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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1903)
C7i 3?- 0 N June 26 the etrancest pledge that a pawnbroker ever took in the world will have to "be returned to Its owner If that owner can pay the loan. The pledge Is a big seaport. It is the City of "Wismar, on the German coast of the Baltic Sea, and once a powerful member of the great Hanseatic League. The owner who pawned It Is Sweden and the pawnbroker is the Duchy of Meck lenburg. That a big city on German territory, not 50 miles away from the great imperial naval port of Kiel, really belongs, with out question, to another nation is one of the romances of everyday history which are forever cropping out all over the world. The pledging of "Wismar, while It hap pened only 100 years ago, really was di rectly due to the changing fortunes of the Thirty Tears' War. If there should "he any diplomatic squabbles over the matter now, treaties and protocols of sur renders and armistices dating back to -the years between 1618 and IMS would have to be dragged in court. Another exhibit would be the story of the Jilting "by a King of the daughter of a Duke. The fact that "Wismar really is ' a Swedish possession explains what has been a mystery for many years the neg lect of the German Empire to fortify this port, which Is considered as being the finest harbor site of the entire Baltic Coast "Wismar was pawned to the Duchy of Mecklenburg on June 26. 1803, as security for a loan of 1,25S,000 relchsthaler. With Wismar, Sweden also pledged the govern RUSSIA AND JAPAN : AN INEVITABLE- CONFLICT THAT a conflict between Japan and Russia is Inevitable and not far off is evident to even a casual ob server of political conditions in the Orient Tho basis of tho coming difficulty is neither sentimental ior insignificant end. moreover, it is one that diplomacy cannot alter or avert Japan, has the largest shipping and carrying trade in Manchuria, having had 177 ships, with a tonnage of 4C3.O00 tons, entering the port of Nlu Chwang In 1902, and a much larger proportion for the year 1903 up to the present time. Her Imports at this port amounted to 2,150.529 teals, and the exports from this port to Japan for the year 1902 amounted to 8,749, 45S teals. Prussian shipping amounted to one steamer, and her imports and exports were none. Japan's exports toKorea in 1901 were 11,372,550 yen, and her im ports from Korea were 10,052,42S yen, while Russian imports and exports wero merely nominal. Japan's exports to all of China amounted ia 1901 to 42,928,879 yen, having doubled in four years, and her Imports from China were 27,256,9S6 yen. Tho principal exports from Man churia and Korea to Japan are food products and fertilizers. On account of the light and shallow soil of Japan, fer tilizers are absolutely essential to the existence of her 40,000,000 of people, and most of this she secures in the form of bean cako from Manchuria, at the Port of Nlu Chwang. The largest part of the 10,000,000 yen of Imports from Korea to Japan Is food essential to life. The 51. 600.000 yen of exports from Japan to Korea and China are almost exclusively made- up of manufactured articles. The Situation in a XatsaelL If Russia sepures absolute political con trol over Manchuria and Korea, as pres ent appearances seem to Indicate, she would destroy Japanese, shipping and the market for Japanese goods, shut off her supply of fertilizers and food products, sad havp Japan completely at her mercy. Japan, therefore, ia her brave efforts to prevent Russia from overrunning and absorbing Manchuria and Korea, is fight ing' for her very existence. Russia's po litical control there not only stops the expansion of Japan, but takes the food out of her mouth, destroys her shipping and robs her of tho best market she has for her manufactured goods. The question that is put to Japan by Russia's aggressiveness is, Fight or die? Those familiar with Japanese skill and courage In war do not hesitate to decide what course Japan will choose. The present attitude of Russia in Man churia and Korea Is arousing the war feeline In Japan again, and should Rus sia become engaged In war with. Turkey ment districts of Poel and Neukloster, both In German territory. Under a treaty between , Sweden and Denmark, it had been provided that "Wis mar should not be .fortified, and when the Duchy of Mecklenburg took over the city it had to obey the provisions made with Sweden. - "Hence Mecklenburg was bound to build no fortifications" to make "Wismar a great- port as It once had "been, and also to permit no great power to utilize it for any war purposes. If it had not been for this fact, Ger many would, no doubt, have made a mighty naval station, out .of "Wismar, long ago. Under the conditions of the loan, the City of "Wismar arid the" two -government districts were to remain in pledge for 100 years. At the end of the 100 years Sweden could claim and obtain the pledged city and land by paying back the original loan, with 3 per cent compound interest. A further provision, however, of the loan is that, should Sweden fall to take any notice whatever of the expiration of the time, the contract would become renewed automatically for another 100 years. The sum which Sweden would have to pay on June 6, If she wished to claim "Wismar and the two government dis tricts, is figured as amounting to $27,000. 