The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29
INTERESTED
ONLY IN FAR EAST
,ro;ds Russian Alliance Call
ing for Aid in
Europe.
FOR FREE HAND IN CHINA
s,,c;,j Correspondence 10 THE Sun.

sn,ciri Correspondence 70 IHB sun
rov,o. Aug. THE American pub
q. according TO cables the Japanese
.,,.rs are receiving from New York,
=. uneasy at the rumors Of n Russo
,.nanese alliance aud view the project
,i,h suspicion, fearing that it may he
ai,sc,ed against America. The facts
-. that the alliance talk has it's source
a., Russian necessities connected with
! AZ. xar. Il Is a war project pure and
: .,u,la and as the only terms that
u,u,s he Of advantage to Russia,
,,mely, the despatch OF an expedi-
,,onsry force to Russla's assistance. are
unacceptable to Japan, there is very lit
ii. prospect that the alliance will ma
~,erialize at present.
,hs war is the vital point. Since the
,sry beginning of the war France n
russia have cast longing eyes at
r,nan's extremely efficient army. NJ.
stephen richon, m Of the most dis
,inruIshed public men In France, wrote
article after article last year in favor
~ INVITING an expedition from Japan
n Europe. Some support was found
FOR the idea in Toxic. and a popular
noyement was organized with the aid.
I, was alleged. OF French gold on a
mciest scale. The japanese Government
did not interfere with the propaganda,
but whenever the promoters opened a
,~sorui,ing agency the Government came
down on them on the grounds that the
r~eseryists whom II was proposed to en-
list in a voluntary legion were de facto
soldiers of the Emperor and could serve
IN no other army. The hint was ac-
repted and no more was heard of an
expedition to Europe.
The Japanese Government adopted as
4 settled policy that their action In the
war would be confined to the Far East
and the Pacific. Unfriendly critics said
IL was because they feared to stake the
prestige of their army against the
soldiers OF Germany. Plenty OF other
reasons can he found. The japanese
people. though loyal TO a fault. are not
50 enamored of military service as
passing observers sometimes imagine
The suspicion that the army vas being
used as m~ercenaries would nave wide
spread effects. and in act no japanese
Cabinet would risk II.
pa n~sc Alliance.
But Japan recognized that she was
Q partner in the war. and in the dis
cussions about the eNpeditionary force
there was always a tacit reservation
70 the effect that IL the allied aus
we're really in jeopardy Japan nigh
ave to reconsider her attitude. Wher
Przcmysl fell and the Russian position
was seen to he dangerous the talk OF
Russo-Japanese alliance sprang int
prominence as II by magic. Russian
newspapers lavished praises upon Japan
and Japanese newspapers eagerly re
sponded. The Toxic pers dwelt upoi
the common interests of the two coun
tries in the Orient II saw no oh
staclc 20 the alliance. with England beint
~hrOadened into a triangular pact.
The Elder Statesmen met and II was
freely rumored tina they considered tn,
proposal for a Russian alliance. TIL,
public. Of course. know nothing of wha'
passes In the sanctum sanctorum of tn,
Elder Statesmen. but II n cannot See
the wind one can surely see the straw:
Il carries along. Presently the ton o
the Japanese press changed. IAN al
lance with Russia they said. "Ies
with pleasure. but. IL must be limited Il
the Far East. for II Is only in the Eas
that We have interests i'm common. Rus
sia is about to acquire C~onstantinople
81 will have her HANDS full In the Neal
East. Japan can guarantee the Russian
possessions in the Far East"
The readers of THE IN will observ,
that this was not a very promising prop
osit.on for Russia. Against whom wer'
the Russian possessions to be guaran
teed? II Japan does not threaten them
obviously no n else does-unless W,
suppose that Germany is going TO emery
triumphant from the wal with her pow
ers OF aggression unimpaired-so 1t jus
amounted 10 "A suggestion that japan
should romise to keep her hands of
Russian territory in Eastern Asia in re
urn for a quid pro quo which was no
disclose !. but which could be accuratel!
gu sSed as a free han in china Tn,
w, a responsible Japanese organ ais
yok occasion TO point u that a Russian
1iance might not fit I'm with the British
aUiance-Britain having a great finan
cal and commercial stake in China
aud the discussion dropped on a note o
general agreement that nothing SHOULD
he done until after the war.
The meaning Of all his became cleare
when one learned Of the Complementary.
discussion which had taken place In tn,
Russian press. The French move 70
Jalan"se assistance in the var was re
,alI"d only to be dismissed as havinl
ocen automatically ~mishandled. II wa
admitted that "A Ru~sso-Japanese allianc
could not cover European eventualities
DQ1 Inc ATp7lFnAnt that 10 phnttII annlxF o.
ASIA was very ingeniously developed
h STA would recognize Japan's position
IN the Far East. Japan in return shoul'
recognize Russia's position In the Nea
East The implication was hat tn
Japanese should assist in the war agains
.r~kty, aud by helping to open the Oar
danelleS render Russia one of the great
esl services conceivable at present.
For Far East Only.
Only when it was found what the Rus
San question had been was il possibl
10 appreciate the full effect OF the Jap
aHeSe dnSwer-an alliance for the Fla
East, to he sure. but nothing more. |
may b" added that IL the Far East alon
Vs. To come into II there Is no special nee
Tor anything so powerful AZ a treaty O
aUlar'e. \ convention could cover a
the issues that are likely to arise be
I tween the two Powers.
Since the Russian setback in Polan
became pronounced the Russian diplo
mats and ministers have returned to tn
subject VI. Sazonoff has made publ
reference to the matter In h Duma, an
II Is this utterance which has arouse
American uneasiness, II the correspond
ehts Of The Toxic native papers are %
rect, kussia's needs are greater, an
pres umably she IL ready to increase ht
oner' but it is difficult to see how II