The murder of the Japanese Chancellor of Legation by regular
soldiers may gravely complicate the situation. The Forward party in Japan, which is strong enough to paralyse the Administration, is already fretting under the idea that the " Boxer " outbreak may be utilised to the advantage of Russia, and threatens if any large body of Russian troops is sent to Pekin to send an army there too. The Japanese fleet at Ta.ka is already a strong one, and this incident will give Tokio a handle for fresh demands upon the Empress-Regent. We may be sure that they will be pressed, if only in imitation of the course which any European Government would pursue, and they may take a form which will bring out the latent antagonism between Russia and Japan. A demand, for example, that the Japanese Embassy, being obviouely exposed to danger, should be permanently protected by a Japanese guard, would introduce curious complications, and greatly strengthen the already existing Japanese party in Pekin. It is not likely that Japan will resist Europe, but her people are morbidly jealous of Russia, and have a fixed idea that since the war their country ought to be the first considered in Pekin. That is possibly the idea of the Chinese reaction- aries too, and they have acted on it by assigning to Japanese diplomatists the honour of being the first to be murdered.
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