JAPAN'S ACTION.

Evening Star, Issue 16676, 7 March 1918, Page 6

JAPAN'S ACTION.

AMERICA WILL NOT ©PPOSE. RUMANIA. [By Cameos.] Although the pronouncements of the allied leaders still display the traditional ambiguity which is considered _ proper to great occasions, there remains little doubt that Japanese intervention in Siberia is agreed upon. It is officially announced that America will not oppose action by Japan, and M. Piclion, Irench Foreign Minister, is said to have stated tha-t all the Allies agree to Japan's intervention, only details remaining to be settled. M. Piclion still talks of the duty of the Allies to save the vast quantities of munitions stored along the Trans-Sibexian Railway from falling into German hands, which is obviously a very inadequate wid. unsatisfactory definition of the scope of Japan's action. It must be far mare extensive than that if it is to be worth much to the Allies. But ho also declare., that millions of Russians are awaiting deliverance by Japan's action. Saving etores in Siberia will not deliver them, and if ar.y meaning is to be read ir.-to the passage* at all it must be that Japan's action in Siberia will bo merely the preliminary to action in Russia itself. That is the only way in which Japan can act with decisive effect, and it is the only meaning which will reflect any credit upon the intelligence of the allied loaders. THE QUESTION OF GUARANTEES. How America loses an opportunity by her present attitude is well illustrated by some rather touching romarks by the New j York 'Tribune,' which editorially: "By' breaking faith to-day Japan could divide the whole of Asia with the Teuton ; but there is no dishonored treaty in Japan's diplomacy. Let us trust her.'' And a message to the New York ' Times ' records the growing opinion in Washington that the Allies should be willing to trust Japan to evacuate the occupied territory afterwards without the Allies requiring definite guarantees. There is, however, no necessity to was lachrymose over a possible Japanese breach of faith. The Allies I are themselves in a. position to guarantee that Japan will keep to her agreements after the conclusion of peace. THE- ENEMY MAY ADVANCE. Thoro is considerable difference .of opinion among the various parties in Russia as regards the advisability of ratifying the peace treaty : and it is not impossible that it may be repudiated. Meanwhile Petrograd sends reports that the enemy are still advancing, and Washington states that, according to advices received, the evacuation of Potrograd has begun. The enemy, however, make no claims to further advances up to the moment of writing ; and we have had similar reports before which havo turned out to be mero wild rumors. There is little reason to doubt that the Germans will give the Russians every opportunity to ratify the treaty, as to force another rupture would bo to drive them into the arms of Japan. But, assuming that the peace treaty is not ratified, and the enemy advance again, there is plenty of room for retreat betw-een Petrograd and the Ural Mountains. The temporary occupation of Petrograd and Moscow "by the enemy would not bo an irremediable disaster, the worst results to bo feared being the capture by them of huge masses of transport and material. Should such an advance occur it might bo advisable for Japan to modify her plans, and, instead of first lining the Ural Mountains, push strong bodies of troops right into Russia, to serve as rallying points for the Russians. RUMANIA AND THE MAP. to the American State Department, Rumania has been warned by Count Uzernin that if she fails to accept the Austro-German peace terms she will bo wiped off the map. That suggests that the proposed peace terms are going to be very stiff. It is highly probable that the enemy will demand the complete disarmament of the Rumanian forces. That will bo the crux of the whole position for Rumania. If the enemy impose harsh terms she will look upon the treaty as a scrap of paper to be torn up at the first suitable opportunity. The enemy will probably endeavor to guard against that by demanding the disarmament of the Rumanian forces, and even military occupation of the remainder of Rumania's territory. Tt would be idle to pretend that Rumania has much chance of successfully resisting any demands that the enemy may put forward. ANTI-SUBMARIN E PROGRESS. Sir Eric Geddos, First Lord of the Admiralty, has given the House of Commons a- summary of the progress made in combating the submarine menace. H© makes the rather curious statement that the struggle continues to be chiefly a trial of strength between the enemy's submarines and the allied submarines. It has been stated by other authorities that our own submarines are the chief means of detecting the German submarines ; but the methods employed are kept very secret. The U boats are now being destroyed as fast ns they are built, and as the chances of not returning home are about one in four for the German submarines employed in the North Sea, the North Atlantic, and the Channel, the German crews are becoming increasingly nervous and unwilling to put to sen. Their quality is bound to fall off rapidly. It is admitted that submarines occasionally find their way through the Strait of Dover in spite of the nets. Possibly they slip through on the surface at night, and the method of guarding the strait by patrol boats burning flares "must be very uncertain, even though the patrol boats sometimes number over 100, 33 the flares must reveal their position to the submarines. The assistance of Brazilian warships is expected shortly, and the least satisfactory feature of the situation is the shipbuilding output. The output in Britain during January was only 58,000 tons, which is probably less than tho sinkings for a week, and only 17 standardised ships had been completed up to February. Labor troubles are mainlv responsible. The loss of shipping for the five months ended in February was 10 per cent, less than in the corresponding five months of 1916-17; but there is going to be a very critical period before America's | programme is fully developed.