The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-25
WAR ECHOES

prospective opening of the spring cam pagn in Europe less than eight weeks away. the question of whether or not l Japan will be invited to send an army to the assistance of it's allies is still unde- cided. Yet from present indications Japan will play a large part in this world war l before the end. At what time the Mi- | kado's forces win be summoned to Flu rope it is impossible to predict. Japan I is not going to sacrifice it's magnificent army of more than 6o00o0 men without knowing in advance the compensations 1t l may expect; and these compensations
 must be large
 Since the fall of Tsngtao ended the | fighting in Asia, negotiations have been | in progress between the governments of Japan and the other allied nations regard | ing further help from the island empire The Japanese realize that in this war is | their opportunity to secure great adyan- I tages for the future, and Count Okuma. | the Japanese premier, does not intend
 that Japan shall pay the price without re- ceiving the goods He wishes the allies l to approach Japan on the basies of Jap anese assistance being indispensable, | thing which so far they have declined to | do principally on account of British in l fuence However pressing immediate ne- cessities may be- Great Britain's states men never lose sight of ultimate conse- quences. and it is not to Britain's ad- vantage that Japanese prestige and infiu- ! ence be unduly enhanced as result of 1 this war. With France 1t is different. There is no threat to French commerce , or French colonial expansion in the de- velopment of the Japanese empire. Rus sia remains to be considered. The clash of Russian and Japanese interests in Asia produced the Russo-Japanese war and since its conclusion the two nations l have been striving for commercial su- prems cy in northern China.
 Japan, however, will not be satisfied with the mere repayment of the larger part ot her outlay in sending her army | to Europe. She wants territorial adyan- | tages which must be largely at the ex- pense of China and Russia. Japan looks | with covetous eyes on the Russian port | of Vladivostok, the possession of which would give her commercial supremacy in Manchuria She would also want definite | increases in her sphere of influence in China, the permanent possession of the captured colony of Kiao-chau and pos I sibly still further concessions in that quarter of the world. With the exception
 of Kiao-chau, Germany has no territory l that would be of particular value to Japan, but it Is possible that Russia
 might accept as compensation for her Chi
 nese territory and influence, spells of war
 to be wrested from Turkey.
 l Cleveland Plain Dealer: Norway, though a weak nation as estimated by her mili- tary and naval strength, possesses an
 important merchant marine. She has
 suffered severely since the beginning of
 the war, not only through a diminution l of her commerce, but also through the
 destruction of her ships by submarine
 mines. Her position has now become
 more uncomfortable than ever through
 the danger of actual attack by German submarines within the war zone.'
 It is even reported that one Norwegian ship has already been torpedoed. If the report IS true IL IS practically certain that the German commander was guilty of a mistake. It is beyond belief that Germany has actually ordered the de- struction of neutral ships. But whether or not a mistake was made the situation which Norway faces is grave
 The shutting down of her shipping trade l would reduce Norway to poverty Her
 ship owners and sailors are compelled to run the risk of navigating the perilous area set aside by Germany. Her protests are not needed and will not be- Her po-
 sition is like that of the United States
 with two important differences. Her
 shipping in these seas is far more i'm
 portant than that of America, and she
 already has suffered heavy damages.
 It is not to be imagined that Norway
 either alone or supported by Sweden ol Denmark, will declare war against Ger.
 many. Such step would be a greater
 disaste than the loss of the Norwegian
 ships Yet short of declaring war, Nor , way has no means of redress. She and her sister Scandinavian kingdoms arc , confronted by perplexing dilemma which will doubtless grow more perplexint
 as the war progresses.