The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-27
A World War?

l. 1t is but natural that the correspond
ents in the European capitals should
be daily tempted to assert that the
world-war is at hand.
1t Is not strange that the treaty by
which Korea, tho nominally guaran-
teed it's independence, really becomes
a Japanese protectorate, should be
made the occasion Of another predic-
ton, that widespread war is at hand.
Once such a war as that which has
just begun to rage gets well started
there is no telling, Of course, what
complications may ensue. The fact
that the cause Of the war is the con-
flicting aims of two great powers re-
garding portion of Chinese territory
and that all the great nations are in
tensely interested in the fate Of China
is enough to make the situation one
that may explode at any moment.
Yet there are some facts that tend
strongly to dam the tide that would
draw other nations into the combat Of
Slav and Jap. At present the only
way the theater Of war could be en-
larged would be thru the decision Of
France that the coalition Of Korea and
Japan against Russia binds the re-
public, under the terms of the Franco
Russian treaty, to come to Russia's as
sistance. If France were to do that
then Great Britain, under the terms of
the Anglo-Japanese treaty, would
range herself on the side Of Japan.
But France does not want war,
|
STA. An unsuccessful war would mean
| the despoliation by Great Britain of
the French colonial empire and the
reduction of France to a debt-bur-.
dened, impoverished, dispirited third
rate nation. It is likely, therefore,
! that the French statesmen. will take
full advantage Of the fact that the
coalition of japan and Korea, after
the virtual conquest of the latter by
the former, is in no proper sense an
alliance, and that the formal procla-
nation Of intimate relations between
the two countries in no sense men
aces Russia more than she was men
aced by Japan's occupation Of and
actual ability to do with Korea as she
pleased. Such an alliance under du-
ress should not be accepted by France
as the kind Of an alliance the Franco
Russian treaty had in view when it
bound France to join Russia in the
event of the latter being attacked by
two nations.
1t is possible that Germany's CO.
quoting with Russia at this time may
cause France to lose her head and sud-
denly undertake to prove by extreme
| action that she is Russia's only real
friend. But it must be remembered
that France now seems to be in the
are adroitly steering the ship of state
Of the republic with a view to pre-.
serving it rather than some other
| ship.
1t is not at all likely that Great
| Britain will take any part in the war
so long as victory perches on the
Japanese standards and perhaps not
in any event unless her statesmen be-
come convinced that Russian victory
actually threatens the whole fabric
Of Britain's Asiatic empire. France
| is no mean enemy, and the British
food supply is too precarious for the
rulers of the empire to take any
chances in the game of war that are
not actually forced upon them. Vic
| tory in such a war would be little
better than defeat English COM
mercial supremacy would in any event
| be thing Of the past.
Considering these elements of the
situation and many more. is it not
wise to conclude that while there is
danger that the war fire will spread
there are good reasons for believing
that it will at least for some. time
| yet, be localized?
Editor Pyle of the Globe refused at the