The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-22
Compensation Due Japan.

Roosevelt, an agreement for peace is
reached between Japan and Russia,
all the world will rejoice. but are we
not losing sight of the advantages
Japan will have to forego II she
makes peace on any terms Russia is
willing or able to meet?
1t is not as If Japan had been the
offender. Russia is the offender. Not
only because one Of her war vessels
fired the first shot Of the war at Che
mulpo, but ten years ago-at the
close of the China.Japanese war
when she. with the help of Germany
and France, and without any protest
in force by England, forced Japan to
give up Port Arthur and the Liaotung
Peninsula, which were legitimately
hers as the result of the war. Again
Russia was the offender in that she
took for herself Port Arthur, the Lao.
tung Peninsula and indeed all Man.
churia, at the expense not only Of
China but also of Japan. Again, Rus.
STA was the offender in that she broke
her pledged word to the United States
and other powers. that the last Rus.
sian soldier should be out of Manchu.
ria, by October s, 1903.
Again, Russia was. the offender in
that she sought to close Port Arthur
and the other ports of Manchuria to
the commerce of the world.
Again, Russia was the offender in
that she forced the weak government
of Corea to give Russian subjects con-
troll Of the vast valuable timber for.
ests Of northern Corea.
Again, Russia was the offender In
that she sought to get entire control
of Corea, and thus menace, II not de.
stroy. the national existence of Japan.
Why should the world keep on asst
ing SO anxiously, Twill the Gear make
peace?" is not the question rather,
"Will Japan yield peace If Russia begs
| for it,"
Clothe it in what diplomatic Ian
guage you may. that is the real ques.
ton. All RussIa's remaining inter.
ests in Eastern Asia, including yladi.
yostok and the Island of Saghalien,
are at Japan's mercy to-day. BEG
gers can't be choosers is an old time
worn proverb. but it exactly fits the
present case. 1t is not for the weak
and vacillating Gear to say to Japan:
you may offer terms Of peace" but
"Will you offer terms of peace?" Why
| should Japan make any sacrifice to
help the weak Gear to make up his
weaker mind? II he vacillates much
longer his people will make 1t up for
him. perhaps in the same way that the
French people justly disposed of the
vacillating Louis XVI and the Eng.
fish people put an end to the double.
dealing of Charles I. History proves
that revolution is sometimes the
cheapest way out of national diff
Guilty, especially when that difficulty
is the continued fault of a weak and
despotic ruler.
As the situation is now, Russia hav.
ing been put out of business as a ma.
val power in the Far East for many
years to come Japans' army in Man.
churia is safe, her occupation of Port
Arthur. Dalny. Mukden, ETC., is safe,
her credit in the money markets of
the world is safe, her internal and ex.
ternal commerce is safe, her Corean
protectorate is safe. All Japan need
to do Is TO press her army forward in
northern Manchuria till the last YES.
tige of Russian occupation in Manchu.
ria Is destroyed, and perhaps even
Vladivostok taken. There are many
reasons why Japan should thus con-
tinue. All this should be fully borne
IN mind when Japan's terms of peace
are made known. All Japan's actions
in the war have been magnanimous.
but when 1t comes to settling the bill
which Russia is at fault for creating,
1t will not be for her, nor for the
world, whose battles Japan is really
lighting. TO grumble at the size of
Its total. In all fairness. though it
viii be impossible for Japan to be
compensated in money for her killed
and wounded. she certainly ought to
be fully compensated in money by
Russia for the entire war outlay and
in territory and secured trade advan-
tages for her bravery and skill in the
war and the risk of her national ex-
istence.
WALTER ]. BALLARD.