Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-07
JAPAN READY To
ASSUME WHITE
MAN s BURDEN
Little Island Empire Of the
East Is Ready to Guide
China, Relieving Europe Of
One of Heaviest Loads,
a BY Burton Knisley.
(Staff Correspondent, Newspaper
ENTERPRISE AssociatiOn).

That is the one big. outstanding fact
that impresses me as | travel from
Japan to China to Siberia and back.
During the world war, the whole
balance in the Orient has changed,
Japan now dominates the Far East.
The little island empire has forged
ahead to new rights. responsibilities
and opportunities for world service
second to none on the globe.
Little more than a decade ago
Japan was a small island group whose
only outlying possessions or sphere
was another island-Formosa.
BY the Russian war Japan acquired
the southern half of Sagalien, Korea,
the lease of the Liaotung peninsula
and practical control of the southern
half of Manchuria.
This was just the start. Since the
war began Japan has taken Ger
many's interests in Shantung, has
practically assured her domination of
all Manchuria. has won extensive eco
nomic rights in the littoral provinces
of Siberia and. above all. has ac-
quired in China a greater foothold
than all other powers combined.
To one delving in the East as
have ben delving. it becomes plair
that Japan intends to guide China.
She feel she must. for self protection
and development. She feels she has
O right to. as a utilization of her
force in serving that part of the
world where her just fields of service
lie.
The white mans burden" of which
he has talked so much, usually
hypocritiCally, a yellow race is now
willing to lift from his shoulders
Nominally China is a republic.
Actually at the present moment China
is back in the feudal age. governed
almost exclusively in their own in
terests by few generals and pro
vincial governors a goodly proportion
of whom were actual bandit chiefs.
There is no national unity. There
are no really great men. There are
practically no patriotism power.
The only internal hope is a New
China, idealistic, radical, democratic,
which some profess to see growing
up. AS for me. | can see the seeds
of this New China. but though / have
looked closely I have not been able
to find them developed into a plant
anywhere near ready to bear fruit of
good vernment--without the as
sistance of foreign gardeners.
How can a real republic exist In
which the masses cannot read or
write, in which the struggle for eX-
istence is all there is to existence, and
in which two months are required TO
get news from the capital to some of
the remote privinccs?
The answer is ii cannot--and does
not.
I spent couple OF hours with Tuan
Chi Jul, premier of China, claimed by
many to be 1.-THE only man in the
Picking government" He is a slow
spoken, spare, oldish man who seems
to be well meaning. But even his best
friends admit he is no practical adj
ministrator. He loves to plan and re-
flect-not to supervise administrative
details. He is interested primarily in
the impossible task of permanently
winning the civil war with South
China.
To win this war, and to feather
their own nests, others of the Pekin
government are mortgaging to Jap
an all of China's negotiable assets,
from forests to mining and railway
rights.
From the Kirin railway contracts
to the Kirin forestry loan. through
long list--meaningless to Americans
Feng- Huang Shan iron mines loan,
the Picking MukHen railway surplus
loan and so forth. the history of the
mad career of the Picking government
in these last months is nothing but
a record of turning over China's eco
homie assets for Japanese money just
as the Japanese can raise the funds.
The total now runs way into the
hundreds of millions. Nobody knows
how many loans. or what loans, have
been consummated, and the air is
full of rumors.
The recent Kirin- Hwei- ming rail-
way contract is an example of what
this policy means to China. In brief
Japan agreed to lend China all she
needed for the construction of this
railway at five per cent. and to adj
vance 100000 yen. or 100000,
Immediately upon signature of the
contract at tx per cent interest.
The other terms of the contract
were very fair But nobody expects
any of the 100000 will go into
railway construction. Most people
except the Picking government to use
it in conducting the war and in swell
ing their own private fortunes
The result will be: when the S.
VVVtVVV II SOie anu no IdllEOdu IS Ill
sight Japan will be justified in de-
handing supervisory and administra-
tive rights in this railway in order
to protect the Japanese bond holders,
whose money will have been spent not
for ties and rails but for war and
private purposes.
The Kirin-Heilungkiang forestry
loan gives the immensely valuable
timber of the two provinces to Jap
anese for 100000. 900, 1t brings out
even in China editorials stating:
Opposition to the sale of the
Kirin forests by the Picking gang is
growing daily. Mass meetings are
protesting that the matter shall be
fought to a finish regardless of per-
sonal injury or losses. The inhabi-
tants' telegram of protest says: To
mortage the forests to Japan is liter
ally to give the entire land of the two
provinces to the Japanese
These instances are samples of a
score and more of deals in which the
Picking government manifests its rule
and ruin course.
A syndicate composed of govern
ment officials and licensed bv the
government is now refastening the
opium trade on China.
Somebody must help China onto
here feet.
The western powers are busy. and
probably will be for some time.
Japan undoubtedly could help China
better than anybody else. Her well
fare demands an economically sound
China. But Wheeler the natural an
tipathy beween the two races can be
overcome and the western worlds
assistance in such an endeavor won,
remains to be seen.