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Show SIBERIAN MENACE. ! The Japanese government believes that the situation in Siberia is menacing menac-ing and has made representations to r the United States and the entente allies i on the subject. Judging from present indications the administration at Washington is not very enthusiastic over the project, and Would prefer to await the arrival of the new ambassador ambassa-dor to this country, Count Ishii, before reaching a decision in the premises. At the same time it is hinted that pressure from entente sources may hasten a i more speedy determination of this highly important question. From one viewpoint we are at peace with Russia, and. under such circumstances, the action ac-tion proposed by Japan would be tantamount tan-tamount to an unwarranted invasion. Yet a precedent could be found in the ' joint action taken by the powers in China at the time of the Boxer outbreak out-break some years ago, and justification could be found in the fact that Russia is in a more deplorable condition at the present time than China was at the time the troors of the leading powers inarched to Pekin. a march undertaken for the purpose of putting an end to anarchy as well as suppressing the Boxers. ' Japan has constituted herself guardian guard-ian of the peace in the orient during ' the world war, and she sees signs of trouble in Siberia, where the Bolshevik sentiment is said to be spreading, and , where some of the German and Austrian Aus-trian prisoners of war are said to be roamim? at will. Some of these Teutons Teu-tons are said to be armed. These bands have recently become aggressive in behalf be-half of the central powers, and it may be that the whole of Asiatic Russia will fall under the control of the kaiser kai-ser unless the step proposed by Japan is tasen at once. It goes without say-ins say-ins that if the Bolsheviki and Germans could take Siberia and secure the port of Vladivostok, a vast amount of war material and other stores would fall iuto their hands. These supplies were sold to Rus-ia. for the most part, by the United States and Japan, and as the present government at I'etrograd has repudiated all foreign obligations, it would be doubly hard to not only lose the money but also to furnish substantial sub-stantial aid to the enemies of civilization. civili-zation. Some time ago it was stated that both American and Japanese warships were anchored in the "Tadivostok harbor, har-bor, and that Japanese troops or marines ma-rines had been landed for the ostensible purpose of guarding the consulate. So it is probable that any attempt to move war supplies across Siberia from Vladivostok would precipitate an entente en-tente attack upon that port and its peedy capture. It may bo that, the Japanese desire to make assurance doubly sure by taking possession of Vladivostok without any further ado over the matter or awaiting tho commission com-mission of somo overt act. A3 the Japanese won their war nirainst Russia Rus-sia by striking the first blow, they undoubtedly un-doubtedly intend to be first in the field if there is to be another clash. If the present situation is as menacing menac-ing as they say it is, we do not question ques-tion their assertion that tho time has nrrived to take the bull by Uio horns and invade Siberia. . - Tf the entente allies and the United States decide to follow the course marked out by Japan, tho question as to what part v.e are expected to play very naturally arises. Japan not only v.ants .'anftion but may ask help. This b ing the case, it is probable that ft call for American troops would follow an agre rnent to intervene. .Tint, now we on1 str'iiiiin:' every nyv-e to vri'1 sol-flir-ri a'TosH the AMaritie to aid in de-f'nMng de-f'nMng the H'i'i'i on the western front. If v. e arc to 'icnd a number of divisions to the ori(,n, the war situation will ,Tt,uf " j'iedlv tnf.e, and we may not be. nlde to ecur' the tonnaj'o to i ;pf'!v toh d'-ninnd-i.. Japan rni(lit h'dp in t ran '.port i rig tho troops, but it, von1! r'-'iuir'- a l.'T,"'' n.imh'r of rdiips , !.'': Ill'' rn'-n sup; li'-'i v.' i t n food ' .,,, n i, i, i mi. ;.'I.t tli' y wTi- sril'i-ly ;;, .',". I on i;," otli' r id" of Hi'- I'n'-ifV. fl.it n.r. v l,! for. ''! to lk U" ri d; .,,,! do tin: ,' .1. can. This part of tit" (o'i:i'r- ,'(d""ply inler'tde. in the h !,' y ie cir :i i I ir i p-i linn in lii'i invasion of Siberia on account of the fact that our boys now in training at Camps Kearny and Lewis may be first to take ship aud cross the Pacific instead in-stead of the Atlantic. The entente powers are said to favor Japanese intervention, but to be violently vio-lently opposed to diverting the stream of American troops to the orient, while the latest developments at Washington indicate a disposition upon the part of the administration to allow the Japanese Japa-nese to go ahead with their programme. It is even said that the Tokio government govern-ment would resent a proposal that American soldiers should join them in the enterprise. Tho exact nature of their proposition, however, has not been made public, and there is some doubt as to whether or no they expected aid in the field. Perhaps the mystery will be cleared up when a final agreement is reached with the Uuited States and tho European allies. |