000, and this alone, quite apart from con siderations of policy. Is expected to oper ate as a bar against the assertion of her rights. Still it is .going to bo. Germany's part to make sure that there is no renowal of the pact through Sweden's simple ex pedient of keeping silent And already Germany Is sending out semiofficial ut terances regarding the value to Sweden of Germany's friendship in the face of tho growing approaches on Swedish ter ritory by Russia, as evidenced by the re- there is little doubt that Japan would attack her in Manchuria. Russia's failure to surrender the port of Nlu Chwang and to evacuate Man churia, In accordance with the Man churia convention on the 8th of April; her further movements of equipping and arm ing several thousand Chinese brigands, under Hussion officers, and fending them to the vicinity of the Yalu. River, are indications to Japan that her life is in danger. Russia has made nood procress in ex tending her power on the Pacific, and J the recent additions to her fleet of war vessels gives her a naval force said to be equal to that of Japan. Her recent advance Into Manchuria, her building of the splendid commercial city of Dalny. her advent Into the ship ping trade, with a large and permanent fleet of good steamers for the coasting trade of China and Japan, together with her European fleet, are notices to Japan arid Great Britain that Russia Is here for business, as well as for the extension of her political authority. Russia's land concessions at Tien Tsin and Hankow, her political interests 'In the Belgian syndicate that Is building the railway from Pekln to Hankow; tho construction of a line of railway from the .Siberian railway line, near lake Bai kal, to Pekln, now Just begun, together with her absorption of Manchuria, which is now complete, regardless of the so- called evacuation, all Indicate beyond a question the active intention of Russia to dominate all of China, and to enter at once Into control of North China. The death of Li Hung Chang, whoso great riches are said to have come through Russian associations, was a se vere blow to Russian power at court for a time. Her well-known methods soon made for her -a great friend In Yunc-Lu. vho became the power behind the ihron after the death of LI Hung Chang. This man, who became very wealthy and all powerful, has recently died (leaving a for tune of many million taels, five millions of which are reported to be In the Russo Chlnese Bank), and Russian Influence at the court of Pekln Is supposed at this moment to be again very much weak ened. Possible Chinese-Japanese Coalition. Japan is no doubt making every effort to arouse China to the point of joining her in the united effort to push Russia out Of Manchuria. Tuon Shlh-Kal, the present "Viceroy of PechlU and Shantung, who has the organization and control Of the Chinese army of the North, is sup posed to be friendly with Japan, and anxious to resist the onward movement of Russia. The natural feeling of the merchants and masses of the Chinese in Manchuria and North China is Intensely antagonistic to the Russians and friendly with the Japanese. If this union of forces be . tween China and Japan could be cemented THE SUNDAY that is eino hi lUm - - - View ' -cent destruction of Finnish autonomy and independence. The immediate story of how "Wismar was pawned dates back to the beginning of tho eighteenth century, when Denmark, the most powerful enemy of Sweden after the destruction of the old Hanseatic into an active, aggressive movement against Russia, a line of Russian advance would be fixed somewhere, arid remain there as long as the union lasted. This movement, supported by Great Britain and the United States, Is the only course that will preserve the integrity of China. The wonderful progress of Japan, shown best perhaps In the volume of her Im ports and exports, that have risen from 25,246,544 yen in 1S68 to 50S.1D6,1S7 yen in 1901,. Is tho greatest marvel In the world's history. Whatever we may think of her short comingn, wo are bound to respect her progress, her national pride, and her am bition, and sympathize with