Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-10

/ -. ment faces a crisis in its Far
/ ~ A Eastern relations. Either the
| III traditional American policy
| ~ & of insistence upon the open
zll door and equal opportunity IN
trade, coupled with respect
for the territorial integrity of the chi
nese empire, must be abandoned, or the
| washington government must protest
against Japan's latest seizures in Man
churia. If the department of state shall
elect to- abandon its Chinese policy,
then all the boasted triumphs of Ameri-
can diplomacy will become laughing
stock for the world, especially for the
yellow World. If protest is made against
Japan's action, it must be made in the
most delicate of diplomatic fashions,
for the slightest blunder would not only
cause trouble with Japan, but would
place the United States in most unen-
viable light with other powers.
AS a friendly nation, the United
States government has accepted, of
course, the numerous declarations OF
Japan that the Japanese program i'll
Manchuria is altogether in the interest
Of the open door and the maintenance
of equal opportunity. 1t was for the
open door that Japan waged its war
against Russia, entirely in accord with
the American policy and the Hay
agreement. Since the close of that war
there has been every indication that
the Japanese policy is the reverse OF
what il processes to be, and that Man
churia is being exploited for japanese
advantage. American trade in Man
churia, principally in cotton piece
goods, has been practically destroyed
since the Japanese occupation. Yet all
the time the American trade depression
has been credited to other causes, and
the government has been forced to ac-
cept the Japanese professions of adher-
ence to the open door policy. There Is
little doubt that the state department
was convinced the Japanese were dis
regarding both the Hay agreement, in
which the United States is principal
party, and the treaty of Portsmouth, in
which the United States has no direct
interest except so far as the Washing
ton government is recognized as a
champion of Chinese territorial integ-
rity. But there was no positive proof.
Every report from private sources in
Manchuria tending to show that Japan
was not living up to it's promises was
Immediately and emphatically denied
by the Toxic government. Washington
could not refuse to accept the solemn
declarations of a friendly power as con-
elusive against the statements of pri-
vate persons.
The Japanese diplomatic machinery
was active all of the time, and by keep
ing up a continued, if slight, irritation
with the American government it
forced Washington to adopt an attitude
of conciliation. The fruition of that
policy was the public interchange OF
mutual pledges of friendship and con-
fdence between Japan and America.
After that performance it became more
and more difficult for the United States
to question Japanese methods in Man
| churia.
If, after declaring publicly to the
world it's entire confidence in the Jap
anese nation, the American government
had protested against Japanese actions
in Manchuria in the face of the Toxic
declaration that the first purpose OF
Japan in Manchuria is to maintain the
open door policy, then Japan might
have complained that it's motives were
being impugned. 1t is a very serious
thing for one nation to impugn the mo-
| tives of another. 1t frequently means
| war.
But the recent events in Manchuria
have somewhat changed the situation.
| The two treaties forced upon emma by
the Japanese, despite the Chinese pro-
test to the powers and the Chinese ap-
peal to The Hague tribunal, may be-
come the basis of an American protest.
1
Rv a provision of one of these new
treaties it is agreed that the mines on
both sides of the japanese railways IN
southern Manchuria shall be exploited
by Japanese and Chinese capital joint
ly. So far as is now known there is no
| limit as to how far on each side OF
these railways this agreement is bind
ing. In other words, the treaty means
practically that the japanese have
gained control of all the mineral re-
sources of southern Manchuria.
This constitutes a violation of the
doctrine of equal opportunity in that
no other nations are permitted to share
in the development of Manchurian
mines. The Chinese agreement to TINS
| treaty, of course, was forced. IL Is
now held by diplomatists in Washing
ton that it will be possible for the
American government to protest
against this mining agreement without
! impropriety. The treaty being an Of
fetal expression of the will of the Jap
anese imperial government, must be
accepted as authentic. 1t is not in the
class with the testimony of private per-
sons who have alleged the closing oil
the open door. Even if the japanese
government again insists that thls