The Far East.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 9, 12 January 1904, Page 4

The Far East.

RUSSIAN INTISUSION AND HOW IT AFFECTS JAI'AX. Japan is a growing power. nmMtious of becoming the loading nation in the Far East. Its island Empire lips on* the eastern coast of Asia, | extending through about 20 degrees of latitude, from a point nearly opposite Vladivostoek in the north to Formosa in the south. Such a scattered dominion is pecul'ai iy open to latittck from a strong I'oiV-T po.Mcd in Korea or in Chinu. Tne comnuaud of the sea all along! the coast of the mainland is essential to the ■very existence of Japan. The main archipelago, Japan proper, of which the 1.00-clvoo islands and Formosa <ue but outlying possessions, approaches the mainla'ml most duse'y at the southern end of the Koiean lVi.'iij'vsula. There only about l"ij miles of sea separate the two coasts. From Korea Japan draws a large quantity of its supplies, and in Korea 'it linds an outlet for its rapidlv increasing papulation. In a lessor degree this was, until recently the case with Southern Manchuria also. Before the Chinese WW of 1894 the Japanese looked to the gradual extension of their commerce, their colonisation, their myostnients, and their influence in both Korea ar.d Manchuria. If they e\t>r contemplated annexation it was rnily as a far-off event tolbfc conKMmnrated peacefully in the distant future. They wore content to leave Manchuria to China, and Korea to its own government, provided that their own enterprise in those countries was not checked. Hussia was looming on the northern ' horizon, where the Czar's oflicers had already filched strips of country from China, inch ding the coastline down to Via. divostoek, and where a new forward policv in the development of Eastern Siberia was just beginning. But as yet the Ilussian advance agents were a long way off. Russian plans, however, aic LtJng twined, und 'as soon as the chance came they were carried out.

China—possibly at Russia's instigation—put forward claims oro Korea that the Japanese woupl not tolerate. War w«s the result. China was at its mercy. To secure its posaifiotfrn the seas that wash Hie shores of Korea and Maiuihiuria, Japan demanded tlie cession of the Liaotung Peninsula arid its na'ral station I'ort Arthur, wilrich commands the entrance to the Gulf of Fechili. The Hussion Government suddenly realised that a new Power had come into existence which won 111 —unless ousted—prevent it from pushing down to the ice-free wat.rs ol Manchuria and Korea. It persuaded the French and Herman Governments to joiii it in forcing .Japan to retioeode the I.iaotung Peninflula. Gieat lb-Ruin aifd the United States remained impassive, atnd Japjam to.l to yield. ' With prophetic insigibt tie Japanese Ministry tried to obtain a guarantee that China wou'.d not give up any of tiie peninsula to uny otlter Power, but again Russia stepped in ailJ thwarted the J<apancw desicjis. .Japan was driven out, and the field was left open to Russia.

Rus.'j'.a was not to be caught napping again. Its schemes were rapidly developcd. By a treaty with China tho Siberian railway was to be carried down through Manchuria from Potwnai by way of Mulodtm to Port Arthur. This undertaking was at once put in hand, and the line of constructkn was put rolled' by Cossacks. The railway was made an excuse for pouring Kussian troops into the country. In 1897 the Cernnms seized Kiao-chou, on the coast ol' Shantung, the Chinese province souti of tho Gulf of Pechili. as comfor the muider of a German missionary. T!*e seizure was legalised Iby a formal lease from China, and Hussia, as a set-off, domar.'jjl and obtained a similar lease of Port Arthur and the territory, near it, including Talien Bay. Great Britain was placated with the Port of Wenhai-nei, on the southern side of the entrance to tlie Gulf of Pechili. ..-Vitus, by 1898 Hussia had. with the cc/anivT>n» of tlie other Powers, thrust itself into tlie very position from which it had ousted Japan three years before. Port Arthur was for,!tied move strongly than ever. A commercial town—Dainy—was built en Talien Bay. 'Has railway was constructeh apace, and the Cossack guards increased in number. Moa'iiwhile, in Koica itself, the Kussian representative was) intriguing to prevent commercial cancessidus to Japan, tfnU to make Hussion influence .supreme' at the Court of Seoul. Rival parties—pro-Japanese and pio'HusBfara—were formed among the Koreans, like the liussiam and AufeKian parties in the Balkan States, and from time to time Kussia and Japan compromised by agreement their conflicting claims. Then came the Boxer rising of 1900 in China. Hussia troubled little about occurrences in China, but massed large Lcdies of troops in Majichuria "to restore order." The temporary occupation has become permanent. Japan and the European Powers have, for three ye.«rs, been protesting aguinst it, but Hussia still retains its hold of the country. The Russian Gcvvernmeot attempted to wrest from China as the price of evacuation a treaty that would have made Maneifruria in all but name a Hu-ssian province. The lumbering "concert of liuro>pe'' insisted on modilications in the treaty, and it was finally agreed that the Hussiaia troops should withar»w from the south of the country on Oct. 8 last. Tljey have not done so, and Japan is now demanding from Hussia fulfilment of its promises. To further complicate matters the Hwssians have not disguised thtir intention of gaining a footing in Korea as \rell as in Manchuria. They have obtained timber ccaiccssiotns on the Yalu Hiver, which forms tho north-western bouiidarv of Korea ; tl«ey have opposed the Japanese request that Wi-ju, a Korean fort at the mouth of the Yalu should Ia; opened to foreign trudv '• and they have continually sought to to obtain as a naval station Masampho, on the soutlK-m coast •/ Korea, imme-diutely op l)o site the nearest shores of Jupan

The aim of Russia is now quite obyious. They now l»w Manchuria which lies between tikvir two great fortified ports, Vladivostok and Port Arthur, the termini of the two eastern branches of the Silurian railway. They want to retain control, actual if not nominal, of this lartd base. That is the Russian view ol the Manchurian «iuvs-tion. Rut at sea, between Vladivostoek and Port Arthur, lie the Korean peninsula und tine Japanese An*i|>elago, whale the land Hue between these two ports is open' to attack along thy whole northern frontier of Korea. To feel secure Russia needs to lw immune from assaults on laml from Koiv-a, and to have a station on the Korean coast that will keep open for her ships the narrow straits between Korea and Japan. That is the Russian view of the Korean question. Once firmly eafcaJblisiied on the triangle formed by Port Arthur, Ifasampho, and yiai'Jivostock, Russia would be ere many years in a virtually impregB&bie position, and could quietly absorb the traide of all Manchuria and Korea. This would be a deathblow to Japan's liopes, China would inevitably fall under Russian influence. Russia would have all Manchuria and Mangn>!ia to draw upon for hardy soldiers, and at sea Japan would be ever exposed to attack, while its resources would ii*| »adly diminished by the loss of its valuable trade with the mainland. I And yet Port Arthur and Ylaiiivoi

stock are isolated from one another, ami Japan roulil, with little diliiculty lantl an army corps in Korea' within two '(lays. Its IleeL too, is certainly not inferior to the naval forces whi,ch Ilussju l)>ia at l'ort Arthur and Vladivostoek or on the way thithir.