her In her present danger of destruction, by the southern movement of the great Russian power. America's Substantial Interest". Besides a sentimental Interest of sym pathy, the United States has a more sub stantial and practical Interest in the wel fare of Japan. In 1S97, our imports from Japan were 52.436,404 yen, and in 1901 they were 72, 309,359 yen. In 1S97 our exports to Japan were 27,030, 537 yen; in 1900 they were 62.761,155 yen, and in 1901 42,769,423 yen. Our exports to Japan are growing with wonderful strides, having Increased 1000 per cent in ten years, and amounting to over one-fourth of all her Imports; hence we have a 25 per cent Interest In her fu ture welfare. Our exports to Japan are somewhat In excess of our exports to China, and measured by this standard of interest we have as much at stake in the future of Japan as we have In that of China. Japan's ability to purchase from our country is dependent very largely upon her being able to hold her own In Korea and China. If she loses her hold on these markets, if her shipping and commercial interests In these countries are dominated by the political control of Russia, the ex pansion of Japan will not only be checked but her present life In trade will be sadly injured. If we expect to become a world's pow--er, if we expect our Influence and trade in the Orient to grow we must aid, en courage and protect Japan. The coming conflict in the Orient Is not the contention and competition of in dustrial forces for supremacy; but the battle Is to determine whether the rest of the world shall have edual Industrial and competitive opportunities In the trade of China, or whether the army of Russia, shall drive Great Britain, Japan and the United States out of the trade and com merce of that country. Conflict Tj nave I liable This conflict cannot be avoided, delay on the part of our country will not pre vent our becoming Involved in the dlffi- lculty. Delay and Inaction now means, a OEEGONIAN, PORTLAND, , of Yismar from the Water IJL The Ofd Swede l League, became weary of being threat ened with this powerful Swedish strong hold, and took it after fierce fighting. Almost as soon as it was conquered the Danes razed the mighty fortifications, and subsequently, when peace was de clared and "Wismar reverted to Sweden, greater loss of blood and treasure In the future. Japan. Great Britain and the United States are Inevitably bound together in the question of the "Open door In China." The United States has a direct trade interest in Manchuria of over ,000.000 taels per annum, and this is endangered by the Russian domination of Manchuria. In addition to our present trade in Man churia and our Indirect Interest In the trade of Japan In Korea and North China, the greater problem of the Integrity of China is at stake. The maintenance of Chinese control of the entire empire of China Is absolutely essential to our commercial life in the Orient. Such expansion as we have had in Japan, and hoped for the great empire of China can have no realization with Russia, France and Germany dominating Chinese politics and dividing the country to suit their Interests. The substantial objections to the further expansion of Russia in the Orient are two, first her policy Is exclusive to all other people, and second her type of government Is opposed to the education and enlight enment of the masses. Russia's Demands. The question that meets the most imme diate antagonism of the people of the United States is her policy of cxcluslve ness best shown In the following demands made upon China: The Chinese government should promise Russia to have Manchuria ports thorough ly opened as treaty ports for Russians, hut no other nations can trade there and appoint consuls. All mines and railways of Manchuria the Chinese government should conduct together with the Ruslans, hut no other nation are allowed to be interested in them. The organization of troops of Manchuria should be regulated by the Ruslans. Other nationalities are not allowed to interfere. Ail official Yamcns and regulation there of In Manchuria the Chinese government should leave as they are fixed by Russia, no alterations can be made. Tho land of Manchuria should never be given to any other countries. The tax of land and duties of every kind that are collected from Manchuria should be deposited in the Russo-Chlnese Bank. The Chinese should let Russia put a wire along the telegraphic poles through out Manchuria, to be directed by the Rus sians only. Russia should have the sole power to conduct all affairs in the vicinity of Nlu Chwanfr, no Inquiries can be made by Consuls of any other nations. At Harbin, Moukden and all the places where the railway stations have be.ea es tablished throughout Manchuria, Russia