Show I M I M I M M H M III rt J t JAPANS JAPAN'S BOLD LEAD 11 MM M M MM M t t MM II It is rather an interesting feature of the far Eastern situation that a report from Tokyo to to the effect that Marquis Ito forced England's hand handby handby handby by threatening a Japanese alliance with Russia appears to be accepted in the United Kingdom as correct and with considerable equanimity It must be said however that some features of the treaty are arc viewed with suspicion and disfavor by the British opposition statesmen Lord Lansdowne sounded a disquieting note when he stated in Parliament that runder under the terms of the convention Manchuria was to be regarded regarded re reo re- re as a part of China People are not wanting want want- ing who argue that under such a construction it itis itis itis is within the power of Japan at any moment to attack attack at at- tack Russia with a view of driving ing her out of Manchuria Manchuria Manchuria Man Man- churia and that in such an event Great Britain would have to become a party to the controversy which i in all l pr probability b i would then involve Fran France e. e there is little danger that Japan will take any any imprudent step or act in any way to disturb a status tatus quo which if permitted by Russia to continue in existence will furnish the Japanese government go and people with exactly the surcease of worry of-worry worry over outside dangers and menaces nee needed cd for the development of their internal and Formosan resources and the attainment of a substantial and lasting pr prosperity While Marquis Ito was in this country and England he more than once declared that it was vitally itally necessary for Japan to be assured assured as as- twenty years of peace and security from outside outside outside out out- side attack to place herself on economically and politically safe ground It is s. s not therefore likely that if there is tobe tobe to tobe be a collision in the Orient within the next few years Japan will be first to seek it Probably there is i's more quiet contentment of mind in the Mikado's Mikado's Mi Mi- kado's capital today than there has been since before before before be be- fore the War with China in 1895 The nation is infirm infirm in infirm firm offensive e and defensive alliance amance with the strongest naval al power in the world and while the European comment that the United States and Germany are standing in U the e b background as silent partners in the arrangement may not be technically cally correct there is enough smoke issuing from the premises to justify a a. theory that there may bea be bea a a little of that kind of fire somewhere and liable to break out in a blaze in contingencies not perhaps probable ble but certainly conceivable able |