Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-02-05
Our Sympathies In Russo-Japan War

Our Sympathies In Russo-Japan War
While the press of this country, APP
parently without exception, favors strict
neutrality on the part of the United
States in the dispute between Russia
and Japan, the great majority of our
papers would like to see Japan win in
the fight. Many American newspapers
ridicule Russia's traditional friend,
ship" for the United States and con
denim her civilization and government,
particularly attacking her trade pol
Icy in the far east as a menace to our
commerce there. On the other hand,
Japan is generously praised by Amer
lean journals, some of which recall
with pride the fact that it was an
American commodore, Perry who open
ed Japan to civilization. Many of our
papers look upon japanese ascendency
as the hope of Asia. With Japan para
mount, 1t is believed that American
trade and influence in Asia would en-
Joy a rapid growth, while with Russia
paramount it is believed that our mer.
chants would find the door" slammed
In their faces.
"If the case Is correctly outlined" in
the dispatches, 1.-THE civilized world
must sympathize with Japan" says the
Indianapolis News, and the Seattle
the belief that Japan will win. but adds
that ut is to be sincerely hoped that
she will" "Most of the American PEG
pie would rejoice at a victory by ia
pan," declares the st. Louis Globe
Democrat, and the New York Mail and
Express says that there is no sign OF
any other feeling here" A war be
tween Japan and Russia, the Baltimore
American thinks, would be a struggle
Of the right against the wrong, with
the right on the side of Japan, A Rus
sian triumph would mean a defeat and
a setback for those principles of gov
eminent which are founded upon the
rights Of man." The New York Jour.
nal Of Commerce, whose comment on
the commercial situation in the far
east has been notable for it's anti-Rus,
sian tone, says:
Japan is not only fighting the battle OF
progress and civilization in placing herself
athwart the path of Russian advance in
Asia, but she is standing as the cham
pion Of commercial rights in whose main
tenance no nation is so vitality interested
as the United States. Nothing but culpa-
BILE blindness to our own interests could
explain anything approaching to Russian
craftsmanship among the press and people
Of the United States in a war with Japan
Were Russian friendship for the United
States in the past as genuine and per-
sistent as it has been proved to be hollow
and evanescent there could be no justifica-
ton for any stand on the part of this
country in regard to the pending conflict
In the far east other than that which has
been taken with much delibera ton and a
reasonable approach to unanimity.
Turning to the other side. the Detroit
News does not blame Russia for occu
plying with troops turbulent province
like Manchuria, where it has expended
hundreds of thousands of dollars in i'm
provements, and it believes that almost
any other power would do the same
thing under the same circumstances
1t says:
China appears to be the stake of q
game Of selfish interest, and If Russia
does not put certain barriers against the
Entertainments of other nations the Other
nations will begin to put up barriers
against Russia There Is no moral ques.
ton at issue.
The Chicago Evening Post questions
whether Japan would be friendlier te
the western powers as master of Ko
rea than Russia" and adds:
There are students Of far eastern poll
tics who assert that Japans ideal ant
motto is still what it was before hel
conversion" Asia for the Asiatics-undei
| Japanese hegemony Even now leagues, il
is said, are being formed in the mil1ado':
empire for the purpose of expelling the
western intruders and liberating the orr
ent from the yoke of the occident. This
Is hardly compatible with the open dool
| principle for which Japan Is supposed tt
stand in the present crisis. An ambitious
! oriental power cannot look with indif
terence on the appropriation of the fai
EASTERN spheres" by western nations
Russia. after ALL Is a western power witt
more than one window into Europe. Japan
which has shown contempt for other orr
entails and Is not loved even by the Ko
reans. can never have real and profound
sympathy with western conceptions.