Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-18
The Mancl1urian Question
VTII-The Menace to All China
By Frederic j. HaSkin


did not support China. The Chinese
government desired to submit the Man
Churtan questions to arbitration. Japan
not only refused to do so, but declared
that the very suggestion was an insult.
Finally, with England tacitly support
ing the Japanese by reason of the al
lance and the German scare, with the
greater number of the nations entirely
inactive, and with the United States
expressing sympathy with China and
confidence in Japan at the same time,
poor China was forced to yield. The
Japanese program was hurried through
with the utmost dispatch, and China
was not permitted to adopt the usual
Chinese tactics of delay and postpone
ment.
Two years ago the powers by con-
certed action might have stopped the
Japanese aggression in Manchuria
and might have saved that country for
the "open door and equal opportunity
of the worlds trade. 1t is too late now.
The Japanese control Manchuria, to all
intents and purposes, as much as IL 1t
were a part of Japan. The question
now is: What of the future?
The Japanese will not stop where
they are. They will push on along the
lines of the northern Chinese railways
They will raise questions in the in
terror of China as, indeed, they are al
ready claiming exclusive rights in the
interior Of the upper Yang-tze valley.
Their easy victory in the Manchurian
questions, their knowledge that the
powers of the world are either COM
placent or afraid to oppose them, and
their enthusiastic ambition will carry
them on to immediate further demands.
The whole fabric of the Chinese en-
pire is threatened.
Against the military and naval power
of the Japanese, China has not the
ghost of a show to contend. The Chi
nese army cannot hope to be able to
face the mikados soldiers for a gen.
Grafton. The Chinese navy is nil
Chnas greatest hope has rested upon
the self-interest of the commercial ma
tions of the world, whose trade with
China is endangered by the rise of
Japanese influence. The homely saw
which declares that everybody's busi-
ness is nobody's business probably eX-
plains why China has been disappoint-
ed in its hope of support from other
world powers.
which may be used against Japan
That is the boycott. The Japanese
commercial and industrial program,
stupendous in its conception and hav-
ing the backing of every dollar of
treasure and credit possessed by the
japanese nation depends, after all.
upon the Chinese market. The prod
ucts of the Japanese fields and manu-
featuring plants must be sold in China
if at all. The geographical relation of
the two countries compels this con-
dition.
As a result of the "Tatsu Maru" af-
fair, nearly two years ago, a boycott
against Japanese wares and shipping
was declared in Canton and neighbor-
ing cities of south China. The boy
colt spread to all parts of the country
but it was never vigorously enforced
except in the south. The news of the
Manchurian treaties had hardly
reached Hongkong until steps were
taken to renew the activity of the boy
colt. If the boycott should be eX-
tended to all parts of China it would
result in the paralysis of japanese in
dustry and commerce.
The power of the Chinese race for
passive resistance is unique among the
peoples of the world. They are the
only race which has always, without
exception, conquered their conquerors.
The boycott is such a dangerous weap-
on that no one of the great CONNER
cial nations wishes China to recog-
nize it's effectiveness. All of the in
huence of the diplomatic world will be
exerted to prevent China's mercantile
retaliation for the political wrongs done
by the japanese.
When q nation is strong like Japan
and filled with the spirit of war, 1t is
dangerous for any other nation to at
tempt to throttle its industry. A Chi
nese boycott, If it would become uni
versal, would mean starvation in Jap
anese manufacturing cities. Under the
treaty pledges the Chinese government
would be compelled to protect Japanese
interests. The government could not
stop a widespread boycott If it would.
The result might be a punitive mill
tary expedition against China. Another
war between Japan and China brought
about in this way would end in the
disastrous defeat of China, in foreign
intervention and in the demand for
huge indemnity.
Ever since the close of the Russian
war the possibility of an attack upon
China for the purpose of getting in
demnity has been periodically sug-
gested as a means of relieving the
strain upon the Japanese treasury.
Japan is now burdened with the heaV-
lest taxation ever imposed by civ
ilized government upon a patient peo-
pie.
These possibilities are not to be
taken as positive predictions, but they
are suggested by the trend of affairs
in eastern Asia at this time. The
Japanese plans are being pushed for
ward rapidly and ruthlessly. The only
way China can strike back is by
boycott. What that would mean no
man may dare to foretell with conf
dence. This one thing is certain-the
present japanese position in Man
churia constitutes a menace to the
Chinese empire and the peace of the
world.
Tomorrow: The Fate of Korea; Tho
Cornerstone of an Empire.