THE PRICE OF PEAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 198, 19 August 1904, Page 8

THE PRICE OF PEAGE.

"THE WAR OF THE BROKEN PROMISE." JAPAN DOES NOT WANT PORT ARTHUR. T firmly believe (writes Mr t George Lynch, the war correspondent of the | "Daily Chronicle" at Tokio), lhat the Japanese will drive the Russians back to Harbin. I believe they will capture Port Arthur. I believe thoy will force the completely to evacuate Manchuria. If they succeed in doing this, they will only then have succeeded in forcing Rush's to do what she promised to do hy the Bth of last October. That promise was given sis solemnly and deliberately as it was possible. Its nonfulfilment after a long period of prevarication, excuses, and subterfuges was openly admitted. It was one of the most flagrant and pjijiantic breaches of a nation's faith and word that modern history can show. The promise was not made to Japan alone, but to all the Powers, yet that one little nation, alone and single-handed, will enforce its fulfilment. "THE WAR OF THui BROKEN PROMISE." If, after a fight won with cleanhanded honour by sea and land, Japan succeeds in doing this, then I think the other Powers owe her something for the accomplishment of such a gigantic taskit is up to the honour and sense of jnstiee and of right of the peopJes of the entire civilised world to see ber through.. This ought to be remembered in history as "thft war of the broken promise." When the keeping of thai promise has been enforced there should be intervention on the part of the others to whom the promise had been given. As to what character the intervention should take, or what degree of pressure should be brought to bear, is not for mc to suggest. Some people ridicule the idea of armed intervention; personally I think that the intervention should be armed—aye. and armed to the teeth— in the cause of international good faith. I have gone to no little trouble to collect the opinions of representative men on the subject of what terms would be acceptable to Japan, and would satisfy the Japanese in case of their bringing the war to that point \vh : eh I , have had the hardiness to anticipate. I i have interviewed not a few of the sense- ' carriers of the nation, and found there ( was quitfi a strange unanimity of I opinion 'regarding what these terms should be. Politicians, military men, ] bankers, and others, were amongst those with whom I discussed tlris matter; for obvious reasons many of them '•■ requested mc not to quote them, but amongst those who had no suc-h objection were Count Okuma, Mr Senoda, of the Fifteenth National Bank, Count Soyeshima, and ono of the members of the great Mitsui firm. FORT ARTHUR FOR .CHINA! The first question I put to them was whether they desired to retain Port i Arthur or not. It appeared to mc thai jif they so wished they hrd every right to retain it. They might rightly consider it the spoil of a double war. No fair-minded people can eonsidtr it other that an intcrnationa.l crime that it was I t;tken from after the Chinese war. I There was, however, a remarkable i unanimity of opinion that now they did I not want to keep Port Arthur, and i would be prepared to return it to China. There was a similar unanimity of opinion that they should get back the islands of Shagalin Archipelago. When questioned whether in eonsid-

oration of Handuiria being returned by force of Japanese arms to China, they would look for some compensation from China on that score, the answer was in the negative from the majority - t of the people I spoke to, while others held that some railway and mining concessions should be given to the Japanese, more particularly in that part of China immediately opposite Formosa. The fourth question that 1 put was what will become of the Manchnrian railway. There appeared to be a con- | semms of opinion that Japan -would not be prepared to take up the financial burden of it, but that it might be run under a joint ownership of int-eraatioii-ally-supplied capital. THE QUESTION OF INDEMNITY. On the subject of their ideas as to indemnity from Russia, there was naturally considerable divergence of opinion, ! as the cost of the war to Japan is as yet ; unknown, and this will, of course, deJ pond on its duration as well as on many J other things. Their main idea, however. I appeared to tie that if they succeeded !ni rapturing Vladivostok they should j hoIJL it until an adequate indemnity was J paid by Russia, and then return it to j her. thus giving her a port on the : Pacific. j Among minor points they suggested ' that Russia should give up tlir> Island of ' Con'.mandors'.i. with its valuable a j al ] fisheiy. and gram Japan fishing rights- ' along the northern coast. i ii they L-ontinuo ts successfully as i ti'-y uuvc been doing up to the present. .inJ if they work up to what I hiiYi: prognosticated, the terms that they luol. Lo making appear to mc by no means unreasonable. The Powers owe a debt of reparation to Japan for making her give up Port Arthur, and the blood of every Japanese that is spilt upon its slopes lies at their door. Ths time for atonement will then have come. It will be put to that high tribunal of the consicenee of the civilised Powers that that atonement shall be made, and that Russia shall be comj pelled by whatever force or pressure is necessary to accept these terms a3 the price of peace.