THE FAR EAST.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16153, 6 March 1918, Page 7

THE FAR EAST.

JAPAN'S INTERVENTION i GERMANY PERTURBED. ? i ] (By Cable. —Pregs Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) AMSTERDAM, March 4. j German political circles are agitated j over tho projected Japanese actiop. The newspapers publish inspired com- ! monts stating that Germany will not • fight in Siberia, but if the Japanoso menace Petrograd or attempt to rob •Germany of hor peacc fruits she will . reply quickly. Tin 1 majority of tho papers regard the Japanese movements as bluff, and declare that in any case it would tako months for them to render effectivo action. Germany will only help Russia if asked to do so, and then on her own term's. OPINION" TN AMERICA. NSW YORK.. March 4. Tho Washington correspondent of tho New York "Times" reports:— "It is semi-officially stated that tho j United States is hopeful that Japan will give assurances that Japan will evacuate Russian territory when tho emergency has passed. Most cordial relations oxist between Japan and America, particularly sinco the Ishii-Lansing Treaty." MOBILISATION OF INDUSTRIES. TOKIO, March 4. A Bill has been introduced into tho Diet, authorising the War Minister to mobilise industries contributing to tho prosecuton of tho war. ALLIED INTERESTS IN SIBERIA. (United Sen-ice.) (Received Marcli 6th, 1.25 a.A.) LONDON, March 5. Tho "Daily Mail" states that the Ambassadors of Br'itain, Franco, and Italy are requesting Japan to protect the Allied interests in Siberia. WHAT JAPAN MAY DO. ■ SIDELIGHTS ON THE SITUATION. > (From .Australian Files.) 1 SYDNEY, February 23. ' ' Count Terauchi (Premier of Japan) speaking at tho opening of tho HoUso of Peers in January, said that Japan was deeply concerned because the internal disorder in Russia was spreading to the Far East possessions. "Japan," y ho said, "holds herself responsible for 0 the peacc of this part of the world. If it was endangered Japan would not 1 hesitut'j to tako proper mcaEuros. Japan * lias unreservedly shared the resolve of 1 the Allies not to sheath the sword until an honourable neucu has boon securJ ed." Throe weeks ago the "Manchester Guardian'' published from Russia the 15 text of further diplomatic correspondonce, including despatches from Krupensky, former Amoassador at Tokio. in l-eoruary, 1917, Jvrupensky cabled to Petrograd in connexion with the negotiations for China's entry into the war. Japan did not object, provided that Japan's position at the waco conference was safeguarded. .Japan, thoreJ lore, sought the Allies' Agreement to t 'Japan's desires i'or tho acquisition of Germany's rights and privileges in the ' province of Shantung, and the annexation of the inlands north of the equator now in Japanese occupation. Krupenskv recommended Russia to pledge hcrt self to siippoit those war aims. In a 'despatch in March Krupensky stated that Japanese opinion was more " sympathetic towards the revolution, 1 welcoming the overthrow of the bureauis cracv, In;t fearing excess. Later news show's that Japanese soldiers were in active training; but it has always been considered as most unl'.keiv that Japan would intoncne in tho war in kurope, '■ though M. Ganihier, a member of tho Knuieo-Japanc-e Society. lias pointed out tiiat Japanese troops could be transperted to Kurope across America in 23 day-. The pos-ibility of reaching the great war zf>ne in Russia thre.ugn i- the whollv inad f '<i• iate railway line from Vladivostok or Port Arthur is too remote for consideration. Still, there is ; nothing tn prevent Japan from landing a stronir force at Yladivo.stock. which is washed by the Sea of Japan, and is little more than acioss tho hay from 0 the nearest parts of Japan. The ice. ;nu-t have lorwncd i:i I'eter the Great ' Bay by this time. The bay is ice-bound . for about three months of the year only, if Japan desires to keep order 1 her landing forvx would grsulutiUr ex- - tend their boundaries without difficulty, , or possibility of interference by either 3 Bolshevik or German armies.

more THAN 1,000,000 men. The amy of Japan .on » T ing has 225,000 ettectivos of all . Tiio war strength is: ,<on fifJO First lino field array, about 490,UwSecond line, fully trained, about in the array and navy to universal and compulsory. Liability to serve begins at tho age of 1 , extends to tho ago of 40; but actual service commences at -0. Those capable of bearing arms aro divided into two classes—the fit and the '•absolutely fit. Tho first lm men (Genekil are taken from tho absolutely fit, so that 490,000 of these men are ready now, and can he snipped at a moment's notice. In the Japanese Year Book, published in 19lG,"five reason* are given for tho expansion of tho Mikado's array. Tltev mostly concern Russia: _ (1) Russia, intent on repairing the defeat in the late war, is steadily supplementing her strength in tho Far East. . . (2) Tho doubling of the Siberian railway line was expected to bo completed 'n * 191 *- . . , • xi ' (3) Since the revolution in China tho frontier line dividing tho spheres of Japan and Russia have bccomo considerably extended. (4) The future of China is extremelv precarious, and Japan, to give tho full weight to her voice on tho occasion of emergency, must have military backing. The fifth reason dealt with conscripts. Japan before the great war did not look too kindly on Russian encroachment. She was becoming a most dangerous neighbour. In an emergency Japan could placfl more than a million trained mon in the field on short notice. PECULIAR TRADE FIGURES. ltecent cablegrams announced that ships of the Japanese navy were at Yladivostock watching tli© interests of the Allies in tho Far iOast Russan port. Tho people of Siberia were preparing to declare a separato republican government, hut Bolshevik agents wore reported to be busying themselves among tho people. A peculiar commercial position has arisen during tho period oi tho war in regard to Japan's trade with. Asiatic Russia. In 1914 Japan imported from Asiatic Russia goods valued at, £102,569. In 1915 the imports had increased in value to £356,449, and Japan, which was vigorously applying itself to tho making of munitions, was drawing all tho raw material it could got from its noar neighbour. Japan's export trade with Asiatic Russia fell from £1,041,314 in 1914, to £13,894 in 1915. But tho value of exports from Japan to European Russia increased from £196,780 in 1914, to £7,829,917 in 1910, showing that she ■was drawing the raw material from onpart of tho Russian Empire, and semi nig it in a manufactured stato to more distant part of tho Russian Eli* pire. ! Boron Motono, tho Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Japanese Cabinet, was, until his appointment to his * present position. Japanese Ambassador m Petrograd, where he was posted for about ten years, his Ministry being taken over by Mr TJchida, Ambassador in Swedon. in 1916. Baron Motono, in 1899, wag a junior delegate of Japan in tho Peace Conference hold at Tho Hague. TROUBLE. IN CHINA. 1 (Router's Telegrams;) (Received March Ctli, 8.10 p.m.) SHANGHAI, March 4. The Southerners have closed the Upper Yangtse. They fired on tho Japanese gunboat Fusliina and a party from the British gunboats "Woodcock and Kinsha. The Japanese steamer Tahung rcturn- ' ed to Hankow bespattered with bullets: Several passengers wore seriously in- . jured.