The Alaska daily empire., 1914-08-26
COULD STAND
 PROLONGED JAP SIEGE

The military and naval conditions
 at Kiaochou, and the political events
 leading up to the present crisis, art
 outlined at length by a distinguished
 diplomat of the Far East. He pointed
 out that Kiaochou is at present tho
 great German stronghold of the Or
 lent.
 Since 1t was taken from China, elab
 crate fortiLcations have been built
 with bastions and glacis until 1t is
 now considered to be as formidable as the great fortress of Port Arthur ir which the Russlon withstood the Jap anese siege for months. It is garris oned by German force of about 5000 men. The entire establishments, milf tary and naval, is under a German mil. itary governor.
 Back of the fortress the Germans have improved the Hinterland so as to assure large and constant source of supplies to the fortress. Still farther back network of railways have been developed by concessions until Ger man influence is now practically para mount throughout the whole of the ! Important province of Shan-Tung.
 This official pointed out that the 'Gaai val defenses of Kiaochou front on the bay, which is large and deep. and ade- quate for the maneuvering of fleet. However, the German naval force there at present consists chiefly of cruisers and gunboats. without any battleship of large naval organization compared with that Japan maintains in her own waters. It is expected, therefore, that n the event of operations against Kiao- chou, they would be of military rath- CT than a naval character.
 The Japanese fleet, it is expected, would station itself at the entrance to the harbor. much as 1t did at Port Arthur when the Russian fleet was held there, and that military forces would be brought from Japan to lay siege to the fortress from the land side.
 From the Japanese standpoint, Kiao- chou's chief menace to Japan is that 1t lies directly opposite Korea the great field of Japanese colonial devel- opment, and also just across the sea from the southerly Japanese Islands.
 Explaining the political effect of Germany's occupation of Kiaochou, this diplomatic authority on Oriental affairs said the issue had its origin in the events of the Japanese-Chinese War. At that time, he said, Japan had succeeded in taking Port Arthur from China after memorable contest. At this point, however, he said Germany took the lead among Q group of Euro pean powers in demanding that Japan should not retain the fruits of her vic tory by holding Port Arthur.
 Yielding to this pressure, Japan re- liuouished the prize. Shortly after this German fleet occupied Kiaochou, claiming it as an indemnity for alleged attacks on German missionaries. Since then Kiaochou has been steadily de- yeloped, until now with it's fortress, Its hinterland and it's outlying sections of Shan-Tung province it represents in the Japanese view, most formidable foothold of German influence.
 Meantime, Russia is no longer at Port Arthur, and England has given up bor naval establishment at Wel-Hei- Wei. So, it is pointed out, Germany remains practically alone among the European positions at the entrance to the China Sea,
 China has long sought to have this territory restored thus establishing her territorial integrity in North China.