JAPAN AND CHINA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 222, 18 March 1912, Page 4

JAPAN AND CHINA.

The deep interest with which the Japanese are watching the progress of the Chinese revolution' is shown by the recent debate in the Diet. The Minister for Foreign Affairs naturally denied that his Government had pressed upon China the maintenance of the monarchy, but he seems to have admitted that Mr. Ijuin, the Japanese Minister at Pekin, did, in fact, urge this policy upon Yuan-shih-kai, as has been alleged. The statement was, it will be' remembered, that Mr. Ijuin informed the Chinese statesmen that in no circumstances whatever would Japan recognise a Chinese Republic. Viscount IJchida has explained to the Diet that Mr. Ijuin was merely expressing his personal views. Yuan-shih-kai appears to have misunderstood him, and perhaps the mistake was not inexcusable. What opinions may have been expressed in the Diet upon this subject, we are unable to state. All we know is that the discussion between Ministers and "Progressives" became so lively that it was thought desirable to conduct the latter part of the debate with closed doors. It is beyond doubt the wish of .most Japanese statesmen of eminence that China should enter upon the path pf progress step by step, and, above all, that she should not suddenly introduce at their doors a form of government radically different from their own. A desire of the kind is entirely natural and reasonable. The diseussion is a reminder .to all whom it may concern that the Chinese revolution is being anxiously watched by China's neighbors, and that ihe tooner it is closed the better pleased tkose neighbors will be.