Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-12
FEWUNDERSTAND
POLICY OF j. s.
TOWARD JAPAN
Quiescent Attitude Indicates
Willingness to Let Mikado
Set Up Monroe Doctrine as
to ASlatiC Soil,

sssctAl coWsSsrospsncs 70 ~onnino JOURNAL
Washington. May 1.-THE myster,
of the Japanese relations with China
is no greater than the mystery OF
what the United states is going to d,
about II. Upon the surface there /.
nothing doing or going to be doing
But the people generally can hardl,
conceive of the United States allow.
ing Japan to work her will with China
so far as to close the open door and
destroy the work of John Hay wher
he was secretary of state.
Nevertheless, In the face of the fact
that the Japanese demands on China
are incompatible with the integrity oil
China. which we have stood for and
morally enforced on Europe, we APP
pear to be quiescent under a threat OF
the dissolution Of China, coming from
Japan.
Policy Based ON Three Issues.
IL persisted in. our policy would
seem to be based on one of three
things:
First-An agreement with Japan to
let her set up an Asian Monroe doc
trine.
Second--An understanding with
Great Britain that she would exert
pressure on Japan at the proper time
and in an effective manner.
Third-Recognition that the game
of diplomacy has gone against us in
the orient. but that 1t is not worth
fighting for
Japan's Methods Not Understood
Here.
IL Japan means only an Asian Mon
roe doctrine she is going about it in
a manner little understood In this
country. Our Monroe doctrine does
not extort special privileges from the
countries II protects. II does not in
terfere With their freedom of trade.
makes no effort to control their fl
nances or to advise them in their for
egn affairs. II is exercised only
against the setting up of another sys-
tenn of government upon the people of
Central and South American against
their will and by force. What Japan
proposes Is that China shall buy her
munitions of war from Japan, a di-
rect effort to control her trade in
certain directions; but China shall
consent to the employment of Jap
anese advisors in finance, not as Eng
land has done in China and the United
States in Persia for the purpose of
helping out the government by lend
ing expert advice, but permanent
oversers of the finances of the coun-
try: that because of old disputes be-
tween Japanese and Chinese. China
shall consent to the Joint policing of
many important places in China: .
that China shall give Japan the right
to propagate Buddhism in China; that
China shall, If she needs foreign CAPT
tai in certain departments for the
building of railways, opening mines,
etc. first consult Japan.
Demands Aren't All Greedy.
These are a few of the demands
that Japan appears to think consist
ent with Chinese integrity and to
mean only the building Of a Monroe
doctrine for Asia.
In fairness, it should be said that
not all of them are inconsistent with
.fapan's professions of friendship for
China. Nor are they all merely
greedy. They are self-defensive for
japan. TO an extent If China and
Japan can make these demands work
able they can keep Russia from
crushing either of them. Japan UNI
doubtedly fears the bear. She fears
him as much now as before she
whipped him, because she knows that
the great Russian army was only
scotehed in the last fight. while her
own resources were taxed to the limit
The present war in Europe, it may be
said, Is proving costly to Russia. She
IL losing men by the thousand. But
she has men by the million. and what
ever the outcome OF the European
war the Japanese figure Russia Is a.
powerful enemy who will have
learned enough of warfare out of this
conflict 70 compensate her for her
losses in men Her debt will have
mounted. but she will even then be
as ready to go to war again as Japan
is. because she will have access to the
European money market winch Will
be closed to Japan for obvious reas-
ons connected with the terrible taxa
ton forced by the last war.
Japan Could Teach Chinese Army.
This, then, is the time to build a
dixie against Russia Great Britain.
japan feels can hardly turn her down
when she asked Japan's help to throw
Germany out Of China. The wall
built. China can prepare China for de-
Tense by teaching her armies modern
warfare This is what the demands
for the right to sell China munitions
of war are said to mean. Japan
means to arm China, but she also
means to lead China. She is going to
take leaf out of the English note
book in india and the American note
book of the civil war. Great Britain
armed the Sepoys. but Englshmen
differed them. The United States
armed the blacks, but white men led
them
This is the case for eastern Mon
golian doctrine 1t is true 1t involves
much that is foreign to a Monroe
doctrine, as we understand it, but as
suming The good faith OF Japan 1t
does not transcend what might reas-
onably be expected of workable
doctrine on her east coast.
II is hardly possible, however, that
our government, even If she has ad-
mitted the virtue of Monroe doc