of the situation was that British
local interests had long conflicted with Japanese national interests.
Japan's activities had, at every stage of her recent history, reduced
British opportunities. Japanese trader competed with British trader for
the markets of China, and Japan's share of the annual trade expansion
was increasing, that of Great Britain decreasing. High tariffs and
preferential rates had closed Corea and Manchuria to British enterprise.
It is easy to estimate in what commercial jealousy and rivalry such
circumstances had resulted. While the expediency of the British-Japanese
alliance was fully recognized, and its consequences admitted to be the
freedom of the China seas from menace of commerce-destroyers,
nevertheless the fact remained that the hostilities against Tsing-tao
would constitute a fresh impulse to Japanese expansion. The operations
in Shantung were watched with critical eyes by many British in the
foreign settlements of China. The floods had, meanwhile, subsided
considerably, and on September 12 Japanese cavalry reached Tsimo, ten
miles outside the Kiao-chau zone. No trace of the enemy north of the
Pai-sha River had been seen, beyond a German aeroplane that occasionally
passed overhead on reconnoitring flights. On the following day a number
of sharp skirmishes with outposts occurred, and one Japanese patrol
found its way to the small town of Kiao-chau, situated at the head of
the bay, some 22 miles from Tsing-tao itself. The brushes with the
Germans became of daily occurrence, and in one of them a high official
of the German Legation at Peking, who had volunteered for service, was
killed. On September 17 the Japanese attacked Wang-ko-huang, 13 miles
from Tsimo, the enemy being in a fortified position and provided with
machine-guns. At sunset, however, they abandoned the village and
withdrew under cover of darkness, leaving behind quantities of equipment
and supplies. A little later a development came about that brought the
dissatisfaction of British traders to a head. About September 18, after
hostile patrols had been driven away from the shore by the fire of
destroyers, Japanese artillery and troops were landed at Laoshan Bay,
north of Tsing-tao, just within the leased territory. Why was it
necessary that troops should have been landed on the northern shore of
the peninsula of Shantung, 150 miles from their objective, when guns
could be disembarked with perfect safety on the eastern shore, not