New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-06

Here is one Of the most sensational items
of news that ever came out of Washington
Japan has an understanding with Great
Britain whereby she will attack Russia II
Russia should, for any reason, cease to make
war on Germany"
II is an appealing idea; it may be even
tremendous-to those whose eyes are ever
on the destiny of Japan and the Far East
1t isn't what you might call ohensNe'y
Christian, though Japan and Great Britain
with the rest of the proud Entente Allies'
are fighting for justice, humanity and all the
rest Of the fine phrases. That is their conten-
ton. anyway And all of sudden they are
said to be in secret plot of knitting one OF
their own allies in the back even while Kus-
STA is with them-before she has given any
positive proofs Of going back on them
II is curious how calmly the American SEN
timent takes this news. 1t held its breath
it held up both its hands in holy horror
when President Wilson exposed the Zm-
hermann plot to get Mexico and Japan TO at
tack the United States Yet the little silly
scheme of the German Foreign Minister to
seduce Japan away from her allies through
the good Offices of Mexico is as white as a
feather from new born angels wings be-
side this picture of the imitation Britain of
the Far East and the original Britain put
ting their heads together over thing which
has a distinct flavor of the Middle Ages
about it.
II Russia Quits
But that is neither here nor there. The
question is: If Russia-as, indeed, it seems
rather likely from the newspaper dispatches
should 60 back on her allies. break her
pledges and come under the Teuton domi-
nance, what then? Will Japan fight her?
Would Japan cross the Rubicon with an heroic
step and occupy the maritime province OF
Siberia? Germany, with Russia under her
domination, could draw ample food supplies
for the empty and mutinous stomachs at
home and stoke up those along the front to
fighting efficiency With Germany sup
piled with food it would not be pleasant for
the Entente Allies to think of what might
happen along the Western front. Such a
condition may spell almost anything. includ-
ing a German dictated peace, the disappear
ance of the French Republic, even the death
struggle for the British Isles Under the
circumstances, it is not at all beyond the
horizon of a prophetic vision that the Allies
would ask Japan to send her armies 70 tu-
rope TO stem the German advance, to when
there will be no second battle of the Marine.
But there is Just one trouble about that,
little matter of ships, altogether aside from
Japan's willingness to send million men
70 Europe TO fight 1t would take at least
more than a hundred times more ships than
Japan can possibly spare at TINS time 10
transport that number OF men. Ana anything
less than that force would be worse than
sad Joke. Neither Europe nor the United
States can help Japan in this matter; they
have no ships to spare.
Would Lose. Not Gain
Now. if Russia were TO come under lne
German sway she would either voluntarily
fight on the side of the Teutonic powers or
no forced TO do so in the end. She VIII not
he strong enough to stand aloof and enforce
her neutrality And if she were to hght as a
German ally. what would Japan do! would
she fight Russia in Siberia? She would not
For the one and the all-suffcent reason that
she would not gain anything by II. because
she would lose. and lose very heavily, by 10
But would not the conquest and occupation
Of the maritime province of Siberia destroy
once for all the Russian dream Of the Far
Eastern empire and the hope of war OF
revenge on Japan? It would. certainly But
both Of those two things are dead now; the
Russian empire of the East and the second
Russo-Japanese war died complete and per
nanent death with the fall of autocracy-lt'
indeed it did not die on the Sd of July, 1915
when the Russo-Japanese alliance was signed.
Moreover Japan's attack on Siberia would
NOT advance the cause of her allies If Rus
STA we're actually to join Germany and take
IN arms against her former allies in Europe,
Japan could not stop her from carrying her
plan out by invading Siberia. Japan could not
march through Siberia and attack Moscow.
The utmost she would be able to do would
be to take the maritime province east OF the
Amur River; and there would be the end oil
her military activity. That in no wise would
affect the war front in Europe. For under
such circumstances neither Russia nor the
Teutonic allies would think IL wise to divert
enough force from the European fronts to
the Far East 10 influence their European
operations.
But would not the Pacific provinces OF
Russia be tempting prize for Japan to
seize-especially when the other members of
the Entente Allies would urge her to do so?