The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-03
Will Germany Join the Peace Combi-
nation?

"ii WV many Ooih IL oIlID
nation?
There is good sense in the suggestion
Of the London Spectator that Germany
should be ~courteously invited to enter
the ring of alliances and understandings
by which three European Powers have
combined with the strongest Asiatic
Power practically to guarantee their
respective possessions in the Far East
and to cooperate in assuring peace in
that quarter Of the globe. We refer, of
course, to the Anglo-Japanese alliance,
the Franco-Russian league and the
treaties between Japan on the one hand
and Russia and France on the other,
which for some time have been in course
of negotiation, and about the conclusion
of which there is no longer any doubt.
The only great Powers which as vet
stand outside this circle of amity and
concord are Germany and the United
States. Why, asks the Spectator, should
not these two be included?
SO far as Germany is concerned we
know of no reason why she should repel
an invitation TO join the combination.
Obviously, Emperor WILLIAM would have
something to gain, and nothing to lose,
by joining the pacific coalition, so long
as its aims should be limited to uphold
ing the respective interests Of the parties
in the Far East, and should not be ex-
tended 10 the Near East, where the hopes
and plans of Germany are less easily
reconcilable with those of Russia, Great
Britain and France. AS things are now,
Russia's grasp on the Amur region,
northern Sakhalin and V~ladivostok with
the Csuri coast strip, Japan's hold of
southern ~Sakhalin, Corea, the L%iao-tung
peninsula, the Loochoo archipelago and
Formosa, Great Britain's possession OF
Hongkong with an adjoining riparian
district and Of Wei-hai-wei, and the
wide dominion acquired by France in
Further India, are now immune against
aggression, or will be when pending
treaties are signed. Why should not
Germany desire like security for her
leasehold of Kiao-chau, on which she
has already expended great sums OF
money, and on which she counts to
give her something like an equal foot
hold with that gained by her commercial
competitors in China? We believe that
she can get such security for the asking.
Ii cannot be for the interest of Great
Britain or France, nor ever OF Russia, if
the last named Power be well advised, to
bar out Germany from a cordial UNDER
standing with Japan.
Whether the United States should make
a treaty with Japan agreeing In its main
features with those which France and
Russia are about TO conclude is mani
testify a question that stands on a differ
ent footing. Our historical policy for
bids MS to enter into entangling alliances
with foreign Powers. Now a treaty
which bound us TO guarantee Japan's
possession of the acquisitions made by
her during the last twelve years in re-
turn for a similar guarantee of our own
ership of the Philippines would, on the
face Of it. be %entangling. At first sight,
therefore, the question raised by the
Spectator would have TO be answered
In the negative. 1t is conceivable, how
ever, that on second thought it might
be held that through our annexation Of
the Philippines we have ceased to be
exclusively an American and have be-
come TO a certain extent an Asiatio
Power, and that consequently u ira
ditional policy is no longer applicable
so far as our new Asiatic interests may
be affected. 1t may be argued that it
does not follow because we may be
tempted to accept certain reciprocal obi
cations in Asiatio waters hat we should
be logically driven into corresponding
entanglements in other parts Of the
world. This branch OF the inquiry
mooted by the Spectator is, at all events,
worthy Of mature consideration.