The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-14
Careful Not to Use Word
 Occupation" in Speak ing of Operations
CHINA'S NEUTRALITY
 RESPECTED IS CLAIM
Possession of Shantung Railway and Jaluit Island Regarded as Ques- tiOns to Be Settled at the
 End of the War

Tolxio. October Correspondents of Tho Associated Press.)-In order to pre- vent a false impression abroad Japanese officials are careful not to use the word occupation" when speaking of the cap ture of German possessions in the Pacific by a Japanese fleet or of the seizure of the railroad in Shantung province China. The Chinese government has reg istered several protests against the talk ing of the railroad on the ground that 1t is violation of Chna's neutrality. The Japanese claim that the seizure of the entire line from Tsingtau to Tsnanfu was, like the taking of eJa1uit Island in the Marshall group. a military necessity in the conduct of the war, and in the elimination of the root of the German influence in eastern Asia.
 The Chinese contention that China, hav- ing staked out a war zone with Weihsien as the western point Japan had no right to move west of Weihsien and seize the railroad as far as Tsinanfu is not &C., cepted by Japan, who maintains she never agreed to stay within any zone. She has told China that the Germans (who really own the road) used it for military pur- poses before the arrival of the Japan csc and that the reduction of the fortress
 
 seizure of the whole length of the Shan tung railroad.
 Settled at End of War
 The question of permanent possession of the Shantung railroad, like the pos session of Jaluit Island, according to the Japanese, must be settled at the conclu- sion of the war. So far as Kiauchau is concerned, it Is expected here that Ja- pan will live up to her promise to restore the place eventually to China.
 Everybody here realizes that Japan's s action in the south Pacific is of peculiar interest to the United States The Mar shall Islands lie between the Philippine Islands and Hawai-, and to the south east of Guam Island. which is a posses sion of the United States and relaying point for the cable between the Philip pines and the Pacific coast of the United States.
 An official of the foreign office ex- plained the capture of Jal,lit to the corre- spondent of the Associated Press
 "The Japanese squadron is working in conjunction with the British fleet in cap- turing or destroying the German fleet and in eradicating the root of German influence. So far as her policy Is con- cerned Japan stands by what Premier Count Okuma announced on August IS, namely, that she harbors no design for territorial aggrandizement nor entertains any desire to promote any other selfish end.
 Operations to Be Confined
 Count Okuma added that Japans war. like operations would not extend beyond the limits necessary for the attainment of removing the root of German innu- ence in the far east, and the defense of her own legitimate interests. The German warships are constant menace to British and Japanese merchantmen and the destruction of the naval base at Jaluit was measure necessitated and justified in the conduct of the opera tions against the enemy
 The correspondent alluded to refer once made by local newspapers to the Takahira- Root agreement of 1908.
 "I do not see how the capture of Jalult brings into play that agreement" was the comment of the official. He added:
 'That agreement is directed to the maintenance of the satue quo in the Pa cidc ocean and provides that the United States and Japan shall communicate with each other should any event occur threat ening the statue quo.
 "But we do not consider that the cap- ture of Jaluit changes the statue quo of