New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-21

of sentiment was brought about. But there Is
no doubt that the popular impression 10 the el-
| feet that the peace of Portsmouth, without any
war indemnity, had been virtually forced upon
| Japan by President Roosevelt contributed TO
create a bitter feeling of which evidence was
| given at the time Of the Hartman visit To
Toxic and afterward in connection with the
stay there of William Jennings Bryan It Is
curious that in most of these public utterances
| mention is made of the friendly role
| played in the recent by Japan's ally Eng
| land. Indeed. on the rare occasions Of any ref
erence to the alliance, it is generally in the form
| of a somewhat contemptuous insinuation that
| England needs Japan's help to retain her hold
| upon India
| That the English are becoming alive to the
feelings which the Japanese are beginning to
| entertain toward them is shown by the indigna-
| ton displayed in the English newspapers over
| the part played by the Japanese in the recent
| anti-English and anti-foreign disturbances at
| Shanghai and at other foreign ports in China
| One Of the leading organs of the London press
calls upon the Toxic government to lose not
| moment in warning Japanese residents in China
| to keep their friendIiness for that empire
| within due bounds" The paper in question
expresses surprise that mo step Of the sort has
| as yet been taken by the NIikado's government,
all the more it 1.-THE japanese government
cannot fail to be fully acquainted with the
secret springs of the anti-foreigner agitation in
China" The latter has all along been fOmented
by Chinese newspapers owned and edited By
japanese, and it is well known to every Amer
lean and European merchant throughout the
Far East that the boycott of American goods
has been engineered by the Japanese for the
purpose of substituting their own wares for
those Of this country in the Chinese markets.
The boycott has got altogether beyond the
control Of the Chinese government Carefully
fostered by means of references to the ALneri-
can exclusion laws, ii has been taken up b
the masses especially in the southern districts,
which were formerly the principal American
markets, and whence most Of the cooue emf
grafton to this country flows. How severe Is
the boycott may be seen by the fact that the
Standard Oil business in China is absolutely at
a standstilL Not case of oil has been sold for
several months, and in all the leading towns
and cities the guilds have started public exhibi-
lions Of American goods, of American trade
marks and Of American wrappers, etc, to show
the people what to avoid buying. Now, how
ever, the boycott is spreading to other foreign
goods, even to those Of Japan's ally, England,
and Of Anglo-American concerns On
which English trademarks and signs were sub
stituted for American labels early in the boy
colt now receive the same treatment Indeed,
movement is now being started for the purpose
Of extending the boycott to the imports Of
opium from India, which, if it proves successful
will constitute a serious blow. not only to Indian
trade, but also to the revenues of the Indian
government.
In all this Japan holds the key to the situa-
ton. By common consent, reluctantly accorded
in some instances. the foreign powers have been
willing to tolerate Japan's efforts to put the
Chinese Empire on better footing. There are
few white people In the Orient who are not
firmly convinced that Japan IS using these ad-
vantages for the purpose Of promoting her ideal
of Asia for the Asiatics," politically. com
mercially and in military sense, but under the
direction and for the benefit of Dai Nippon.
EX-ATTACHE-