Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-10


the Hague tribunal is Indicative Of the
Tokyo attitude toward Chinese claims.
The Tatsu Maru affair was another
illustration OF Japanese designs upon the
peace of China, or at any rate OF Jap
anese indifference to the governmental
welfare of its great neighbor; while thu
diplomatic blunders resulting from the
affair have cost Japan much money anC
all of Chinese friendship.
The Tatsu Maru was a Japanese ship
which was seized by Chinese authorities
while in the act OF conveying cargo oil
rifles to Chinese revolutionists In the
south, near Canton. The rifles were Of the
Japanese government make, and had been
used in the war with Russia, although
there is no evidence to connect the jap
anese government with the actual enter
prise of the sale of the rifles in China
Japan protested against the seizure OF
the Tatsu Maru, and by diplomatic
Ihocus-pocus actually proved that the ship,
although unloading into Chinese terri
tory, was at the time Of its seizure lyinG
in Portuguese waters under the protec-
ton OF the flag of a nation friendly to
both China and Japan. 1t would be very
dificult for a ship to unload cargo OF
Chinese territory anywhere without being
In waters of Portuguese or British or Ger
man or French or some otheC nationality
for the greed of the nations has left Chi
ma almost entirely bereft of seaports. But
Japan insisted on the Portuguese fiction,
and the Portuguese government was at
least complacent. The Chinese stoutly
maintained that they had a right as Q
sovereign power to prevent the landing
Of rifles intended for revolutionists upon
their own coasts.
The Japanese, forgetting as they have
often forgot, that their commercial future
depends upon friendship of China, COM
pletely lost their heads and threatened
war. The Chinese being unable TO meet
force with force, capitulated with as
much grace as possible. They lowered
their own flag on the ship raised the jap
anese flag, saluted 1t with ceremony and
abiectly apologized to Japan for their
attempt to protect their own country
from the introduction of contraband
arms.
The Japanese were eIated over the sue
cess of their diplomacy and congratulate
ed themselves on the avenging of an In
suit to their flag. But they had failed
to reckon with the fact that China is
the master nation of the earth in it's pow
er of passive resistance. The Japanese
boycott was instituted. If affected only
a portion of China, II is true, but In
that section everybody stopped using
Japanese goods. merchants refused to
patronize Japanese shipping firms, and
the Japanese commercial program came
to a sudden and definite end.
The Tatsu Maru affair happened
more than eighteen months ago, but
Japanese ships still leave the Chinese
ports in ballast, not carrying an ounce
Of cargo on trips which two years age
furnished enough freight to tax theiI
capacity. There isn't much said about
the boycott nowadays. because the for
eign newspapers as a rule prefer tc
put the soft pedal on a discussion which
will awaken the Chinese to a full re-
alization of their power with this
weapon. In Picking diplomatic circles
one hears that the boycott is practi-
cally over. At Tokyo, however, and in
business circles there is proof that il
is still very much in evidence.
In the central part of China. high VI
the Ynng-tze valley. the japanese mer'
chants have taken advantage of g
treaty provision to enter into the in
terror and set up warehouses and fac
tories, in violation of the custom and
agreement which provides that interior
branches of foreign business houses
must be in the hands of Chinese. Ger
man firms began to feel the effects OF
this competition, and they also sent
their men into the interior and estab
lished houses. Whereupon the JAPANESE
protested violently, setting up claim
to special privileges in the very hear
of China to which they cannot possibly
be entitled. If there is such a thing in
fact as the ''open door, If this claim
is also made the subject Of diplomatic
representations at Picking it would seen
that it would tax even Chinese patienct
TO listen to it with respect.
The Japanese must look to China a:
the market for their manufactured pro-
ducts, and as an important source OF
their raw material. Their future success
depends upon Chinese goodwill. Aftel
the war with the Russians, the Chinese
turned to japan with open arms. They
sent tens of thousands of students t
( Tokyo, they welcomed thouands of Jap
anese teachers in China. The Japanese
were looked upon as the Deliverers Of
Asia. If they had been wise, II they
had been fair, If they had been far
sighted the Japanese would today have
been established in China as friends and
brothers. and their position would have
been of dominant influence. But as
matter of fact, In less than five years
by dishonest business methods, by dom
ineering social attitude and by blunder
ing diplomacy they have turned thu
hearts of the Chinese against them.