The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-23
Japans' Dispute VITA Chlna.

new YORK tribune.
The commercial strategy of the rail-
road campaign between Japan and
China in Manchuria 10 readily perceived
through reference to the map. Two
railroads exist in Southern Manchu-
ria. One is the former Russian and
now Japanese line beginning at Tai
rem and Port Arthur at the tip of the
Regents Sword peninsula and running
northward ana eastward to Moukden
and Hardin and at the latter place
connecting with the Chinese Eastern
Division or the Russian Trans-Siberian
Railroad. The other is the Chinese line
from Picking and Tien-Tsin through
Yung-Ping. Chin Wang-Tao and Kin
chow to Hsin-Min- Tun. Its course is
generally parallel with the other road,
though as far as Kin-Chow 1t Is on the
other side of the Lao River. From Kin
CHOW spur runs across the head OF
the Gulf to New-Chang and to Kali
Ping on the Japanese road, the two
roads being there more than eighty
miles apart. From those points the
two steadp approach each other, I'M
til at Hsin- Min-Tun and Moukden they
are only about forty miles apart.
The Japanese object to the proposed
further extension OF the Chimes road
for various reasons. One Is that 1t
would form competing line. draw
ing traffic from the upper Lao Valley,
in which without 1t the Japanese line
would have a monopoly. and perhaps in
time tapping the Siberian road itself
At present all traffic between Moukden,
Hardin and Siberia, on the one hand.
and Tien-Tsin. Picking and the Middle
the Japanese railroad as far as Kali
Ping. With the Chinese line extended.
1t would not use the Japanese road at
all, and the latter would be deprived
of its most profitable business. An
other reason is that this Chinese line
lies west of the Japanese lines and be-
tween it and Pe-Chi-Li and Mongolia.
and thus forms barrier against the
extension of branches of the Japanese
line westward into those rich regions.
In brief, the completion OF the Chinese
line would menace the Japanese line
with disaster. leaving to It nothing but
the comparatively petty traffic of the
country lying between the Lao River
and the Corean border.
There can be no question, then. Of
the menace to Japan's commercial in
would be. But the question of Japan's
right to forbid and prevent its con-
struction is entirely another matter
If Japan has such a right, 1t Is oh-
viously tantamount to practical SOW,
ereignty over the whole province OF
Shing King, the southern part of Man
chuRia, q sovereignty about as COM
plete as that which Russia formerly
assumed to exercise. OF Japan's sue
cession to Russias' lease of the Re-
gents Sword and to Russia's proprie'
torship of the railroad from Tairen to
Hardin there can be no doubt. But heI
control of the distant portions of Man,
churia may be challenged. or course
the case Is unpleasantly complicated
by the fact that 1t Is an English syn
dictate which proposes to build the ex'
tension OF the Chinese railroad. There
is an Interesting course open to this
Chinese in case Japan maintains heI
| present ground and prevents the pro
| posed railroad building, and that is u
abandon the northern part OF their line
to Hsin- Min un and extend 1T north
and west across the Pe-Chi-h border
into the latter province, and thence rur
1t on parallel with the Japanese line
| That would put 1t only little further
away from the Japanese line than al
present and would make 1t just az
effective a rival of and barrier to tbs
latter, and we can scarcely suppose
that Japan would try to forbid the
| building OF a Chinese railroad In Pc
Chill and Mongolia.