Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-01
WHAT DOES JAPAN
WANT FROM CHINA?
Her Aims Not Opposed to Fullest
Development Of Chinese People.
Western Ideas and Oriental Poli-
tics.
By sTANHoPE SANS

BlCS.
By sTANHoPE SANS
Until Recently Editor Of the japan Times Toxic.
ITO JAPAN China is both temptation
i and terror She covets and she fears.
In her recent demands, backed up by curt
ultimatum, to which Yuan Shih-kai yielded
after the usual period of temporizing and
evasion, China could clearly be seen as an
allurng spoil OF possible war and as ter
rible menace. 1t is to be doubted, however,
II any Western power confronted by so vast
temptation accompanied with so rare and
propitious an opportunity would have
shown as much forbearance and moderation
as Japan. For this China has to be grate-
full to Japan's wise reading Of the future
and her patient willingness to defer for
generation, II necessary, tho acquisition OF
what she greatly desires today.
Just what does Japan want In China, or
with China7 To answer this we must go be-
yond such trivial matters as the Kiao Chow
incident and the railway and other conces-
slons she has 80 recently wrung from the
grasp of China, and to consider Japan's
view of the future OF Asia and the part she
intends to play in it-her ideals and am
bitons. In other words, is japan treating
China prey, or does she regard the
which she is to enact her own great drama
of Asiatic domination?
In our present temper and attitude TO
Japan and our traditional friendship for
and protection Of China, we are too dis
posed. perhaps, to consider the Japanese as
lnordinately aggressive and ambitious. We
have heard more Of the Chinese side, and
are more inclined to accept II. But a sur
vey of the entire situation, aided by close
observation of the leaders who direct
ing Japans present policy, has convinced
me that Japan's activities in China not
without warrant OF Justice and that her
aims and ambitions are not opposed to or
inconsistent with the fullest development
of the Chinese people
The European War in Asia
AS to Biao- Chow, Japan the successor to
all German rights, has legal title in the
leased territory for nearly the remainder of
this century. She has never promised to
restore 1t to China, and she has never even
hinted at any definite time for such res
toration. II she uses her possession of the
bay and its surrounding shores as a point
to aid her negotiations, demanding con-
cessions from China in return for its res
toratlon, she would be justified by interna-
tional law and by abundant precedents. Yet
no one, l believe, doubts that Japan will
restore Klao- Chow to China long before the
expiration of the old German lease
1t is not wise to attribute to others a
virtue that we do not ourselves possess and
we need not expect Japan to show herself
more moral and just than her Western
guides and exemplars. It should also be
remembered that Japan feels what she con-
siders just resentment toward China for the
rsIng-t tao campaign, While President Yuan
Shih hkai loudly proclaimed and talked
neutrality, he feared Germany's mailed fist
too much to permit him to be perfectly
neutral and the Germans were allowed to
freely in Chinese territory around
Shantung Province in provisioning and
even in reinforcing their garrison after the
commencement OF hostlllties. Besides Ger
mans that escaped were not interned, and
China even permitted the Germans to organ
iZe and start an expedition from Pekin to
attack the Siberian railway of Japan's ally
Chin Epected and dreaded this just anger
of JuIan and sought to propitiate her when
Pelin saw that the Kaiser was not the in
vincible giant of Yuan's nightmare.
In the recently granted demands OF
Japan the primary object of the statesmen
Of Toxic was to equalize the position of
Japan in China with that enjoyed by other
Powers. They wished to avail themselves
of an unusual opportunity TO obtain rights
and privileges that other nations had pro-
cured-sometimes by brow beating Japan,
as. for instance England at Wei-hai-wei,
Germany at Kiao-Chow and Russia at Port
Arthur and in Mongolia. OF course, Japan
had Interior motives also. In the favorite
phrase of Japanese statesmen, she wished to
consolidate the basis" OF her position In
China and upon the Asiatic continents, her
vast future theatre.
Those who have most closely and
directly studied and observed at first hand
the situation in the Far East are generally
OF the opinion that Japan has no intention
to attempt the conquest or even the master
full control OF China. She is pledged to
respect and maintain the territorial integ-
rity of her great neghbor and relative.
But 1t is almost certain that she will OBJ
tain a small portion of Manchuria, which
she needs for homes for her overiowing
population. 1t is quite probable, as the
Japanese assert that this would really bene-
Mt China, by making more compact and pow
erful the immense and chaotic region and
eongeries OF peoples that we call the Chinese
Empire or Republic It would be. at the
worst no more than Japan's obtaining an
offset to England in Tibet, France in Ton
king and Russia in Mongolia. These things
are not moral considerations; they are only
world-politcs.
That Japan now seeks no more than this Is
due to her fears as to the future. She has
lately acquired quite Napoleonic terror of
awakened and aroused China. She fears
a too weak or too powerful neighbori a
weak China would mean bitter and periIous
rivalries with Europe and America, and too
strong China would leopard her own exist
ence To Japan, the ideal condition OF China
would be a country OF extensive and prosper
Gus industries that would both buy and sell