CUTTING UP CHINA.

Northern Advocate, 18 May 1914, Page 10

CUTTING UP CHINA.

JAPANESE ADVANCES

Very quietly and furtively, but very fiercely, a •terrific struggle is proceeding for concessions in China. Whilst the consortium between the financial houses, hall-marked by the Great Powers, existed, there was an underground striving to obtain the largest sphere of influence. This was conducted by a Machiavellian diplomacy, and had at least the merit of beingknown to the members of the pool. England, with a high sense of honour, refrained from trying to filch concessions to the prejudice ~of her partners, but finding that they were utterly unmoral, she finally denounced the pact. Since then there has been an evergrowing '' scuffle amongst the Powers to obtain every possible privilege by hook or by crook, and the Standard Oil Company, utilising its immense monetary resources, got to windward of most of its competitors.- By filling the President's empty Treasury with much-needed Chinese dollars, it has obtained the right to search for oil in the very best part of China. The European Powers who had been chasing the same concession greeted the victory of the Standard Oil Company, as the survival of the fittest. But Japan is not minded to let America get a.firm foothold in the Chinese Republic. If the United States had an unlimited supply of oil fuel on that side of the Pacific, Japanese naval superiority might be seriously challenged by America. Tokio has, therefore, sent its most skilful negotiator to Pekin to impress upon the "President that a clause must be inserted in the Standard Oil agreement, declaring that in case of war the United States navy shall be debarred from using Chinese fuel. The issue is fairly vital to Japan, if she is to develop her destiny as she believes by pacific penetration and ultimate acquisition of China. That she should, in the assertion of her foreign relations, come into sharp conflict with America is one more reason why there cannot be much reciprocity or goqdwill between the United States and Japan, and also one more reason, why Australia should not build her future upon th e Japanese Alliance.