Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-07-10
JAPAN's REvEN &c
On GERMANY FOR
PAST |ND|GN|T|ES

TOTO, July 10.-By her participa-
ton in the war on the side of the En-
tente, Japan has avenged herself upon
Germany for wrestling Japan's rightful
trophy-the Liaotung peninsula-from
her after the Japan China war, in the
opinion Of Viscount Takaaki Kato, eX-
pressed in an article on the war and
Japan position in the world, published
il the Central Review.
Germany as the ringleader and au-
thor Of the famous triple intervention,
he writes compelled Japan to give her
rightful gain under the pretext of pre-
serving the peace of the Orient. and
not only sowed the seed of the Russo
japanese war a decade after, but I'M
lawfully occupied a corner of Shantung
province on a trifing preteXt. Thus
the European war afforded a golden OPP
portunity to Japan for ayenging her
long harbored enmity and wrath to-
wards Germany.
Besides, this removal of the Ger
man influence from the East, where
Germany had menaced Japan's activity
in China and the growth ofChino-Jap-
anese friendship with her fast increas-
ing influence, has proved boundless
benefit to Japan as well as to China
the viscount declares. The apprehen-
sion entertained by some thinkers
mostly cursed with Germanophobia
that should the war close in favor OF
Germany, Japan would be placed in a
grave situation has gradually disap-
peared.
Viscount Kato does not agree with
those thinkers who deem the Anglo
Japanese alliance valueless because
the British in China are constantly
combating Japan's interests there, and
because Russia, against whose ambi-
lions the agreement was concluded, is
now no longer a menace. He says:
THE tendency of the British in Chi
ma to combat Japan's interests in that
country cannot be denied. However
any action or utterance of those Brit
ish people in China who are in nc
wise representative figures of the Brit
ish nation, must not be seriously taken
as mirroring the sentiments of the
British empire, and what we have to
take into consideration is what opin-
ion the British government and en-
lightened British people in England
entertain towards the alliance"
As for Russia, the eX-minister says
It should be remembered that the pres
ent equilibrium in the Far East is
result Of the alliance with England,
and if the alliance were cancelled some
effective substitute would have to be
found to insure the equilibrium.
To Japan the alliance will always
prove a great benefit, the statesman
thinks. For one thing, he declares, ia
pan will be able to dispense with any
further extension of her naval strength
which otherwise would have to be ex-
panded to an extent beyond the finan-
cial capacity Of the empire. Viewed
from this standpoint only the mainte-
nance of the alliance is of vital i'm
portance and it is a great mistake to
think that the growth of friendly re-
lations with Russia has removed the
necessity of it's continuance.
He adds: Japan should strive to
further her position among the worlds
nations by respecting and adhering to
the spirit and principle of the Anglo
Japanese alliance and the Russo-Jap-
anese conventions"
Vlscount Kato declares that Ger
many is destined to meet utter defeat
eventually, but thinks the war will last
4,.,-, +i,,,o