Japanese Hostility to America.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 May 1914, Page 4

Japanese Hostility to America.

London, March 27. Very quietly and furtively, but very fiercely, a terrific struggle is proceeding lor concessions in China. Whilst the consortium between the financial houses, halL marked by the Great Powers, existed, there was an underground efrivjing to obtain the (largest sphere of influence. This waf conducted by the a Machiavellian diplomacy, and had at least the merit of being known to 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 *hey were utterly unmoral she finally denounced the pact. Since then there lias been fvn ever-growing souffle amongst the Powers to obtnin every jorivilege by hook or by crook imri the Standard Oil Company. utiHsii'.f its immense monetary resources, got. to windward of most <u its competitors. By filling the PnV id'ent's fempjty Treasury with much-needed Chinese dollars it has obtained tlie right to searcli for oil in the very best part oJ China. The p European Powers who had been chasing the same concession greeted ?he victory of the Standard Oil Company as the survival of vhe fittest. But Japan is not minded to hi America get ft firm hold in the CHinese Republic. If the United States ITad an unlimited supply of oil fuel on that' side of the Pacific, Japanese naval superiority might be seriously challenged by America. Tolrio therefore has sent its most skilled negotiator to Pekin to impress upon the President th'at a clause must be inserted in the Standard Oil agreement declaring hat.in the case of war the United states Navy shall hV- debarred from using Chinese oil fuel. The is fairly vital to Japan, if jli'e is to develop her destiny as sjio believes by pacific penotrnion and ifltimate acnuisitfon of vliina. That she should, in thp assertion of ner foroicn relations, lome sharp conflict with lmerica, is one more reason why fhen* cannot- be mucli reciprocity nr croorlwiU between the Unitpd anrl Japan, and one morn reason why Australia should 'iVrrt l)uild future upon the Japanese alliance.