Japan has sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding (1) the
withdrawal of all German armed vessels from the Far East; (2) the unconditional surrender of the entire territory of ,Kiao-chau. Germany is given till noon to-morrow to reply. On Monday it was officially announced in London that Japan's decision had been taken after consultation with Great Britain. It was only to be expected that Japan would take this course, as she has never forgotten her grievance that dates back to the Chino-Japanese War of 1894-5. By the Treaty of Peace China surrendered the Liao-tung Peninsula to Japan, but Germany intervened and persuaded France and Russia to require Japan to evacuate the peninsula. Russia established herself at Port Arthur in the peninsula, and Germany (on the pretext that two German missionaries had been killed) shook her "mailed fist" and exacted for herself a long lease of Kiao-than. Japan has announced her intention of restoring Kiao-chau to China, and this seems to have allayed the mis- givings of the United States and Australia.
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