OCR Text |
Show LOAN TO CHINA. The other day it was announced that Japan proposed to advance $50,000,000 to China for the purpose of improving the national parks of that country. It was further stated that the Japanese were to loan the money in order to gain control of currency reform in China. The United States, Great Britain, Brit-ain, France and Russia have to be consulted con-sulted when such financial arrangements arrange-ments are made and given a chance to participate under agreement between the powers, to which Germany was also a party. Russia and Germany were evidently evi-dently counted out by the Japanese. The former on account of the chaotic conditions prevailing since the overturn over-turn of the imperial government and the latter on account of being an enemy. The Japanese were also aware of the fact that Great Britain and France were in no condition to take part in financing China, and it was supposed that the United States, having put an embargo upon the exportation of gold, would not allow the yellow metal to be exported by the banks. So the Japanese Japa-nese made bold to notify the other banking groups that unless they were willing to participate in the loan, it would be negotiated solely by Japanese interests. The negotiations were to have been completed last Friday, and it was supposed that the Tokio officials would accomplish their purpose. At the last moment, however, the American. Ameri-can. British and French banking groups decided to participate, and the signing was postponed, evidently to the chagrin cha-grin of the Japanese octopus, which has been enveloping poor old China for many years. It is said that the integrity of Japan in regard to operations in China is not to be doubted; that the Nipponese are the guardians of the orient, and that they have special interests in China. We believe the United States recognized recog-nized something of this sort in a pact made with the Japanese mission. It has been frequently claimed that the position of Japan in the orient is like that of the United States in the western west-ern world. But there is this difference. While we have exercised the Monroe doctrine to protect the Latin republics we have never exploited them or sought to gain "control over them. The Japanese, Japa-nese, on the other hand, have constantly constant-ly sought to reduce China to the status of "a dependency, often forcing- the adoption of their programme by threats of war. Also the integrity of the Chinese Chi-nese republic has often been attacked in an underhanded way. While we are fighting for the triumph of democracy over autocracy, it is our manifest duty to keep an eye on the orient. The Chinese Chi-nese have just as many national rights as the people of other countries, and if they are not respected by the allies eu- gaged in the war against the central j powers, all the talk about democracy lis a sham and pretense. |