration had al
ready been addressed to the powers.
Having made this marked concession
solely in the interest of peace, my gov
eminent awaited the Japanese answer
in the expectation that it would at
least be diplomatic in character and
would furnish the basis for the fur
therance of the negotiations to a salts
factory conclusion. Before the Russian
minister at Tokyo could deliver this re-
ply the japanese answer came not
through the regular channels, but as a
torpedo attack at midnight. And now
that wal has come Russia does not
doubt the issue.
It is not a thoughtless statement that
were Japan to obtain supreme control
in Manchuria the dominant military
spirit of the Japanese would lead them
to organize tie Chinese into a modern
army of such proportions that Europe
and America would stand aghast at
this menace to their peace and we'll be-
ing. That is a phase of what has been
: called the yellow peril" that it would
be well for the thoughtful and intelli-
gent classes to consider carefully. The
Chinese make good soldiers. To sup
pose them to be p%usillanimous in char
acter is They are easily
trained by competent instructors, and
with a population of more than $780,
100000 to draw from an army could
be raised that, cooperating with ia
pan, might, with a reasonable show Of
confidence, defy the civilized world.
You in America should pause to con-
template the result Of a union Of the
two great Mongol races. n progress
sive, aggressive, alert, overambitious.
dreaming dreams of standing dominant
not only in the far east, but in the
councils of the powers; the other imi-
tative, easily influenced, ready if not
anxious to have a stronger hand mold
it's flaccid character into whatever
shape would be best suited to carry
out a scheme of national ~aggrandiZe-
ment. You of America as well as we
of Europe have this to confront. 1t is
not Russia alone that the danger
threatens, but the whole family of
Caucasian nations.
There is another aspect of the ques-
ton which has doubtless already APP
pealed to that admirable, rugged com
mon sense for which the American
business man is noted the world over
I refer to the commercial feature of
the far eastern situation. In the out
cropping of that perhaps natural sym
pathy arising from a kindly feeling fol
what has been considered a weak ma
ton in it's conflict with a powerful an
tagonist many well meaning people IN
this country have not taken time t.