THE MASTERY OF THE PACIFIC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1079, 18 March 1911, Page 5

THE MASTERY OF THE PACIFIC.

AMERICA AND JAPAN. lhe crisis in Mexico, tho fortifica'ou the Panama Canal, and tne United States proposal i> acquire tho ualapagos Islands from Ecuador as a neiv naval base in the Pacific, have contributed to direct much attention to naval affairs on this side of the world. ~■""•0. .Reginald Enock, in discussing tne situation m the "Morning Post," wrote recently "Probably tile most important factor in determining the naval policy and development ot' the United States upon the l'acinc Coast is the rise of Japan, for the . 0 -Rising Sun. faces the great littoral of the Setting Sun, across the oroaa Pacific. Japan expects to benefit largely by the construction of the Canal, Jf in ls indeed, between the two nations that tho trend of future events as concerns the mastery of the Pacific will be most marked. The fortification of the Canal by tho United States must, indeed, bo considered part of a policy of preparedness for eventualities from the A factor in the development of the South south of Panama may well be a considerable flow of Japanese immigrants into Ecuador and Peru. Both these countries encourage this; they require population alul labour, and care littio whence, it comes. Especially is this the case with Peru. There is, moreover, a singular affinity between the Mongolian immigrants and the natives of tho Andine regions of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, and some similarity of physical characteristics, pointing possibly to origin or contact in or before the times of the Iriras. "What the ultimate and definite attitude of Ecuador towards tho proposals of the United States for a lease of the Galapagos Islands may be it is difficult to state. Among the Spanish-American people an intense and almost Quixotic patriotism is minded with an ardent appreciation of good American or British gold. To suggest the. alienation of any part of their enormous territories—however unexplored and savage they may be—is often to arouse a popular furore and invito revolution among certain sections of the people, who, moreover, would be prone to doubt whsther the gold, when received, would get much beyond the pockets of the reigning politicians! But the guarantee of the integrity of Ecuador as regards her territory by the United States might ensure for that nt present weak State the cniovment of the enormous regions upon the affluents ef the Amazon, of great future value, which her stronger neighbour. Peru, at present disputes with her; to say nothing of boundarv questions with her other neighbours."