has already possessed herself of all the land for several miles about each depot and refuses to permit any nationalities but hen to own lands. She established her JUNE M, 1&3. in i Ancient WaterTower a clause. In the peace protocol was forced by the Danes prbnlbftlng the Swedes from erecting new fortifications. This converted "Wismar from an cle ment of strength Into one of weakness for the Swedes. Itobbed of Its usefulness as a bulwark and a base of military oper ations, "Wismar at once became a source of expense instead of the source of rich Income that it had been. Its fine port became valueless to Ihe Swedes. In addition, the continuous fights for its possession and the wars which had made It a center of battles had mined Its great sea trade. Its waters were thronged no more with shies from the Orient from the Mediterranean or from the golden Americas. Even Its Inland trade was destroyed, for the By an American Now in own police regulations and laws covering these places, and refuses residence to any one, except "oy special permission, gov erned entirely by Russian law. This has been done without any agree ment either with China or the powers holding rights equal to hers as far as trade is concerned. By this means she forces an-open dOor for herself In Man churia, and shuts the door in the face of other, nations. Some Comparison. Russians can go to any spot in the American and British possessions and have all tho privileges of Owners In min ing, manufacturing and trade; but see now what Russia asks in Manchuria, that no treaty ports or foreign trade centers be permitted. She demands exclusive Con suls, exclusive troops, the exclusive right to appoint officials; the exclusive right of army administration and treaty making; and finally, that the exclusive right for both railways, and mines shall rest with Russians and Chinese, and under existing conditions that simply means Russians. It is Important for our statesmen as well as our people generally to comprehend the wide difference between our protective policy of government and this illiberal ex clusive and dominating policy of Russia over all the territory she controls. Our policy Is protective, for the wise purpose of building and maintaining a high standard of civilization, while hers 13 prohibitive for the purpose of adding power and glory to the Tzar and his offi cial army, and keeping the masses in Ig norance and poverty. Already Russia dominates one-sixth of the earth's . sur face, commandlngHhe greatest quantity of Undeveloped wealth of the world. If the policy of Russia were as broad and Min eral as that of Great Britain, our country would gladly welcome her as a neighbor on the Pacific and offer no opposition to her expansion In China; if her methods were like those of Japan, protective to her industries and people, but progressive and liberal In her relations with the rest of the world, our treatment of her would be most kindly generous. With such prohibitive methods, with her clearly denned purpose of excluslveness in her expansion in China, we can have no sympathy; hut on the other hand; must develop a gradual and determined policy of opposition. The development of ths United States into the greatest manufacturing country in the world, the great Increase of the exports of our manufactured goods, are Influences beyond our control, impelling us by our internal expansive force into world's politics. The" short time- between the present and the future day of necessity requiring the open door to the Oriental markets. be hooves our statesmen to see to It that all the rights and privileges we now save shall be maintained, that the markets now open to us shall sot be closed by Duchy Of Mecklenburg erected the barriers of prohibitive inland duties against it Under these circumstances, it was not surprising that the Swedes tired at last of their white elephant of a possession In the land of the enemy. So, in the reign Of the Incompetent and extravagant Gustavus IV, with territory lost to the French in. one war,, with Finland lost to Russia, witn aeieat m a war against Norway, the Swedes seized an oppor tunity to relieve themselves of the bur den of possession. The direct opportunity was given by the cancellation by Gustavus or his en gagement to the daughter of Duke Fred erick Franz L That, person not unnat urally resented the Insult and threatened dire things. Finally his threats crystal lized Into a demand for an enormous in demnity. The money had to be raised at once. The Duchy of Mecklenburg ad vanced 1,258.000 reichsthaler and took "Wis mar, Neukloster and the island of Poel In pledge for 100 years. "Wismar the Useful" was what the city was called in the old days of ita world glory, when Lubeck was the chief of th