THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, MARCH 27,1915. JAPAN AND CHINA.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13737, 27 March 1915, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, MARCH 27,1915. JAPAN AND CHINA.

While the great war in Europe claims the absorbed interest of the world events that are taking place elsewhere are receiving scant attention. We are reminded froni time to time that anarchy still prevails in Mexico, where American supineneßS is creating a great problem for a stronger and more vigorous Administration than the present one to solve. There has been a repetition of the incidents which led to the farcical occupation of Vera Cruz last year; an American citizen has been murdered and the Stans and Stripes violated by the troops of one of the warring factions. For such an affront the United States <must exact ample reparation, and Mr Bryan has gone so far as to admit that the situation which has developed from his own tolerance of repeated affronts to United States interests and others in a sense in Itts keeping, will not be met by the absurd measure of satisfaction that was held to justify the removal of the force of occupation last year, which accomplished nothing towards the pacification of the country. In the Far East a highly critical situation has been created by the presentation of the Japanese | demands upon China, which may affect the interests of other nations. German diplomacy has naturally seized upon the situation as an opportunity to create friction between the Allies and neutral Powers interested in preventing any single nation acquiring a dominant stake in China. The Japanese demands include exclusive mining rights in East Mongolia, the extension of the lease of Port Arthur to 99 years, and the transfer of all railway and mining privileges in the Shantung Peninsula formerly held by the Germans. It has also been asserted that Japan seeks to restrain China from entering into territorial arrangements with other Powers without first-obtain-ing her sanction. The attitude Great Britain, France, and Russia have assumed in the matter, however, is an assurance that Japan contemplates no violation of her obligations or the rights of other Powers, and Germany's efforts to represent that ! Japan is being given a free hand in China as the price of her loyalty to the Triple Entente are not making serious headway. In reality the presentation of the demands at the present time is due to other causes than the occupation of the European Powers in the war. "Local politics are partly responsible for the step taken by Japan," the correspondent of "TheTimes" write. "The present Government, recently defeated in the Diet and faced by an election and serious financial problems, finds itself impelled to pursue a forward foreign policy in accord with the loudly proclaimed popular demand. Thus, while it is true that the moment is propitious owing to the helplessness of China and the fact that the other Powers interested in her fate are engaged elsewhere, Japan is compelled by insistent internal necessities to take some action. Other foreign interests are closely affected by the Japanese demands, and particularly the British, for activity by any one competitor in a field of enterprise necessarily limits the opportunities of the others. But in view of our relations with Japan, and particularly because of the valuable naval assistance she has recently rendered us, and is still rendering, it would be ungracious for Britain to put obstacles in the way of Japan's reasonable enough ambitions in China, always assuming that the demands would not, if acceded to by China, definitely violate the integrity of China or prevent equal commercial opportunity, or in some unforeseen way disturb the British position as already established." On these points both Britain and Russia have declared themselves satisfied, and they are the Powers most closely concerned.