Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-27

when all others concerned were TOO
busy to protect their own interests.
have been told that it was only
through the intervention of England
herself that Japan was finally induced
to modify her demands on China
Before now the writer has been told
the story of Japan's operations in the
Pacific since the beginning of the war.
1t is a story of broken promises. 1t is
still hazy, but some points are wholly
clear When Japan participated in the
war an official announcement was mace
in London that Japan would take no
territory except on the continent OF
Asia and her operations in the PACING
would be only for the purpose or pro-
tecting Japanese trade routes. Japanese
cruisers went forth and captured from
the Germans several groups of Islands
in the Pacific. There was an under
standing that these islands should ne
turned over to an Australian expedi-
tionary force. and such d force ac.uahy
went to them to take possession
But the Japanese government mad
changed it's mind and the Australians
dejectedly turned around and went
back home There was ~, actu nrayos ad
transfer. the personnel of the Aus
tralian force was even published ana
things went so far that postage stamps
were printed for the Northwest rac ant
No explanation has ever offciaiiy peen
made. The original officiai statemenl
of the transfer has never been denieo.
Within the last fortnight the wrnter
has read in one of London's leading
dailies discussion of the situation IN
the Pacific in which the writer, WHOSE
knowledge is extensive as tnat OF
the ordinary person in England, calihiy
hos
in November, 1914, been turned over to
the Australians.
II has been officially said that an ar.
raneement was made for division OF
All the German islands captured, for the
duration of the war only. Inc DIVISION
line was to be the equator. ms "oulo
give to Japan the Marshall, Caroline
and Ladrone groups, while Austraha
wou,d take the rest That Japan has
those three groups in her possession
now is known by the writer, ana IL may
be that there are others. .
The Importance to the United states
Of Japan not retaining those islands is
obvious The islands are not OF enor-
nous commercial Importance, but they
are of decided military value. Guan,
the little American island where there
is an American naval station, strat-
eeical point which American naval ex-
perts consider of prime Importance, Is
one of the Ladrone group. IL is no"
surrounded by bits Of land which are
occupied by japanese soldiers. and
there is danger OF permanent Japanese
occupation. The other groups, Mar
shall and Caroline, which with the La
drones Germany acquired from Spain
after the Spanish american war, lie
farther from the Philippines and not
near Hawaii. Good harbors are few.
but the Islands constitute hiding places
for ships of war coaling stations and
perhaps submarine bases. The German
ships that escaped from Tsingtao found
them useful. They would be most valu-
able for a feet whose object would be
cutting off communication between the
United States and Hawaii and Guam
and the Philippine.
The logical thing to believe is that
Japan has insisted on retaining what
she has captured until the end of the
war so as to have in hand at that time
material for making a bargain with the
rest of the world-Japan to say that
she will clear out of the Pacific II she
In permitted to remain in Tsingtau and
to have other concessions in China. IN