Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-30

All OF the principal nations OF the earth
have D more or less direct interest in at
fairs in China. and all Of them are con-
oerned with the present manifestation OF
anti-foreign agitation In the Celestial EN-
pire. England owns the island Of Hong
kong, the entrepot OF southern China. by
virtue of the war waged against the
Chinese for the perpetuation OF the opium
traffic. The British also have q naval sta
ton Mt wei-hai-wei. as well as moro or
less intangible claim 20 a predominant
sphere Of influence in the Yang-tee valley.
Germany has q foothold in the Kiaochau
peninsula and is tenacious OF It's right OF
extra-terrftoriality in the foreign settle
ments OF Shanghai and Tientsin. France
governs absolutely a large portion OF the
Indo-Chinese peninsula and claims ever In
creasing rights In southern China. The
French nation. as the protector OF the
Christian religion in Asia, also enjoys GER
tain exclusive privileges based on grants
TO the Church Of Rome
Even Portugal, whose star OF empire set
centuries ago, is an important factor in
the present situation in China, since 1t Is
asserting certain territorial claims with
that same arrogant disregard Tor the rights
of the inhabitants Of the country which
always has been manifested BY European
nations when dealing with Asiatic peoples
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to
establish commercial relations with the
Asiatic nations by means of water COM
munication. They were first to introduce
TO the Chinese mind the existence of a
western world, and they served also to
make China known to occidentals. The
English language draws upon the Portu-
gese for such words as mandarin while
even China and Canton" are Portuguese
corruptions Of the native names. The
Portuguese established themselves at Ma
Gao, In the Pearl river, not far from Can
ton, about the time that the first English
speaking people settled on the continent OF
North America. At that time Portugal was
the most powerful maritime nation In the
world. All that remains OF the great Portn-
gese empire on the eastern coast of Asia
is the tiny settlement at Macao. which is
nothing more or less than an oriental
Monte Carlo.
But more important than British, Ger
man, French OF Portuguese interests in
China are those of the empires of Russia
and Japan. While the western world IL
concerning itself with the solution Of vex'
ing economic problems presented by the
completely of what we are pleased to cal
| modern civilization. the Russians, hal
| western and half eastern, and the Jap
anese, half oriental and half occidental
are yet devoted to Imperialism, pure anC
simple. Nothing in the recent history o
mankind compares with the careful AM
steady determination of Russia to maxi
for itself an actual imperial home on tn
/ eastern shores Of Asia. The slow but sur
| Russian advance across the plains OF 81
| IBERIA. the settlement of colonists by tn
hundreds of thousands on the very border
| of northern China the construction of tn
| great transcontinental Siberian railway
| the attempt to secure the control OF Core
all have been q part OF this national, bu
half conscious program.
But Russia did not count upon the ris
| of Japan. When the japanese realized tn
| hopelessness OF their ancient policy Of en-
| tire isolation and adopted the materfs
things OF occidental civilization. there wa
| born In them the imperial instinct. The!
came to know, as a people, that their onl
| hope for success In competition with tn
| great powers OF the world was in thei
| ability to establish themselves upon tn
mainland of Asia. Decadent Corea wa
their natural quarry. The japanese states
men knew that once Russia was firml
established In the possession of ice-fre
I ports in Corea or northern China, that tn
imperial ambitions OF Japan were doome
4 forever.
For this reason, Japan waged war oil
Russia and was the victor In the most tire
mendous struggle at arms OF all history
Ten years before Japan had defeated ChinI
in q war and had obtained possession o
the Liaotung peninsula, with Pert Arthur
commanding all northern China. The con
cert OF the powers forced the japanese L
give back to China the territorial fruits o
1 that victorious war. Then Russia, thToug
diplomacy, obtained Port Arthur by lease
The result Of the Russo-Japanese was wa
to take Port Arthur away from the Rus
slams, give Il to the japanese and to max
Japan the absolute master IN Corea.
But tho thing not decided by the Russo
Japanese war was the fate of MAnchurte
Manchuria, q great empire possessed @
wonderful agricultural resources. remain
today the rich stake In the worldwide gam
Of diplomacy. Eominally It is owned b
China and is part OF the Chinese smpir,
, Actually It IS controlled in the north b
Russia and In the south by Japan. Tn
treaty Of Portsmouth, which was the r,
suit Of President Roosevelt's efforts to en-
tho war between Japan and Russia, guaI
. anteed in terms the continuance OF tn
Chinese sovereignty OF Manchuria, but le