Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
THE RUSSO JAPANESE AGREEMENT

Far East Supremacy He tells us that
the empire aims at the commercial and
political supremacy OF the far east. ]
have heard Japanese say that once the
millions of China were aroused In al.
lance with Japan for purposes Of defense
they could not be defeated. Chinas pres.
ent sympathy with occidental powers is
regarded as no more than an attempt 10
play them over against Japan, but once
these powers show themselves against
China she would not hesitate to go into
league with Japan to rid the orient OF
white domination"
The correspondent. it should be said
Tor the better information of the Ameri'
can reader. does unconscious wrong ia
both Japan and China. To Japan be-
cause that government has persistently
dlsclaimed the Intentions and ambitions
attributed to her. and, parenthetically, II
she did hold such ambitions. could not
accomplish them because of the utter lack
OF means. To China the wrong is still
more manifest because the correspondent
appears utterly unconscious OF the very
serious and earnest awakening In China
which is soon to eliminate In constitu.
tional and parliamentary government.
1t Is pertinent and timely, besides. tn
cite as the best illustration of the spirit
of a new China a cable from Berlin re-
porting an interview with Gen. Yin Chang,
who. Chinese minister at Berlin until now.
Is returning to China to assume direction
or the war department at Picking. Gen.
Yin is an educated soldier and served in
the German army as an officer before en-
tering the diplomatic service He will
reorganize the Chinese army on German
models. His interviewer asked the gen
eral his opinion of the Russo-Japanese
agreement and his reply merits reproduc-
ton teXtually.
The RusSo-JapaneSe agreement, said
Gen. Yin, will undoubtedly drive Ameri-
ca and China into
China and the each others arms.
W.T., c. We have little to Of
UAICeu OtateS. fer as our contribu-
ton to an alliance. but when we have
made ourselves strong by perfecting our
army nothing will please us better than
to march shoulder TO shoulder with the
United States for the protection of our
mutual interests
Neither America nor China can &C
complish anything in the far east by an
exchange of love letters pretty phrase
What is required Is action. Moth
ing else will command respect or achieve
results. The Russo-Japanese agreement
of course deals my country a vital blow.
1t amounts to nothing more or less than
the partition of Manchuria between the
contracting powers. They talk, it is true,
about the maintenance of the status quo
and have written open door In large
and beautiful characters across the face
of the agreement. but everybody under
stands that the door is really slammed
and shut.
"China's duty is to pull herself to-
gether and retake that of which she has
been despoiled She must let the world
understand that she can no longer ruth
lessly be flouted and pillaged.
China has the material for a magnifi-
cent army, but lacks money for its
creation. America would supply the
money, and when the army had been lick
ed into formidable shape China could as
sist her friends.
THE partition of Manchuria between
Russia and Japan would open the eyes
of China to the necessity of being strong.
From that standpoint the agreement was
a blessing in disguise"
DR.. Dillon discusses China's potentiali-
ties and admits that she is awakened.
although she lacks men. She
China's is deprived of the services Of
NJ, such as Yuan Shi Kai, whom
"eou' the doctor gives place Aa
China's statesman. but who is still under
a cloud. Let the good doctor be come
forted. Yuan Shi Kai was neither educ
Gated soldier nor successful statesman.
He is said to have been a druggist or
medicine man and leastways had no edu-
cation and but little experience as a SOL
der. AS statesman the writer knew
Yuan well when he was representing
China in Korea, and was witness of how
poor Yuan was completely bamboozled
by Waeber, the Russian charge d affaires,
and I'm turn by Kondo Masuki, the Japa-
nese representative in Seoul. In place.
then. of Yuan Shi Kai, who seems hope
lessly shorn Of power. Dr. Dillon will
tiny for China.
DR.. Dillon displays some i'll humor I'm
Americas policy in the east and
scornfully refers to us as the Yankee"
and to our policy as that of commercial
Misrepresentation. The Yankee" built
colleges, schools, railways and hospitals
which were the means adopted to win
markets. so long as miitarism was
kept under, the Yankee had the lead.
But no longer. Once Nippon possessed a
ington waned. The protege became the
rival AS Manchuria bade fair to be
Washington came to the front
with a grandiose scheme of neutraliza-
a magnificent project withal and worthy
of the Yankee But a project which
ought never to have been preached I'M
less sure of success. Mettle is danger
Gus in a blind horse"
1t has been stated more than once
that the American Secretary Of States
plan. in addition to it's
Knox's humanitarian side. its
NJ, peaceful purpose, con-
1IaA' cealed the very wise
and diplomatic object Of making the
players in the far-eastern comedy de-
fine their parts. show their cards. The
writer in the Contemporary confesses
that such may have been Mr.. knoX's
object That all the world has been
taken by the ears by the Secretary's
part in the far-eastarn game is evil
dence of his skill and adroitness. IL
it caused the players in Manchuria to
show their cards the game was won. 1t
another object. 1t intro
duced on the scene soldier. China was
in need of leader. Who will say that
Gen. Yin is not that man?
Nor is it necessary that America
form entangling alliances Why will
not a secret agreement serve quite as