The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-02-24


of the present trouble started with the
China-Japanese war. 1t will be re-
membered that little Japan startled
the whole world with the quiokress
and strength Of her blows against the
moribund Chinese empire, says the
Eagle. She swept all before her aud
fully expected TO reap her reward by
annezipg certain Of tho choice terri
tory Of China. Her reward con-
sisted Of holding few second rate
war vessels and the Island of For
mosa, for Russia stepped in and nulli-
fed the victory by compelling Japan
to give up all her hard-earned laurels.
Since the war Russia perpetrated
one of the most collosal grabs in his
tory. In 1895 Russia compelled ia
pan to give up Port Arthur, Manohuria
and Mongolia. In 1897 Russia seized
Port Arthur, which controls the gate
way to Pekin, Manchuria and Mongo-
liza. In 1897 Russia seized Port Ar
thur for her own. Three years later
the great bear got foothold in Man
churia, which covers 1868, 900 square
miles, and has population Of $780,
600. The Boxer uprising, which Ja-
pan declares was fomented by Russia
for the purpose Of making this hold
more certain, followed in the next
year. OF course, Russia poured into
the district protective" troops to the
number Of nearly 100000. This, the
great bear said, was to protect her
Siberian railway and her interests
along it's route.
At the end Of that same year Rus
sia obtained from China exclusive
trading rights in Manchuria, and in
100; further rights were ceded on the
promise that Russia would evacuate
the province within eighteen months.
This, Russia reluctantly agreed to do,
but she is there yet.
Last year Russia announced that
she would not evaouate Manchuria
unless more exclusive rights were
given-practically amounting to SOW
ereignty. Although Russia had gone
on record that she would keep her
promise, especially to Secretary Hay,
she still refused and China was told
that the Russian troops would con-
tinue to hold all the important points
in Manchuria until all 1.-The demands
we're accedsd &c. The United States,
Great rBritain and Japan combined
to hold China firm in her refusal, and
succeeded. Russia poured more
troops in, until her railway was
completely defended along the entire
route.
Russia, baked at last, made prom
ise to the world that she would evacu-
ate Manchuria on October 8 last if she
got'some special privileges from China.
These we're not so stringent as her
former demands, but were too much
for China to grant, backed as she was
by three great powers. The incoming
troops and the Notifications going up
caused China to protest against this
aggression, but more troops and more
forti6cations was the answer.
The situation was then acute, but
the climax came when Russia moved
over to the Yalu river, dividing Man
churia and Korea, and built forti6oa-
tions and established armed camps.
This clearly was move to gain Korea
and shut Japan from the continent.
japan always has considered Korea as
under her especial protection, and
rightly 80. Japanese interests in
Korea are far greater than those Of
any other country, and the Japs prac-
ticaily run the commercial interest
there, although the biggest enterprises
are under American control.
Why should japan want Korea?
japan is composed Of many islands
jutting ont from the Korean coast, the
nearest point between the two coun-
tries being some sixty odd miles and
and only $50 miles between Korea and
the main island of japan. The area
of Japan (including Formosa) is 162,-
coo. square miles, and its population is
AZ 100000. Here is a country the
size Of California, that State having a
population of only 1900, 900. The
density Of Japan 8 population is near
~ 300 per square mile, or, in other
words, Japan is like q huge and continu-
Qua village in our rural Districts.
spreading over all its land. as
Every inch Of Japanase soil is util-
ised, and were the people like the
Americans, requiring q diversity and
immsnsity Of food products, they