The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-06-14
The New Japanese Programme.

The world of Europe and
America, the great Western
world that prctends it taught
,Japan-if so. il builded far bet
ter than it knew-is now specu-
ilating as to what Japan will do
with hcrunprecedented triumphs
! on sea and land.
The Nippon Of today is mani
testify not the Nippon Of last
year. Russia then thought she
could bully her into acquies-
cence in the theft Of Manchuria.
and Europe aud America, shame
fully ignorant of the mighty
strength and genius Of their
:pupil,' could not understand
how little Japan dared confront
| the monster that had so long
blustered over and browbeat
England and her otherneighbors.
AS Japan stood at the beginning
Of 1904, in the estimation Of the
West, she was not a danger:
hardly to be considered in any
designs for instance, that in
Ivolved the partitioning Of China.
But the Japan of 1905, "the
scourge of God" that fays the
Russians, has become a great
power, with vaster potentialities
and doubtless with far different
purposes. What are they:
Perhaps Japan, with her un-
matched genius for secrecy, will
not disclose her purposes. She
may deem it more prudent to al
low them to unfold in action and
events. Such has always been
the japanese way in peace and
war. Prince Khilkof, who has
Just returned from Manchuria,
said that the Russian army has
never known where the Japa-
nese main strength was, or
where. when or how 1t would
strike. Can we expect, then,
that policy so successfully pur-
sued in war and peace will now
be abandoned, and the silence of
oriental diplomacy be broken:
Certain of the purposes OF
japan seem. however, appar-
ent. She must first end the war
by a crushing blow against the:
army under Linevitch, or drive
lit beyond the boundaries of Man
churia or Lake Baikal. She
will, very likely, also, seize &C
tual Russian territory-Sakhalin
and Vladivostok, and part of the
Amur valley, Russia is now try
| ing to fnd consolation in the pre-.
tense that Manchuria is Chinese
territory, and that she, Russia,
has lost not an inch of soil. No
one believes that the Russians
would ever have abandoned Man
ichuria of their own volition.
They have been driven from ter
ritory that Russia intended to
hold; but, Of course, Japan does
not contend it was Russian soil,
and it cannot figure in the con-
ditions of peace in any way ex-
cept IN return of it to China.
That Japan may now send a
feet to European waters is a
probability suggested by The
State some time ago. A few
swift cruisers in the Mediter
raean, Atlantic, North and Bal
tic seas would be a terrible blow
to Russian commerce, as we'll as
having a salutary effect upon
Europe. Russia's merchant
marine is considerable enough to
offer a keen temptation. There
are some 619 steamers aggregat-
ing $1,000 tons; and 2,200 sail
ing craft, with a total of 263, 900
tons. The japanese could cap
ture many fine prizes, besides
blockading, annoying and humil-
iating her enemy. An effective
japanese blockade in the Baltic
would induce neutral nations to]
intervene and end the war.
Japan will, of course, exact an
indemnity or a large cession of
territory, and adequate guaran-
tees of peace. She will also
make her army even stronger
than it has already proved itself
in the field; and she will have a
navy more than treble its
strength at the beginning of this
war.
There will also be a continen
tai Nippon as well as an insular
one: for Japan will cross the
Strait of Korea and establish
herself in the Liao- -Tung and in
Korea and probably in the valley
of the Amur-
But the chief question as to
Japan's new programme has to
do with her future attitude to-
ward China and toward the Oc-
cident. VIII she be truculent,
aggressive? VIII she move China
to expel Germany from Kiao-
cnau, and France from Tong
king? VIII she train and arm
China for a war on Europe? In
other words, is the future Nip
pom to be an empire of the sword
~, s:h;or c+icl-2n