THE FAR EAST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 168, 9 April 1908, Page 4

THE FAR EAST.

JAPAN AND CHINA—A CRISIS. WOULD THE POWERS PERMIT A WAR: . ; i(from our srrciAr,"comiEsrosnEsr.) Hong Kong, March 9. A strained •situation—a situation fraughl with many possibilities—lias arisen over tlie seizure by 'Admiral Li;'of the Cliincso Navy of.tho Japanese vessel Tatsu JJaru, on the ground that she was smuggling arms. The vessel was taken to Canton, under arrest, and since then relations between thu twe countries, have become strained indeed. Tilt vessel undoubtedly had on board many case; of arms and. ammunition,- but sho had also authority for the.landing Of them at Macao, which is Portuguese territory—the. oldest foreign settlement' in. China. Tho Japanese Government claim that tho vessel seized in Portuguese waters.; that she was illegally seized;. and that thoso who seized her must bo punished, and tho vessel'unconditionally released. Japan'lias adopted an arrogant tone, and, whilo the Viceroy of Canton has shown a disinclination to stand by the Admiral, tho gentry, merchants, students, and guilds of Canton liavo held mass meetings, at which 30,000 were present, protesting against any display of weakness towards Japan, and liavo demanded that tho vessel shall bo forfeited. They further threaten a boycott of all' Japanese manufactures. • A report is in circulation at tho timo of writing ihat tho Peking Government lias promised that Admiral Li'will bo punished, but this report well-informed Chineso decline to believe. It is well .known that smuggling of.; arms'' has been proceeding regularly for years, and tho capture, of tlfis.bi<j consignment rather merits reward than punishment.' Tho Chinese .had information as to what was'aboard this vessel, and state that tho arrangement-was' that tho arms should be sent, through a Chineso merchant in Macao, to the Revolutionists. A WAR TO RECOUP' THE TREASURY. Tor tile .man on the'spot, it would sbpm that' Japan is steadily'endeavouring to goad China into a conflict.. Poor unhappy China is in an unfortunate position bqsido her tor-, mentor. Sho has nothing with which to meet Japan's, great fleet, , or h.br well organised army—-nothing , but ,'the protection of the t'owers, who liavo agreed'that the integrity of. China must-be maintained/ And'whilo China is beset with those ugly questions -with Japan—tlio . Tatsu Maru seizure, tho Ghicjitao. boundary marks,; and the Hsinmintun—'l'akumeh railway, the ' Fushu Coal Mines, and other minor ones—Japan herself, lias reasons for fostering, this strife.- Her present financial crisis is causing lior to seek money'somewhere., With an income in no way approaching that of Great Britain; sho is spending about half as much as Groat Britain an. her/.Navy., Japan, unlike, Great Britain, is taxed to, her last limits—many students say, she'has passed tho limits. How-shall ,sho then iiicct'tlic; liabilities of the future ? It is obvious, financiers will look askance at'a loan. 1 ho'-.answer seems to como in ; this goading of China into a war that can ,havo only ono jesult as to wlio-will ho the victor. If Japan could, after a few months' hostilities, exact-"a heavy payment as the price of peace, it would relievo ;lier Treasury, appeaso the popnlaco (who are essentially lioro worshippers), and, possibly, add another, piece of territory to tho Emperor of Nippon's possessions.. i But would tho' other great: Powers allow this? America —which is fortifying Manila ivith haste, and hurrying in war stores iy every vessel that rcaches.horo—is too riiuch noncernod . ii\-her growing trado with 'China to-allow advantage. ' Japan is, already progressing .too_ fast for the fancy of .the, Amraacan -shipping .concerns.- , Slip.; has tho: biggest aggregate tonnage on tho America-Far East tarde, and her.'low. wago' crews and-.Government, subsidy make her a rival to oilst.-- Gprmany is now, a big. qompetitor in ' tho world's* .shipping,. and ?ho-" where'is' l she more act-ivo; than on. tlio China coast. These twb Powers are unlikely to allow'iJapart to -act tho- foigi Inilly to''China, tlie. nffect of tho. Japanose'.iAllianco liotwithstanding.'i,. ,v ; -' dF^SIfINESE.'. . Australian' .papers, which reached hero -last month, contained references to the. disclosures mado regarding the smuggling of Ghinpso into tho Commonwealth. -This., is'a' trad© not-unknown'in- thojFar East. - Chineso are shipped tp--iVmerica ns/'well- as to Aus-' tralia. :. -Heavy fines- are- inflicted' r hT 'HongKong but still the trado goes on. - Yesterday I wiis toli;!: by a citizen' hero that 'ho was. approachS'd. by Chindse'./who asked him to:'ship a' iiiffiber; of; Chineso to Australia; at 700 dollars .'a-libad. ' Tlicy. explained how. easily it was to bo done. Howas "to- charter'a' -steamer,- ship- somo.i goods, and clear ,for .another, port. -When oiitsido Hong-Kong • waters. ,tho '-. coolies'", would .ho picked.un.from junks-And taken? to an island off tho Northern Territory. ■ For all coolies landed ho would get 70.0 dollars, a head,, and thore : his 1 contract 'would. oiid,\. Tho rest would be managed by the agents at;tho other end.. He' 7 declined to have, anything to do with-tho project. , , ,