The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-04
by FREDERIC j. uAsI11N.

Those who are closely observing
Far Eastern matters are wondering
how long 1t will be before England
renounces its treaty OF alliance with
Japan. When this treaty was made,
1T was hailed with great satisfaction
By British subjects because OF the Sc.
curity it afforded to England's posses
sions in India and elsewhere In the
East There was q great deal OF re-
assuring talk about the alliance being
guarantee Of tho peace Of Asia. but
1t was pretty generally understood that
John Bulls peace OF mind was the
main object sought. 1t seems that the
advantage resulting from sense OF
territorial security has been largely
over the aggressive manner in which
Japan has attacked British commerce.
Events have so shaped themselves as
70 cause most Englishmen to wish
themselves well out of their agrees
inent with the Japanese.
The nrst rude snock to British COM
posure occurred Just few months at
ter the aliance was made. The, direc-
Japan Mall steamship Company. held
their annual meeting, and when their
report was published it was found to
British shipping interests, the threat
being made openly to run the English
marine out OF Eastern waters. This
kind of talk about the ally whose
friendly support is SO vital to Japan's
future was extremely indlscreet. be-
cause most OF the money used to build
the japanese steamships was borrowed
In LONDON The mistake was recog-
nized almost as soon as II was made,
and the government attempted to buy
up the edition OF the newspaper that
printed the report, Most of the copies
agent OF one of the British steamship
lines got hold of several papers con-
tanning the hostile declaration and for-
warded them to London. An attempt
OF the report, but the bad effect of the
revelation of Japans ugly attitude to-
ward her ally could not be altogether
Heretofore the English merchants
have practically controlled the sugar
trade of China, carrying the raw pro-
the Philippines to English refineries
in South China, and afterwards distrib-
in British bottoms. Now enter the
raw sugar from Java, Formosa and
the Philippines, carry 1t to rcfineries
In Japan. and then go into the Eastern
market against the British The Japan
subsidized by the government, which
renders further assistance to its ma
ttonals by making special rates on the
South Manchurian Railway. Thus the
important ways to hasten the COM
pletc Generalization of the British
sugar trade.
enough the reader viii say. Why has
Japan not the right to go after all the
trade i can get? Certainly 1t has the
all this enterprise. The funds neces-
sary to carry on this lively trade war
came from Japanese loans which were
floated in London. How long will
England continue to Its
cial enemy?
oo rormerly the British controlled ont, the h,
supplied the northern part of the coun-
try. The English had almost a
monopoly of the cotton-yarn trade for
cutting into the cotton trade and caus
ing equally as much havoc as in the
sugar business. Japanese ships are
finished product is going to the market
in Japanese bottoms and over the
South Manchurian Railway. AS In the
case of sugar, the Japanese, are beat
ing the British cotton traders, using
capital derived in large part from loans
foated in England. If the British
supplying. Japan with funds for this
purpose. 1t does not concern any one
else, but the onlooker is wondering
hoy long It VIII III, be before England
VIII d dhS W q l0iI lCuiIEdAioIi VI lHt
situation and balk on its costly bar
gain with the Japanese.
The manner in which the Japanese
are conducting railway affairs in South
Manchuria is another cause of irrita-
ton to the British causing them 10
look upon the alliance with anything
but favor Millions of dollars have
been borrowed in London and spent in
Germany, and the United States for
railway equipment and machinery
While neither the Germans nor the
tn1nr ioa All 70 fnn n ic1,
comes to them in this way. the chagr!n
Of the British under the circumstances
may we'll be understood.
For better understanding of the
ing attacked by the physical route al