The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-11-12

confidently anticipated, this task was
well within her power. So insignifi-
cant was the task assigned to her in
this eventuality that she confidently
expected the immediate surrender Of
such scattered Allied and American
forces as would find themselves ma
rooned in this back end of the world.
Believing this to be the position, she
acted accordingly, treating the Rus
slams and the other Allied forces in
the stupidity arrogant manner 1 have
already described.
This is strong language and no
doubt Japan will find many defend
ers We must not forget, however,
that the Japanese have prided them
selves upon being the Russians of
the East. When Prince Ito was chos-
en- to draw up the present Japanese
Constitution he chose Germany as his
model and found in Bismarck the
master that he sought. He was es-
sentially an imperia1ist, who sought
to implant the ideal of Prussian mill
tarism, efficiency, officialism and sys-
tenn in Japanese soil.
When, in August, 1918, the British
moved to Omsk, in the hope of as
sisting in the organization of a GEN.
trail government, the Japanese refus-
ed to accompany them, preferring to
remain where they were that they
might more firmly establish them
selves in the territory they already
occupied. AS soon as the Japanese
found that Kolchak was not going to
accede to their demand for complete
control of the railways they refused
to support the supreme Governor and
subsidized Semenoff and Kalmakov
in their opposition to the Omsk gov
eminent. By the power of their
money and the presence of their arms
the Japanese enabled their two hired
tools to interfere successfully with
Kolchak's efforts toward an orderly
government. This attitude of Japan's
resulted in great embarrassment to
the central authority, as it encourag-
ed numerous Independent leaders to
raise the standard of revolt and con-
WINGED the average Russian that the
Kolchak administration did not find
favor in the eyes of the Allies.
When the news of the armistice
reached Siberia it came as a severe
shock to the japanese; they were I'M
able to credit the report of the terms
accepted by Germany Thencefor-
ward the attitude of Japan toward the
Entente Powers exhibited a marked
change, but, in the opinion of Colonel
Ward, her objects in Siberia "are still
the same" although "she pursues
them by quite different methods"
The policy of the United States in
Siebria does not escape Col. Wards
censure. After the Allies had aban-
uOu6u CllO IOlC VI DO5o PIdAs 1AAhCl-
lea still attempted to effect a COM
promise between the Bolsheviki and
the Central Government. This course
alienated the affection of all patriotic
Russians and gave, Japan the oppor-
tunity to turn the situation to her ad-
vantage American policy permitted
Red troops to gather in neutral
zones" and from these zones the
Reds attacked the Japanese, with
American soldiers standing by as idle
spectators" A policy of this kind
could have but one outcome; Russian
favor swung sharply away from
America toward Japan.
Col Ward concludes his book with
reminder of the debt the world
owes Russia for her prompt action in
1914 resulting in the diversion OF
masses of German troops from the
Marine to East Prussia.