To buy the railways which Russia and Japan have already
built, and to complete those which are in prospect, would be a very great financial undertaking. Moreover, the four Powers, even acting in conjunction with Russia and Japan, as Mr. Knox no doubt intends that they should do, could not work the railways without policing the country. In other words, there would have to be something like an international occu- pation of a large part of Manchuria. As might have been. expected, opinion both in Russia and Japan is hostile to the proposal. Japan has bitter memories of the manner in which the advantages she won in the Chino-Japanese War of 1895 were taken away from her, and she probably sees in Mr. Knox's proposal a similar attempt to jockey her once more. We can scarcely believe that Mr. Knox expects his plan to be accepted..
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