The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-08-14
LET Us SUPPOSE

Lat IN suppose that the United States
was q country Of about thtrty-fiVe MIL
zion people and Mexico was a country
:. az about four hundred million. and that
order and peace ruled In the Uniteo
& atatea while Mexico was rent with o1s-
penston. anarchy and inefhciency'
Let N suppose that some Of the great
.overs a Europe looking upon the con-
ssttton Of Mexico. sought to entrench'
+ themselves therein: that Great Britain.
for instance, seized Vera Cruz and the
) surrounding country. that France got
I. foothold at Tampico and Germany at
chihuahua and Juarez. facing our border
for fifty or a hundred miles
!, Let IN suppose that we sacrificed the
/. lives Of many Of our men and spent
roanv millions Of dollars in expelling the
s. G.rnnans from Juarez and Chihuahua
what would be the feeling OF the United
States in regard to the restoration Of
that territory. without compensation. to
Mexteo7
The case, as we have stated 1t. Is
nearly as parallel to the Japanese-Chi-
nese controversy. as regards the Shan
tung. AZ II can be made.
wouldn't We be tempted to reply to
Mexico that I'VE spent our money and
o,,r men TO eject the invaders from your
E-3erritory. We expect to make use Of the
trade concessions which you gave to the
invaders to compensate ourselves. More
81 over we cannot feel free or at ease SO
y long al you allow the great powers Of
Europe 10 establish themselves therein
" To gain footholds from which 10 Threaten
both you and US"
,M The impotence Of China has undoubt-
q edly been a source OF danger to Japan
II A few years ago China was looked upon
as the dying nation OF Asia and the
a European powers were cheerfully goinS
3 about the division Of her heritage. Rus
= STA took Manchuria: Germany. Kaio
q Chau. Great Britain had already estab-
y lished herself In Shanghai. and France
rs was advancing in southern China. jap
y anese statesmen could not fail to see in
q the inroads Of Europe threat. not only
- to the Chinese. but to themselves. They
Thought the war with Russia in order 70
break the control which Russia waN
seeking to fasten upon the waters Of the
yellow Sea. Germany. at Kaio Chau.
was q distinct menace to Japan. sharp
sword pointing at her heart. japan
cannot AFFORD to allow some other land
hungry nation to grab the Shantung
peninsula. nor can she afford to allow
: the Chinese Colossus to be sliced into
70 sphere Of European activity without
consideration for her interests.
Looking at the Shantung question
from a japanese standpoint, we are in
,A,eiined to believe that the people Of the
United States would take about the same
position relative to Shantung that japan
% now taking. We do not forget that
aWhen the Cuban war twas fought there
= were . great many noisy patriots who
claimed that sovereignty should follow
TIE nag. and that the Stars and Stripes.
Z once run up in Cuba. should not BE-
taken down. To some degree. the same
sentiment led to our possession Of the
philippines. There are doubtless jingoes
In Japan, just as in the United States.
and Japanese statesmen have to have
some regard for the public sentiment
and for the ambitions and aspirations
--of their own people. Probably they are
: not uStening just as keenly for the throb
2. Of the heart OF the world" as some
tdealists in Washington. and if so. II
does not hardly lie within our province
s to blame them.