Hanseatic League and Bremen, Hamburg, Liieneberg . and ."Wismar formed the mighty Bund that not only fitted oyt fleets and armies on Its awn account but often dictated terms to ihe whole of Europe. From Wismar the Hanseatic war fleet sailed to Its triumphant battles. It was Wismar that first defied the might of the Dukes and broke tho ancient might of Mecklenburg and Schwerin. A defiant town It was from the begin ning of its documentary history, and If the legends have any basis, a defiant town It was when Christ was born In Galilee, for according to one tradition it was then 300 years old and. a stronghold of the north. Other legends say that It was built early In the fourth century by Wismarus, King i of the Vandals. At any rate. It la a very I ancient town, for it is mentioned as a great, city in documents dated 1238, when the mere force of arms, that militarism shall not stop the expansion of Industrial ism. Menace of Slavery;. The second serious danger to our coun try by this extravagant expansion of ter ritory and political dictatorship of Russia lies in the "great mas3 of humanity that 6he will hold in poverty, ignorance and practlcaly industrial arid political slavery. The dearest lesson in the history of our country was the one that taught us that "our Nation could not exist half slave and half free." Perhaps the most severe experience we shall meet in the field of world's politics, that we are just enter ing, will be th one .that will establish the fact that the world cannot live half slave and half free. If Russia 13 allowed to add to her pres ent vast millions of Ignorance and low lived people, the many millions of the same class In China, we will soon have upon the Pacific shores an Industrial conflict that will shake our commerce, our trade and our high civilization to their very center. Coal, Iron, lime and minerals of all kinds are to bo found in China in unlimited quantities, combined with cheap labor, cheap food, cheap transportation and a type of humknlty easily held in subjection by suph a power as Russia. Combine all this with machinery, science, organ izing power and Russlanism, arid you will have a- condition of Industrial competltlop that will force free man Into competition with slavery In the markets of the world. While it is no part of our country's purpose or duty to Interfere-with the In dustrial growth of any other part of the world, It will ere long become a part of our policy and political action to pro tect her laborers against the competition of slave labor wherever found. There Is" no way' by which this can be better accomplished to meet the most imminent danger to our country today than by uslhgr every ppwer at our command to maintain the "open door in China," in cluding Manchuria. Japan has 40.000.000 of people whose standard 6f living for her working plasses is below ours- and yet instead of being a menace, under the wisdom of her statesmanship her advancement is a profit to us, and she 13 buying- more arid more of the things' we have'to sell as her civilization advances; and China under the same growth and liberty would increase our trade arid commerce and add to the wealth of both. Under the exclusive, illiberal and domi nating mill tar ie-m of Russia, however, she will bring- to us not only a loss of the markets we now possess, but will destroy our future prospects, and erect as our near neighbor an Industrial and political system that n?enkcee our own splendid civilisation. It Is a serious misfortune that the hand of Russia cannot now be stayed for ten years, when the growth of our interest it first began to threaten the supremacy of the herdltary rulers. And from that time on, when Wismar was not engaged in battles of its own account It was the scene of fights between others. Orte of Europe's most beautiful build ings, the Fuerstenhof (Prince's Court), dating back to the 16th century, stands In, Wismar, a memorial to the Independ ence of the city. Early in the 13th century Duke John of Mecklenburg, who loved the city, thought to do Wismar a great favor by moving his residence from Mecklenburg to Wis mar, and he built himself a strong castle just outside of the city. The Inhabitants of Wismar, however, as an old chronicle puts It, were not delighted that the "hawk should be so near the preserves.' When Duke John's successor, Henry, undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land In 1279, he advised Wismar to build a big wall for defense around the town. The good folk of Wismar did It. But the Duke got a shock when he returned, because the wall had been built carefully to leave the castle outside. The ensuing dispute, accompanied with considerable physical argument was set tled amicably at last by the razing of the castle. In