Japan is not to blame if self-deception continues to mark the world's attitude to the realities o! her military occasions in North China. 'A Military Observer's technical survey of the situation in this journal on Thursday wa: followed—and—reinforced—yesterday by Mr. W. olm's despatch from Peiping and by a special article which endeavoured to dis tinguish between the real goal of Japanese actions and the ninepins temporarily t up to amuse the unsophisticated critic. The situation is said to be easier. Majo: hostilities are believed to be less probable. How far that reading 15 correct events alone can show. Even so, it docs not dispose of the plain fact that, with the impending reinforcement of her army in North China to a strength of about 35,000 men, and taking into account her unassailable command of the sea, Japan is in a position to confirm beyond contradiction her already virtual domination of China north. of the Yellow River. Her steady progress to this goal has been unaffected by the successive staging of incidents, diplomatic or othe: wise.
Even General C hex's announcement of refusal to submit to further en-ment on her territorial rights implicitly to admit tie} existence of a situation which only elf-deception could invest with any sort of guarantee of Chinese sovereignty in the North. As despatches on the spot have unfolded the course of events in the last fortnight it has been remarkable to observe Low they have consistently taken for granted the power of the Japanese military authorities to dictate local actions.
It has seemed as if those authorities! were actually mobilizing the North to defend itself against some hostile attack from Nanking, the Army being a "rebel" force to which it was necessary to apply corrective discipline Arguments to prove the diplomatic impropriety of this position or the moral justice of China's complaints have been regarded as} irrelevant. Even those who are prepared to condemn Japanese gression are so inured to it:
istence that they e inclined to criticize as unwise or even worse racn independent Chinese action as may conceivably impede its extension. Japanese troops ma wander at will over Chinese soil Chinese troops on that ame soil have to mind their "ps" and "qs", july translated into J; zanese, a they discharge their nominal duties. Chinese officials acquire merit solely in proportion to their read-mess in conforming to Japanese requirements. They become "bandits" or "communists" if by any chance they venture to put Chinese needs first in their minds. Each clash is followed by a reported [agreement the effective provision; of which do not see the light until ihey become enshrined in some further Japanese erosion of Chinese oil. That is at once sanctified by charges against Chin good faith, of which, in the absence of specific knowledge, the public has to rely on Japanese interpretation. It is agreed therefore that morality or international comity is pitifully irrelevant to this issue. As Lady Teazie remar d, "Don't you think we might leave honour out of the question ually, of course—although in the circumstances it is imperfectly recognized—the alleged delinquencies of Chinese character. precedent to economic ce-operation, s logical and reasonable.
It also has the merit of promising to safeguard Japan herself against 0 he perils of the unknown.
1t does not,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.