Then with dramatic suddenness Japan intervened. On Thursday, October 28, Mr. Obata, the Japanese Charge a'Affaires in Peking, M. Kroupensky and Sir John Jordan proceeded to the Waichiaopu in a r star-car and being only received by Lu Cheng-hsiang, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, each addressed the Excellency separately and in an informal manner. Mr. Obata taking the lead stated that his Government had observed the rapid progress of the monarchical movement and had noticed with been considerable misgiving the adverse sentiment which, contrary to expectation, it had provoked. To Japan, he continued, it seemed as though the undercurrents: of opposition were assuming dangerous proportions and, after some gloomy references to the situation on the Yangtze and in South China, Mr. Obata asked whether the President thought that the reform of the system of government could be expected without untoward happenings. It was particularly pointed out that whilst the great countries of Europe were fiercely warring against each other, it was dangerous for China to make a change liable in the slightest degree to create internal trouble.
these circumstances, the Japanese Government respectfully advised the President to consider whether it would not be better temporarily to postpone the proposed ''reform" of the government. Mr. Obata, in conclusion, disclaimed on the part of his Government any intention of interfering with what was recognized as being purely a matter of domestic politics. The British and Russian Ministers associated themselves with Mr.
Obata's statement, adding a few remarks the same sense. Lu Cheng-hsiang, replying tentatively, said that he believed the Government had complete control of the situation and that apprehensions of trouble need not be entertained. He added that so far as a postponement of the reform was concerned, the matter was not in the hands of the Government. A machinery for obtaining the opinion of the country on it had been created and the elections were even then ing, as a result of which would be dangerous for the Government to run counter to the will of the country, whatever that will might prove to be. On the evening of the came day a communique was published in Tokio setting out at length Japan's reasons for intervening. (See "Herald November 6, page 436.) 'I'wo paragraphs deserve special notice, One stated that, although it would appear as if there were throughout the country no great opposition to the establishment of a monarchy, careful observation of the actual state of affairs in China, based upon information possessed by the Imperial Government, showed that it was undeniable that such appearances were more superficial than real. The other said that having regard to the importance of the interests involved the Japanese Government could not but feel deep concern in a possible recrudescence of dangerous conditions in China for should a disturbance break out it would do immeasurable harm directly indirectly to the Powers having important interests in the country, particularly Japan, who stood in special relations with China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.