The Washington times., 1915-06-26
May Be In Great Need Of Pre-
text for Breaking Alliance
With England.
MAY BE FOUND IN CHINA
Peking Believes Tokyo Is Cap.
able Of Deserving the Allies
to Aid Germany.
Bv OSCAR KING DAVIS.

By OSCAR KING DAVIS.
PEKING, May 2o-An exceptionally
interesting line of speculation is run
ming through the discussion Of the sino-
Japanese situation, which forms the
chief subject of conversation everywhere
in this city just now.
The japanese are pressing the Chinese
for Immediate action on the new treaty.
In which the concessions yielded to
China under the duress Of the japanese
ultimatum are to be formally en-
bodied.
It is evident from the first prelimi-
naries that Japan means to go consid-
erably beyond the letter as well as the
spirit Of the terms exacted by threat OF
force from China.
This fact has already lent added inter-
est to the speculation that is so rife In
Picking as to the ultimate action Of
Great Britain regarding the doings Of
her ally while her own attention is so
thoroughly occupied in Europe.
Alliance With British.
1t Ia perfectly clear that Japan realizes
this Is her day to make hay. The sun Is
shining for her just now. and there Is no
telling what 1t will be doing when the
trouble in Europe Is settled and England
Ia set free to look attire interests to
which she cannot attend at present.
It is also clear that Japan is deter
mined to exact the last ounce that she
ert herself to the utmost and employ
every form Of terroriZation that her
ingenuity can devise to secure the de-
sired result.
much proof, and SO much has been MADE
public already. that it Is a waste OF
time and space to give more.
But while Japan's course regarding
China is quite clear, 1t is not SO clear
what she IL contemplating regarding her
alliance with Great Britain. and regard
alliance with Germany. Britlshers in
China are firmly convinced that Japan
believes she has obtained all the bene-
At from the Anglo-Japanese alliance
satisfied that she is ready to terminate
tho alliance whenever It suits her pleas
ure.
It is easy to see how Japan might
profit enormously by sudden rupture
OF the alliance while England Is iE-
volved in the European war-always
provided Japan effected new alliance
sfbly through this new alliance, came
cut victorious in Europe.
Home Of Intrigue.
The persistence of the talk here re-
Karding the possibility of such a re-
making of alliances has been both in
teresting and curious. Every slightest
scrap Of information that can have any
bearing at all upon such possibility
is most eagerly discussed.
For instance, every visit of the Ger
minister hero IN the Ia n laRa a.
tion-and there have been several OF
them-is canvassed with the utmost In
terest within very few hours after
II takes place.
It should be remembered that Peking
10 the old ancestral home of intrigue.
Everybody Is involved In 1t more or less.
diplomatists. and the air is surcharsed
with mystery al the time.
Under such circumstances everybody
Knows when the German minister goes
versa, and as the two countries are
still at war. it has occasioned some
surprise In Peking to. observe these
men are not old R friends. the s German s nan
having arrived in Peking since the out
break of the European war.
Germany and Japan.
Moreover, we have numerous intima-
tions from outside sources that some
thing is doing" in this direction. OF
course we know that no love is lost be-
tween the Germans and the Japanese.
We remember the well-expressed opinion
of the German Empire about the Japa-
nese and the yellow Peril"
But then we also know that just now
Germany Is desperate. and we have seen
enough of Japanese diplomacy to be
ready to believe It is guided solely by
the principle of self-interest. Japan has
just now shown herself to be a very
apt pupil Of the scrap of paper" doc
trine regarding the sanctity OF treaties
and international agreements.
What Pektng knows about such a
matter London also surely knows.
Downing street has efficient means of
information. In fact, London probably
knows a great deal better than Pekng
Just how far the Japanese have gone
In their Irritation with the Germans, and
just what substance there is to the
whole affair. 1t may easily be that such
knowledge furnishes the clew to the
British action-or nonaction-during the
pendency OF the recent Japanese negoti-
ations'with China.
Needs Some Pretext.
So far as Peking is concerned We
have had so many assurances and from
so many different quarters, that no for
eign government extended any assist
ance or support to the Chinese that we
must believe at least that nothing SUBJ
stantial was done along that line.
Russia, We are told. did a very little.
hnd at the very last Great Britain may
have expressed some surprise at Tokyo
over the extent to which Japan had
Zone without full consultation with her
ally. But all that was not as much as
:wo drops of rain to O man dying of
thirst in O desert.
The point is that II Japan is in ear
nest with Germsny-and If she Is Eng
land knows it-she is in great need of
pretext for breaking her British al
lance 1t must be a good pretext, one
that will enable her to claim substan-