The Sino-Japanese War

The United States had already declared its disinterestedness in the Sino-Japanese dispute. At the period of the Sino-Japanese war the Chinese people were not politically minded. It was this gesture of the German Government which led to the creation of the "Dreibund"—the three-Power intervention in the Sino-Japanese peace negotiations. If Britain had an alliance with China—as they feared—a war with China was impracticable. They were warned that "any attempts of the Japanese to control the Peninsula would certainly lead to Russian intervention and possibly to the seizure of a Korean harbour by Russia. British traders had been feeling the ill effects of the war. The Imperial Government have no wish to press their victories beyond the limits which will guarantee to them the just and reasonable fruits of the war. Germany realized that there might be possibilities of territorial acquisitions at the conclusions of the war.