New-York tribune., 1920-06-10
Publishers Printing Company
213 West 25th Street
Telephone Chelsea 1910
Our japanese
Policy Scored
By Vanderlip
Continued frsm page ens)

our minds one Of the most important
questions between the two nations was
our suspicion that Japan was reaching
out into China and Asia to ACQUIRE
military power and extension of her
territory.
The Japanese answered that thew
were not seeking extension on the con-
tinent and that they stand ready to
return to China all the sovereignty
acquired from Germany by the peace
treaty, but that they have been unable
to get any conference with the Chinese
government. They first asked for such
a conference January of this year.
Since then they have asked for con-
ferences repeatedly, but the Chinese
government appears to be too weak
even to hold conference on the sub
iect.
"Some Of this reluctance to hold this
conference is due, of course, to the in
tense Chinese antagonism to Japan.
Ignorance in China
There is no central government in
China worthy of the name. The So
called republic is a practical impossi-
blllty. Ninety-five per cent of the
Chinese are illiterate. They speak
twenty languages and the written Ian
guage is different from any spoken
tongue.
They have never participated In any
national government, and there Is very
little feeling for such a government
among the mass Of the people.
Among the students there is ma
tional, patriotic movement, which has
given soma hopeful signs, but it hasn't
gotten very far.
Zone Of the tremendous facts of this
Eastern question is that almost one
third Of the worlds population is in
Asia and is without a central effective
government.
"ln Siberia there is literally no gov
ernment whatever. There has been
complete breakdown of all economic
machinery. There is no currency.
There are no banks. There exists none
of the financial machinery that is nee
essary to carry on industry There is
no government of any kind from the
Pacific to Lake Baikal.
Now, the great fact about Japan is
that 1T is nation of 57,000,000 people
confined to an area less than that
of California; only II per cent of this
( land is arabic and the population is
growing at the rate of 100000 a year.
1t has already grown beyond the ca
pacity to feed the people even with
the most intense cultivation. They
must import food or export people.
Two Governments in Japan
"The japanese are not naturally an
emigratlng people, and what the people
there who are without military am BIZ
ton would like to do is to follow the
course of England and make Nippon a
manufacturing country. The difficulty
in the way of that scheme is that they
haven't any iron or coal. But there is
L14
developed on the main land of Asia.
81 spoke of the people without mill
tary ambition. There are practically
two governments in Japan. First, there
is a strong, vigorous democracy, led by
people of high national aspirations and
with aims as fne as those of any West
/ ern nation.
Then there Is the military party,
which has the prestige of two success
and over which the elective government
has very little control. When the army
/ is operating at long distance from
home its methods are very harsh, some
times brutal Prussia was theis model
But the military party has had two
very great shocks. One was the down
fall Of Germany. and the military lead
ers themselves say that In the light oi
Germany's fate no sane leader would
advocate territorial extension by arms
on tho part Of Japan.
Want Our Friendship
"The other great shock, and perhaps
the greatest in their minds, was tha
tho United States put wo million mer
across tM seas in q very few months
This made a deep impression on Japan
The last thing they want Is any diff
Guilty with the United States.
"rhey do want the friendship Of thu
United States. They feel that they ar,
the only strong political entity In th'
East and that they have a duty in con
nection with the almost complete disin
tegration Of government over vast area!