return lor which the city of Wismar gave the Duke a site Inside the town, where he erected his new palace hut It was not a fortified one. The Wis mar citizens took care of that In 1310 Wismar did not like the lady whom Duke Henry II, "the Lion," was going to marry, so they calmly told him he could not marry her in his palace within their city. The Duke decided to" punish Wismar, but It was too powerful for him alone. At last he was forced to get Denmark to help him. During the war. Wismar razed the nalace. and al though thft town was defeated flnallv. ! '1 manmrpd tn mnltA an artvnntnerpniis ro Wismar bought it from his successor. Wismar took vehement part in the wars and Intrigues that followed the arrival of Luther and bis revolt And when the Thirty Years War began Wismar was, to say the least not unaccustomed to the clash of arms which, it was to behold and hear and join In often In the dark strife that lasted through the life of iriahy a human being born in that century. When Sweden's victorious armies burs,t into Germany to give battle to the troops of Tilly and Wallensteln, Wismar was taken by them first of all. And from that moment It became the key to many a. campaign, for whoever had Wismar at his back as a friend had a stronghold to which he might retreat And whoever had Wismar at his back as an enemy was likely to be cut off at any moment Again and again Wismar was taken and retaken by Swedes, Danes, Walloons, Bo hemians and Austrians. In the end, Swe den held It against all comers After the Thirty Tears' War, when the' joys of home were maintained by constant quarreling and fighting between Denmark and Sweden the Danes at last conquered Wismar, but had to give it back irt the peace that was concluded early Jn the IStn century. Among the beautiful buildings that date back to Wlsmar's glorious past are the archdeacon's house, erected In 1450, and the old schoolhouse dating back to about 1200. Its St. George's Church was begun in 1300 and is not finished yet The old : water tower was built in 1602. the Orient in the world's affairs will have reached such proportions, and our power In the world's politics become so powerful, that a note from our Secretary of State will command not merely respect but thought ful consideration and compliance. I would not. desire to be understood as asserting that Russia and her policy Is al bad, that she has done nothlrig to advance the welfare of the world, luid as a power she should be suppressed. In the first place, she has done and still Is doing much to add to the betterment of the world, and many of her expansions have brought freedom and betterment of human conditions; especially Is this true of her advance In Central Asia, and It Is also true In much of her expansion on the Pacific Coast Her Siberian Railway is one of the greatest blessings the world has known, and the cities she Is building on the Pacific are some day to . be aids to commerce and trade that will add inuch to the world's wealth and comfort It Is not the progress of Russia that of fers such strenuous objections, nor yet her extension of dominion over China, but it is the excluslveness towards other nations, the Illiberal and domineering systems she introduces, the slamming shut in -our faces doors already open to us, and having voices within growing constantly louder, begging- us to enter. It Is her militarism and lack ot liberty, enlightenment and humanity toward the masses to which we object Under the free play of industrial forces In the creation and distribution of wealth, under a political policy that would as sure a "protection to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness," we would wel come her oh the shores of the Pacific with open arins, for we remember her great kindness to us In oUr hours ot darkest trouble, and she has indeed a strong hold upon the heartstrings of our country. Our feelings lean us toward her -tfith heartfelt friendship; "while oilr reason, our judgment our aspirations fOr the future, and our great faith in enlighten ment arid human liberty, and our strong determlnainon to maintain the "open door" in China are Irresistibly driving us Into the field with her enemies. AU Ens Not Alike An Italian authority finds that when hens are fed on food cohtaininr a large percentage of Iron the egg3 also reveal the presence of iron in the very" digestible form of the albuminate. Such eggs exert a tonic effect on persons who eat them. The case illustrates the fact .that all eggs are riot alike by any means, and that according to the food fed, they may vary greatly in dletle, value and efTect The pugilist speaks of knockout blows over the solar plexus, but It Is the stom ach that receives the shock, and from it the nervous disturbance originate.