The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-29
OSCAR DAVIS EXPLAINS
CAUSES WHICH LED
Up TO WAR
CONTINUED from Page q,
coGn1on people
PREPARES FOR CONFLICT.

4
PREPARES FOR CONFLICT.
Then came the Russian lease of Port
Arthur, and Japan saw her enemy in
1 possession of the Liaotung peninsula
from which she had been elected. II
IS an old story how she began then t.
prepare for the conflict now about to
break. AT the time of the Boxer out
! break in 1900 Japan received new evil
dence of the Russian intention. Great
Britain and the United States asked
Japan to send her troops to the relief
| of the beleaguered legations in Picking
Russia protested. Already her designs
on Manchuria were becoming clear The
Boxers gave her an opportunity I'M
mediately after the relief of Picking
she recalled her troops from China and
put them into Manchuria. The horror
of Blagovechensk she turned to her
own account.
Japan understood and prepared to
counter by bringing her troops from
China to Korea, but she was not yet
ready for the conflict that might have
precipitated and her men came back
to Japan. She knew the stiffness of
Russian promise, but for the time she
was content to strive to obtain its full
fillment. Russia promised to evacuate
Manchuria and Japan hoped to see the
promise made good. She had given up
hope, at-least for the time, of obtain
ing the needed footing on the CONT
nent, but she now saw with increasing
alarm the evidences of Russian agg ces-
sion upon Korea. When the time set
for Russian evacuation of Manchurla
came and passed and the Russian
troops still held their ground Japan
lx,,
Russia not only refused TO leave Man
churia, but advanced toward Korea
Already her subjects had secured
lease at Masampho, almost in sight of
the Japanese coast. In spite of the
explanation that it was only a private
enterprise, purely commercial, Japan
recognized the menace to her interests.
Then began the series of negotiations
aimed at reaching a settlement of the
matter which Japan could feel would
be definite. But each Japanese step
was met by further advance of Rus
sian demand. Russia secured a conces-
sion at Yongampho, south of the Yalu
River. Japan began to prepare to fight.
No one realized better than she the
character of the undertaking, but no
one knows SO well as she that it is for
her very life.
War is not made because of the fail
ure of negotiations; it is world move |
ment Which mere human agencies can
not control. The old, huge Russian |
with his insatiabie earth-hunger finds |
himself, at the close of his long jour |
ney to the open sea at the East, face |
to face with the newborn japanese, |
feeling at last the irresistible urge of |
the press of population. The conflict
is inevitable. 1t is no Eruption of wild
choking down an old civil
ization to secure new homes for them
selves. 1t is a new civilization work
ing out its destiny in the path of world
development. The Western Oriental and
he Eastern Occidental are at grips.
The japanese reformation from CEN
.uries of exclusion and inactivity is yet |
n it's infancy, but it has accomplished
wonders. Now Japan feels that if this
civilization, with all that it means to
he world, is to be engrafted, even
hough it be but family, upon the eff
etc hermit kingdom, it must be
through the agency of her people, who
now and understand the Koreans and
chinese as no other people of the
yorld do.
Russia is not civilizer," said one
f the old Japanese statesmen to me
There are but two classes
n Russia--the rulers, who are corrupt !
through and through, and the ignorant,
tupid, uninteiligent peasant, with his !
of oppression and misrule be- :
ind him. The Wanted Greek church
self is not civilizer. On the con-
rary, it is rotten and corrupt as the
overning class behind it. l say that
.ussia is not entitled to attempt the
of an Asiatic people. She {
oes not mean to do it. Her interest is
urely selfish
It is a conflict of civilizations. Korea
ill either fall under the slow moving /
ussian or come under the influence
: the active Japanese. For Japan it b
leans much more than for Russia: but | o
,e Japanese statesmen realize that V
zen if they win in the war their relief h
i'll be but temporary. Korea. with its n
oOO. 900 or 10, 600, 600 of people, is only L
alf as large again as Nebraska. Yet t
ley call it thinly settled. Open to I'M
stricted japanese immigration it will a
ford relief for but a few years at the b
ost. In climate and soil it is suitable Z
II the japanese. When it is occupied s.
ere is nothing in sight beyond.
There is a curious difference between p
e Japanese public and private dec II
ra tions concerning Korea. Publicly e
ey profess to desire the preservation c.
the integrity and independence of s.
e peninsula. Privately they admit OF
at the destiny of Korea is absorption Ii
, Japan. They realize that it's oc- 81
patton by them can no longer be de- II
we'd. and whether there is war with | ,
nssia or not that will occur very OF
on.