the officials are backing out. They are
goody-goody people. They seem to think that the Chinese
proposal is a just one. There is no reason why China
should make any unjust claim. But even if China's claim is
intrinsically just from her own standpoint, we should not
agree to it if it is disadvantageous to us. Besides, if
China makes that claim as her condition of her joining the
Entente Powers, it is not right. If China thinks that to
sever her relations with Germany and Austria is
disadvantageous to her, and therefore wants to obtain a
_quid pro quo_ for so doing, this consideration should be
given by the Entente Powers, not Japan. Is the
participation in the war beneficial to China or to the
Entente Powers? If the former, then China should not ask
any compensation. If the latter, then the compensation
should be paid by the Entente Powers, not Japan. From the
point of view of Oriental peace, there is no absolute
necessity for China to participate in the war.

Sun Yat Sen, the great revolutionary leader and spokesman for the more
enlightened Chinese of South China and Canton, has also sprung into the
arena, and makes a protest against dragging China into the war. In an
open letter to the Prime Minister of England, which appeared in the
papers under the date of March 7, he says:

To His Excellency Lloyd George, London.

Your Excellency: As a patriot of China and grateful friend
of England, to whom I owe my life, I deem it my duty to
point out to you the injurious consequences to China and
England caused by this agitation of some of your officials
here, to bring China into the European conflict. I have
been approached by prominent English to consider the
question of China joining the Allies. After careful study
I come to the conclusion that it would be disastrous to
both countries should China break her neutrality.

For China is yet an infant Republic and as a nation she
may be likened to a sick man just entering the hospital of
constitutionalism. Unable to look after herself at this
stage, she needs careful nursing and support. Therefore
China cannot be regarded as an organized country. She is
held intact only by custom and sentiment of a peace-loving
people. But at once, should there arise discord, general
anarchy would result.

Hitherto the Chinese possessed unbounded