JAPAN AND CHINA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13531, 28 February 1908, Page 5

JAPAN AND CHINA.

DISCUSSION ABOUT MANCHURIA

Press Associatiou-Bv Telegraph-Copyright

PEKIN, February 26.

Dr Morrison, the] "Times" .correspondent at I'ekin. states that Chinese newspapers urge that if the Japanese contention, denying China's right to extend northward the railway sysU-m to the West is upheld, the result will be the end of the ,open door and the extinction of Chinese sovereignty in Manchuria. The Government is discussing the question at Pekin with the Japanese legation. RAILWAYS IN MANCHURIA. Received 10.30 p.m.. February 27th. LONDON, February 27. Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has intimated tliafc Britain recognises the validity of China's clear undertaking not to construct a way that will compete with the south Manchuria line.

In a message from Tokio, published yesterday, Japan declared that she intends to hold China to her pledge not to construct a railway parallel with or a branch line likely to affect the traffic oil the South Manchurian railway, as the- latter would lese half the traffic if (lis- FakuriKii line were constructed. GETTING BOUND THE "OPENDOOR." According to a cabled statement by tiie " Daily Chronicle," published a few days ago. Japan, under a fcecier treaty concluded with China in 1906, has vetoed China'is building of this Fa-ku-menn line, and China has accepted the position thus forced upon her. But, according to other advices. Japan is acting under a protocol of her treaty with China in 1905, which " contains a clause explicitly pledging China not to build any line prejudicial to the interests of the South Manchurian Railway, whether parallel to it or in its vicinity. The proposed line joining lisin-min-tun and Fa-kit-menn (which would' link lip i'ekiii wi'.li Manchuria) would run directly parallel &> ihe Japanese railway. and if carried farther north, as was projected, would tap a large region whence the Japanese railway now draws freight, besides seriously compromising the strategical- position. A similar agreement formerly existed bet ween . Russia and China." The position is that Japan is accused of getting round -thei open door policy, and securing for herself unfair commercial advantages by means of the railways. Writes a Shanghai correspondent: " The maintenance of the open door —equal opportunity for all—has been promised ; bnt to suppose that there will be no .attempt to recover, through trade, some few of the many millions wasted through war (the thousands of lives have gone beyond recall) is to as--tribe to Japan a degree of benevolence, and altruism far superior to that of any of the western Powers-. In 1906 the rates of freight oil the Japanese railway to Kwanchengtze, an important) Manchurian distributing centre from Niu-chwang. 330 miles, were 5s a ton more than from Dairen. 465 miloi: now. under the eompe'ition of the Chinese line from Shantrliaikwan to Mukden. Ille.se lates are made equal. But the whole of .Japanese industry and commerce is organised like the working of a nest of ants, or even like Japanese war procedure: and there is an unen.-iy feeling that, if nut given on the railway, preferential treatment- may lie given on the ."learners, wiili government support and under government control, which cany the goods from Japanese ports to Dairen.