Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-07
JAPANESE NuLLlFY THE
POLICY OF THE OPEN
DOOR IN MANcHuRiA

But the world powers have signihed
their acquiescence In the Japanese oc-
| cupation of Korea and perhaps there
can be no objection to the Japanese
methods there from a diplomatic point
OF view. Manchuria, however, is an
other story. The Russians occupied
| this Chinese province just after the
Boxer trouble eight years ago. They
continually promised to get out. but
refused to go until the Japanese army
drove them from the southern and
richest portion of the territory. Tho
Japanese took possession and an
nounced that the "open door" policy
was In force and that all nations might
come in and trade. Japan controlled
the South Manchurian railroad. and.
of course, would keep enough soldiers
there to guard IL, although ostensihly
| turning over civil authority TO the Chi
nese government.
But Notwithstanding this open
door," American trade in Manchuria
| fell off and all merchants other than
Japanese have since iabored under
great disadvantages. Japanese mer-
chandise is shipped into Manchuria In
cases marked military supplies for
Japanese government" This means
that they come in practically free of
! freight and entirely free OF customs
duty, while other nations must pay
| nchNJ lEGlkll W tiiS toPch~'N
railroad and also must pay the tariff
duties.
This device of labelling all kinds of
goods military supplies" and thus
avoiding the customs laws cannot be
done without the sanction of the Jap
anese government inspectors, even IL
the government is innocent of compile
| ity. Complaints have been made, but
the evil still goes on, according to the
reports of the traders of all nationali-
ties who are concerned in the Manchu-
rian trade. These methods in Man.
churia are causing protests to flow into
the foreign offices o. every European
capital, and also to the state depart
ment at Washington. What the OUT
come will be remains to be seen.
From the japanese point of view
Manchuria is but the thin edge of the
wedge which Japan is inserting in the
body of the Chinese empire. From
their coign of vantage at the north they
hope to flood China with Japanese
| goods, Japanese books and Japanese
ideals, not to mention Japanese guns
for Ievolutionists. For this reason they
are interposing objections to the exten-
| sion of the Chinese railway to taku-
men, a Chinese city. because 1t might
interfere with japanese railroad busi-
ness. For this reason they are fiooding
China with teachers and spies whose
business il Is to try to teach the Chi
neSe tnat Japan is lHe equal Oh any
nation on earth and that If China will
only follow its lead the desplsed white
barbarians will be driven from Asia.
However. Japan is not putting all its
eggs in one basket, and II the Chinese
will not succumb to methods of this
kind they may be forced to succumb by
war. Japan, failing in diplomacy, will
always fall back on war as its best
asset Just now 1t is almost bankrupt
but nevertheless its army and navy are
being made ready for trouble. and il
trouble comes in China-then Japan is
there on the ground and China cannot
defend itself.
There are two methods by which ma
tions maintain great military establish
ments One is that of the rich nation
which can i.fford the expenditure and
which keeps up a great army and navy
to defend it's possessions and its trade.
The other is that of the poorer nations
which cannot afford the luxury, but
which hope by occasional wars to make
vanuuished nations pay the bill in the
form of indemnities or territory. Japan
obtained q huge indemnity from China,
and while it was thwarted in it's pur-
pose to extract a great sum from Rus
sia. it obtained possession of Korea
and Manchuria. 1t is not at all unlikely
thar Japan. contemplating war with
China, considers it foregone conclu-
sion that China. and not Japan, must
foot the bill for it's own demolition.
Copyright, 1908, by Frederic j. Haskin.)
Tomorrow-The Stake in the Game.