The Washington times., 1915-06-21
Avarice Of Military Ambition
0vercomes 5000 Years Of
Non.Resistanoe.
FORCED TO ULTIMATUM
"Robbery" Takes Ancient Power
Out Of the Category Of Sow
ereign States.
BY OSCAR KING DAVIS.

on May 1. It was evient that Japan
would have her way in the whole mat
ter. and without resort to force.
The Chinese disciples Of nonresistance
were In an ecstasy Of fear and excite
ment. They knew not what to do or
where to turn. Only one word was
before their eyes. the fearful word
''ultimatum." Only one thought was in
their minds, the pusillanimous thought.
yield"
There were meetings and conferences
all day and all night There was ad-
vice and susgestion. and counter ad-
vice and suggestion.
Among the young Chinese who have
been developing a spirit Of patriotism
and national solidarity. there was ur-
gent plea for resistance.
And there was steady call for an ap-
peal In solemn form to those nations
which have SO strongly engaged among
themselves to preserve this nation
whole and free.
But no such appeal was made. and
no help whatever came from any Of the
nations so pledged. They stood aside
and hardly even watched while or of
their number committed the robbery
that takes China out Of the category of
sovereign states.
Of Pledged Powers.
Here and there an individual minister
representing. perhaps. one Of the pledged
powers. offered his personal and unoffi-
ciai advice to the bewildered. perpiexed
and terrified Chinese. Sometimes this
advice was for resistance, but not often
In other cases 1t was for nonresistance.
The German. French. British and Rus
sian ministers offered neither counsel
nor assistance. But they took occa sion
to remark that 1t would be easier to
make settlement satisfactory to the
Shinese !. I'M when the whole matter Of peace
OF all Europe at the end Of the war
than II would be to adopt other means
now.
And there was always the certainty
Japanese arms would triumph at every
contact. Nor was that all. The Chinese
knew the limit Of the present demands.
but no one knows. and no one but a Jap
anese can imagine. the limit OF the de-
mands that Japan would make as settle
ment after a campaign in arms.
80, while Mr.. Hioko was transmitting
the Chinese reply of May / to his gov
ernment In Tokyo and waiting for in
structions; while the genro and the
cabinet In Tokyo were conferring and
discussing: while the dreaded and dread
ful ultimatum was In course Of prepa-
ration. preparation duly heralded
every day to the Chinese by kilograms
htnnr h.,N
and helplessness was in evidence in
Peking.
One last effort was indeed made.
through the vigorous advice of certain
friendly disposed foreigners. But 1t was
unofficial and unsuccessful The Chinese
officials sat like a bird before a snake.
unable to move and simply waiting for
the fateful moment when the blow
would fall.
Make Only One Move.
Only one move was made by the Chin
csc themselves. There came, toward
the last a curious feeling among them
that in some way 1t would help their
cause to compel Japan to resort to an
ultimatum. They began to have fears
that she would find some way to get
what she wanted without using that
last and dreadful threat. And they
tho action of the Japanese.
On the evening after the presentation
or the Chinese reply to the revised de-
mands a member of the Japanese lega-
tion called on one of the Chinese nego-
tiators and unofficially said that II the
Chinese had any further overtures to
make Japan would be pleased to have
them before the ultimatum was deliver
ed.
At first the Chinese refused. That
was at one OF the moments when they
believed their case would be better If
they yielded only under the duress of
the ultimatum. So they replied that they
had no overtures to make.
. But the next day. when the ultima
tum was obviously approaching, they
cDanScd their minds again and hastened
to the Japanese to offer further con-
slight, however. that the tTuculent Jap
anese refused even to submit the propo-
sition to Tokyo, and the Chinese went
away crestfallen and more panic
In one thing the Chinese We're success
ful, from their point Of view. They
compelled the Japanese to make the
threat to use force. even II they did
not compel the actual resort to arms.
SO they established the fact. If there
had been any doubt on the subject. that
they yielded up the sovereisnty Of their
country under duress Much good may
Il do them hereafter.
Friday. May T. was fixed as the day
for the delivery of the fateful document,
and o'clock in the afternoon the hour.
At that time Mr.. Hioko handed to Mr..
Lu a new evidence of the brutality and
trCculence of the Japanese. and a new
iffront to Chinese sensibilties. For the
lltimatum was In japanese and no Chi
1ese text had been prepared.
Left Meaning At Question.
It is true that the written language
IF the Chinese ana the Japanese is
IDENTICAL in many characters, but in
he language employed in this document
here were such numerous differences
rs to require some time to be devoted
% a formal translation from Japanese
nto Chinese before the Chinese offi-
,ials could be certain of the full mean
ng and effect of the ultimatum.
At the first reading there was no lit |
lie Joy among the Chinese, for 1t was
'een that the japanese had not insisted |
Ipon immediate agreement to all the |
articles In Group V.
But the joy was short lived. For It