Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-18

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accomplished to the de-
gree of finality by the treaties forced
upon helpless China. By this action
Japan has broken the pledges of the
treaty of Portsmouth, has done the
very things which she went to war
with Russia to prevent, has made a
mockery of the diplomacy of the So
called great powers, and has destroyed
faith in Japanese intentions as re-
specting the integrity of China.
The Japanese position in Manchuria,
assured by treaties forced upon China,
is now beyond the power of the ma
tions to alter. But the world cannot
look upon it with indifference, be-
cause the Japanese entrenchment in
Korea and Manchuria constitutes a
menace to Chinese governmental in
tegrity and threatens the peace of the
world. The doctrine of the open door
and equal opportunity has become d
hollow mocllery; the Hay agreement
is dishonored in letter and In spirit;
the will of civilization as expressed
in the highest forms of peaceful di-
plomacy has been flouted. And Japan
wears the smile of the cat that ate the
canary.
By the terms of the two treaties be-
tween Japan and China the following
questions are settled:
Japan recognizes Chinese sovereign
ty over the disputed territory of Hsen-
tao, on the borderland of Korea. The
question to the title was raised by
Japan, apparently, in order that the
Japanese might have something to
concede in the final negotiations to
permit Liang Tun Yen, president of
the Waiwupu or Chinese board of for
eign affairs, to "save his face" The
concession is made practically null by
the stipulation that China shall estab-
lish four open ports" in the disputed
territory, and give Japan practical
jurisdiction over the Koreans residing
in the zone. The conditions are that
China is recognized as sovereign but
that all the real power is left in the
hands of Japan. This territory Of
Hsentao is a mountainous tract prac-
tically useless for any but strategic
purposes.
The extension of the Kirin railway
line by China is limited to a connec-
ton with the Korean railroad, and half
the necessary capital must be borrowed
from Japan upon terms which will
leave the road virtually under Japanese
management.
The treaties bind China not to ex-
tend it's railways northward from
Hsin- Min-Tun through Manchuria
without the consent of Japan, thus
denying the Chinese the right to de-
velop Chinese territory. This is in
violation of the express and specific
obligation of the treaty of Portsmouth
that Japan and Russia reciprocally
engage not to obstruct any general
measures common to all countries
which China may take for the develop
ment of the commerce or industry of
Manchuria."
The Taishichao railway line is trans
ferred to the South Manchuria railway,
a change from Chinese to Japar Sc
ownership, and permission is given to
extend the line to Newchwang, thus
completing the Japanese control of
every port on the north of the Korean
bay, and the Gulf Of Liao-Tung and
the Gulf of Pe-Chihli.
China recognizes the right of Japan
to work the Fushun and Yentai col
lieries, but Japan agrees to pay tariff
taxes upon the coal taken out. China
agrees to permit Japan to exploit
Jointly with China all the mines on
both sides of the Antung and South
Manchurian railways. This practically
gives over to Japanese control the en-
tire mineral resources of Southern
Manchuria without any compensation
whatever.
The remaining feature of the two
treaties is an illustration Of the eX-
treme kindness of the Japanese. Japan
withdraws its objection to the estab-
lishment of a Chinese railway station
at Mukden, but reserves the right to
have an equal voice in the details and
location. For four years the Chinese
railway has been stopped outside the
Chinese city OF Mukden where Chinese
governmental authority is supposed to
be supreme. The Japanese would not
permit the Chinese to build their road
into the city, nor to erect a station.
But now the Japanese heart is melted
and the Chinese are graciously given
permission to build railway station
in a Chinese city for a Chinese rail-
way; providing of course, that the
Japanese control all the details and
the location.
The signing of the treaties was forced
upon Japan in exactly the fashion that
a highway robber forces lone traveller
to give up his valuables. For time
China believed that the powers would
stand by the mutual agreement made
under the leadership of the late John
Hay, which guaranteed the adminlstra.
tive entity and territorial integrity OF
China. That agreement did save China
from partition after the Boxer war, but
since then it has been practically
dead letter, although diplomatlsts use
il constantly as a screen for their
failure to make performance square
with obligation and promise.
China knows that all the world knows
that Japan's purposes in Manchuria are
practically and virtually the purposes