South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-07-25
First of a Series of FiUe

i
promising mass there is developing
impressive evidence that a real po-
litical sense is awakening in a grow
ing body OF intelligent young men
and women. This is the so-called
student body. but IL is more than
drawn 10 the movement a certain
a body OF students. There is being
number OF enlightened men or af-
fairs. journalists. and educators. The
whole group is developing a national
constituencies. In some directions
that national constituencies has be
come a patriotic fanaticism. Some
members OF this group are moved by
radical preiudices against foreigners
and their aggressions. One OF the
strong ties binding the group to-
gether is an intense antipathy
against their apanese neighbors.
There are however. distinctly hope
full elements of this group OF people
who are struggling for enhghten-
ment. and who have a vision OF the
rehabilitation Of the political life or
China, and the hope Of re-establish-
ing a government which will be a
voice OF central authority worthy Of
a national name.
Problem OF Siberia.
tory or Siberia, that extent Of Asia
from the Pacific TO Lake Baikal. one
finds as interesting a set OF prob
lens. Here lies the greatest unde-
veloped white mans country left in
the world. II is vast in every meas
ure but population. Here but few
million people are scattered over
millions OF square miles Of fine arabic
lands and promising mineral depos-
It's.
In this great territory all sem
blance OF a unified government has
disappeared. There is every degree
OF political chaos from bolshevik ex-
cess TO brutal military control. The
people are uneducated in political
procedure. They are so scattered as
TO make unified political efforts diff
ficult Their minds have been in
famed with impossible ideals Of
economic organization. They are eX-
listing IN a social order in which the
whole machinery OF commercial and
political life is broken down. Ordi-
nary financial mechanism has disap-
peared. The currency OF the country
has become valueless. Barter has
been left as a last resort o ia dis
appearing commerce.
On the western border OF this
great area the microbe OF bolshev-
ism has innoculated the people, and
the disease has spread with greater
or less virulence eastward 70 the Pa
cific. Some fear that there is a pos
sibility that It may spread further.
that it might attack the masses Of
China. and even have some effect
on the comparatively conservative
social order in Japan. Against that
view is the land tenure of both China
and Japan under which the land
holdings OF both countries are gem
orally divided into small individual
ownership.
Chinese Government Weak.
Conditions in Manchuria and Mon
golia are a mixture Of those in China
and Siberia. Those districts are
nominally provinces Of China, but
the hand Of the Chinese central gov
eminent has but weakly administer
ed affairs there for a long time. Rus
sia at times acquired some semblance
Of authority. Railroad concessions
were granted, and railroads built
which carried with them uncertain
foreign police power. Japan has as
sumed tina she is entitled TO have
what she calls a unique interest.
The policy OF the allies in the face
of these vast social and political
problems has been uncertain, weak
and vacillating. our own policy par
ticularly merits all those adjectves
and more. e sent an army Of semi
political agents into Siberia, and
then seemed TO abandon them,
neither listening 10 their reports nor
acting on their Suggestions We sent
a military expedition, too small 10 be
effective. too uncertain in its objects
to permit IL to lay down any definite
policy, and then suddenly with
drew IL without the acQuiescence of
our allies and indeed without the
knowledge of our diplomatic repre-
sentativeS. Our entire Siberian poll
Cy is condemned by our own citizens
who have been on the ground as one
of complete failure.
The one intelligent, strong and &C
tive political force in the East is
Japan. But here we find a two
sided political organization. There
is in Japan a well-developed, intelli-
gent public opinion, ambitious TO
have the nation occupy a place in
the front rank OF civilized nations,
standing on a sound basis OF nigh
moral purpose. This body of public
opinion a
OF civil population. The great bust
ness leaders. the men of broad edu-
cation and international experience,
the majority OF the diet, a greater
part Of the officials Of the govern
ment, are thoroughly cOnviced that
the future course of Japan should be
peaceful, and that the nation should
dream, no dreams OF territorial ex-
pansion or Of wide political domains.
Two japanese Governments.
But. I'm a sense, there are two gov
ernments Of Japan. The nation has
almost the dual nature OF DR.. Jek
VI and Mr.. Hyde. There is a mill
tary party made up of men who
have been trained in the military
school and who have in their hearts
Prussian ideals. They have ambi-
lions OF territorial cOques;- In prac
tice and action they have the brutal
ity OF the old Prussian military or
der. When separated by long dis
lance from such control es Toxic
can exercise. they are guilty OF afro
cious methods: and at best, the con-
troll o. Toxic, that is, OF the civil arm
Of the government, Is uncertain.
This military class is arrogant and
ambitious. At times II displays an
~ action eud q ~op-