The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-07
The Far East Crisis.

Russia S traditional cream OF COLL
quest has been actualized by persistent
aggression to the extent that she has
connected her strong fortress kron-
stadt in the Baltic with Port Arthur,
her Gibraltar on the Bay OF Korea
and the Pacific ocean, by rail and
chain of fortresseS.
To-day she finds herself looking sea-
ward, with her hands gripping Man
churia and Korea, but facing the
strongest contestant of her ultimate
claims in the far east, since she oc-
cupied the Kirghiz steppe and mad TO
fight the khans of the three khanates
of central Asia. Expediting the reall-
cation of her aggressive program,
Russia spent many hundreds of mil
lions of roubles building the trans
Siberian railway, and, thru its facill-
ties, is pouring troops into Manchurla
and to the Korean border. Japan mas
been invited to share a strip of Korean
territory with Russia, to be called neu-
trail ground, where Russia, some time
ago, bullied the Emperor Of Korea
into making a concession of forest
land to her.
The occupation of Manchuria is an
accomplished fact. Japan demurs be
cause she had a large trade in that
region She, however, does not care
so much about this loss as she does
about maintaining her control or
Korea, additionally and regarded py
the whole people Of Japan as part
Of their empire for which they fought
China ten years ago, won it from her,
and we're deprived of it by the man
date of Russia, Germany and France.
1t is to wrest Korea from Russian
aggression that Japan has armed ana
modified her forces on land and sea,
and is preparing to land a large BODY
of troops in Korea. Controlling the
Fusau-Seoul railway, she has easy
access to the interior.
The crisis has apparently reached
it's climax. The movement upon Korea
by japan and Russia is simultaneous
The Emperor of Korea is a cipher ir
the whole incident He and his gov
eminent are degenerate. His army !:
in a state Of revolt for back pay. The
emperor has immured himself in the
French embassy in Seoul. Japan Il
practically in control of the southern
half Of Korea. In control OF the rail-
way from ChemulphO to Seoul, Japa1
refused yesterday to allow Russian
legation guard to proceed to the CAPT
tai. Such discrimination is itself tan
tamount to declaration of war l
Russia wants a pretext to begin shoot
n ing. ,...s
Any Chinese movement Of an ag
gressive character to oppose Russia II
Manchuria would be welcomed by tn
# latter, as she has bullied China int
# signing treaties accepting the s1tua
ton, Russian occupation and all. Sh
would simply turn upon the attackln
Chinese force and march on Pekin
t# and bully the old dowager empires
into another cession of territory
which would likely lead to the hast
recouping of territory by the othe
powers, who have done cons1derabl
land grabbing of Chinese territory /
the past. Such a diversion would ia
cilitate Japan's program in Korea.
1t is yet uncertain what arrange
NIH mentS nave DeeIl DSl"CCiI zap
and England, other than those Sc
forth in the alliance treaty Of 100:
& which requires England to come t
the assistance Of Japan only when tn
latter is threatened by q second &C
versary. The reported active syn
pathy of Germany with Russia to tn
extent of furnishing coal and gunner
I'd Of
made a pretext for rupture betwee
England and Germany, for neutr;
may sell anything it pleases to
belligerent while the other belligerel
has the privilege Of capturing and +,
tanning the material in transit at Sc
if it is able to do so. If England a
rives at the conviction that her oriel
tai interests will suffer by the succe
of Russian aims in that quarter, she
not unlikely to assist Japan in blov
ing Russia's navy out of the water.
Russia has small experience in nav
fighting. She has not, indeed, been
a, real naval fight since the battle
Nayarino, three quarters of a centu
1t ago. when in behalf of the strugglil
Greeks, she helped England al
France annihilate the Turkish fleet.
r,,ot, ion it will proba blV ocnu