Tokio, April 3.
The publication of the documents regarding the Consortium has been made an occasion by the press for study thereof and leviticism. In this connexion, the Tokio "Asahi" remarks—that Japan's demand for the exclusion of Manchuria and Mongolia incurred misunderstanding on the art of China and the foreign owers, and, consequently, it was feared that Japan would be put in a disadvantageous position, but fortunately, the demand was at length wisely withdrawn. It, however, showed a lack of courage on the part of Japan to have organized the Consortium under the guidance of Great Britain and the United States. Be that as it may, it is earnestly to be hoped that Japan will make her position clear and act positively with regard to the activities of the new Consortium in the future rather than deal with the quoetions on Manchuria and Mongolia, which are now matters of the past.
The "Chugai_ Shogyo" states that, so far as the exclusion of Manchuria and Mongolia is concerned, it is more closely connected with Japan than southwest China is connected with France or Tibet connected with Great Britain. Such being the case, Japan should of necessity try to make her demands understood more clearly.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.