Ovr French contemporary accuses us of endeavouring to foment a war between Russia and Japan, because we have pointed out that Russia's recent action if persevered in must become before long intolerable to Japan. As well might the man who sees two trains approaching each: other on the same line of rails be accused of causing the inevitable catastrophe, because he runs up the line shouting to one of them to stop. To say that you see that a war is coming, and give warning in time is surely more sensible than to keep quiet till it comes for fear of exciting the disputants, and then to be cone tented with deploring it. Russia has leased the Liaotung Peninsula from China, with the consent, more or less grudgingly given, of the Powers, including Japan who was paid to give it up; or rather, who was forced to give it up and then received a payment from China as a solatium. In the Liaotung Peninsula is the terminus of Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway, which passes through Manchuria, and to protect this railway Russia virtually annexes Manchuria. To protect China from partition, that is, to prevent any one Power seizing any portion of China, England and Germany entered into an agreement to which Japan is a party, and with which Russia has declared that her sentiments are in entire accord. When Russia annexes Manchuria—we are endeavouring to stick to facts without regard to the cloud of ink in which some of them are enwrapped—Japan turns to the Anglo-German Agreement, and is somewhat astonished when the German Chancellor says that Manchuria is not included in its scope. England reads the agreement lin the same way that Japan does, it leither way; and then Russia avers being equally possible to read' it that she too has always considered Manchuria to be an integral part. of the Chinese Empire, no Power being more resolved than she is to see the j integrity of that Empire preserved, The real question then is, is Russia's contemplated action in Manchuria a breach of the integrity of China?
England and Japan say it is, and most people who look at the matter in a common-sense way must agree with them, even if they are disposed to allow that it will be better for the world at large that Manchuria should be administered by Russia than by China. Germany says that whether it is or not does not concern her, because she does not consider
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.