THE mix "JAP."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 7, 3 October 1907, Page 11

THE mix "JAP."

——jk LABOUCHHIE ON OUR ALLY. Thus Mr. Labouchero, of London " Truth," on the' Japanese:— . " The Japanese liavo a great claim to our admiration. Yt'c Europeans have boon far too much givon to deem Asiatics our inferiors, aiid treat them as though they existed for our benefit. In our relations with tlieni wo, havo imposed our will upon them. Tho only, reason why ■ they have not all been placed i'ndor Europe.}!! -protectorates, and deprived of all. national independance, is that Europeans have not been able to' agree on the division of the spoil, owing to each nation being /jealous of the othor. That Japan should havo brought homo to v.s all that henceforward we must respect the rights of Asiatics, and that she should havo mado it clcar to us that sho must bo accepted a3 our equal in all things,. internationally, commercially, socially, will go far to alter the course of tho world s history, and in its consequonco be far moro important than tho loves and tiio hntea of European States.

But it by no means follows that we should entirely agreo with Japan in lior policy. I liavo always thought that our olfensivo and defensive ; treaty with her was a mistako, for I am inclined to think that, whilst our aim was to uso her for our ends, it is a good deal more likely that she will v.so us for hers. Sho is exceedingly ambitious. Her statesmen are as ;|ood diplomatists as her people aro skilled and bravo warriors. Hor objcct is to be mistress in tho Far East, and sho is not oxcessivcly scrupulous in tho means sho employs. Ido not blamo her. Wo English havo solidly established ourselves in all parts of the world, and wo have laid it down that wo must bo paramount on tho high seas. With what right, then, can wo complain that Japan should rcsolvo to bo paramount in that portion of the world where aro her possessions ? Our newspapers aro always tolling us to think imperially; what fault can v.'o find with Japan for doing tho same? Japan has absorbed Korea. It would seem that sho is bent upon absorbing Manchuria —to all intents and purposes. Friction has now arisen between hor and tho United States, and the Americans arc sending a licet to tho Pacific. At present they would not 1)0 able to defend tho Philippines if they wero attacked by Japan, and it is doubtful whether they- could prevent her from laying hands on Honolulu. If it came to a fight betweoii tho two countries, tho odds aro that Japan would come out tho victor. Sho is well aware of this, and the temptation to force a difference to the issue of a war must be a very strong ono. Look, again, at her position in relation to China. That vast Empiro is waking up. ' Its rulers desire to have an army, equipped, disciplined, and armed on tho European model. If Japan' waits many years, China, with her immense population, will necomo her military equal, if not her superior. , I am not raising tho question whether tho paramountcy of japan in the Far East will bo advantageous to humanity collectively. [ am merely pointing to what is likely beforo long to occur. As close allies of Japan, wo are deeply concerned in her interests and ambitions. I doubt whether we sufli-

eiontly considered to what tlioy- may load when tho alliance was conchtticd."