4th May, Tue first number of Prince Konoye's new organ, the "Toyo," a large fortnightly magazine of which the first'eight pages are in English, opens with a short article headed "Our Programme" which tells us that the magazine "is essentially a political ore, devoted to a discussion of the political questions of the Far East in general and Japan in particular." It notes how Japan has astonished the world, and " proved that the Far Kast is by no means the worn-out, effete, lotus-eating world it was so long supposed to be." Japan has become a banner State and has written the word "Civilisation" in glowing hues on its standard. "With every other Asiatic land looking to Japan for aid, we firmly believe that it is our beloved country's exalted duty to lend a helping hand to one and all; to act as the friend and saviour of those once powerful States now cowering under European menaces; to raise the Asiatic standard of civilisation, and to prove to the world at large that the Orient is every whit the compeer of the Occident." This is what in modern parlance may be characterised as "a large order," and one that it will take a long time to fill; Japan has, however, surprised her friends as well as her enemies by the proofs she has given of her power to carry out what she undertakes; and it is satisfactory to see that she is determined "to show the great, wide world that Japan secks to be, and means to be, absolutely just."
After this foreword comes the most interesting article in the magazine to foreign readers, "The Problem of Manchuria" by Prince Konoye. The writer begins by taking as his slarting-point the axiom on which all the great Powers profess to be agreed, the necessity for the preservation of the integrity of Chinese territory. "But what is Russia doing in Manchuria? Can we watch her actions on Manchurian soil without suspecting any ulterior motives? Russia has endeavoured to allay the suspicions of the Powers by stating that she has no idea of retaining permanent possession of Manchutia; yet her actual deeds have been often at. variance with the spirit of the Anglo-German Convgntion and opposed to the theory of the preservation of China as an integer. Openly professing allegiance to the Convention, it is patent that she is trying to get Manchuria in her iron grasp." But when ther Russia really means to annex Manchuria or not is past discussion all her apologists in the English Press can say is that it does nob matter to us, as we shall do just as much trade with Manchuria Russian as with Manchuria Chinese; which is not true, and is in any case a cowardly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.