Prince Konoye said, in effect, that a struggle is mev-table, for whereas from Rassia's point of view Manchuria is essential to the consolidation and expansion of the Muscovite empire, from Japan's joint of view it is equally essential that wussia_shoult be obliged to give up any intention of military occupation. At the same time he disavows all idea of interfering with the privileges that Russia has already secured that district. This means of course that if Russia does not leave Manchuria, bag and baggage, at once, Japan will make her Count Okuma, interviewed by a repro sentative of the "Chino" seems to have used most unequivocal language. Without actually mentioning Russia, he nevertheless denounces her as the robber of justice, peace, of progress, and of commerce, and he confidently predicts that if Japan takes the field against this robber she will have the sympathy of all the other great Powers, not even excluding France. She might not conquer, but she would surely show. the world that her strength is greater than men generally suppose, and she would the end derive benefit from the effort, just as England did from the Crimean Wai The fact that the Count thinks that Japan would have the sympathy of France hows, however, what weight is to be given to his declaration.
The Count happens, however, like all talkative men, to say good things occasionally, and when this Manchurian affair first came on the tapis he described with great felicity and vigour of language what Japan bad to fear from it, It was in short that once established in Manchuria, Russia would train a huge Chinese army, with the aid of which she would gradually annex all China and become so strong as to prove a menace not only to Asia, but even to Europe.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.