JAPANESE POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1701, 18 March 1913, Page 5

JAPANESE POLITICS.

.... o -v.. . -1 a ■■■ ■ ■ vrl E}< STORMY SCENES IN THE DIET. By Telegrapfy—Presß Association—Copyright " . Tokio, March 1G After stormy scenes, the Diet, by a majority of five, adopted the Budget. JAPAN'S DILEMMA. Tho recent Governmental crisis in Japan was the result of a difference of opinion concerning the expediency of strengthening the Japanese army. The sympathies of the nation in this governmental struggle are stated to be with the anti-military, party. The people, or most of them, say, "Why should the strength of the army be increased when we can barely support the large army that we already have? . We don't want to go to war with anybody, and there is littlo danger that anybody will attack us. We are now paying from fifteen to twentyfive per cent', of our gross incomes in taxes; the cost of living is steadily increasing, and the poorer classes can hardly make ends meet even -with the greatest possiblo industry and economy. ; Six years have elapsed since the close of the Russian war, and we are still paying war taxes. National expenditures should be reduced, not increased, and, for purposes of defence, our present , army is large enough. Why spend millions of yen in the mrganisation of two more divisions?"

Tho Japanese Minister of War and the military party, on tho other hand, see, looming on the northern horizon, dangers, or at least possibilities, of which the people generally are ignorant or unconscious. Russia has practically finished the doubletracking of her trans-Siberian railway, and now has two lines of communication from the Urals to eastern Asia. She will also .complote, in the near future, her new |Amur railway, which will greatly strengthen her position on the frontier of Korea. Her attitude toward Mongolia shows that she has not- abandoned her policy of territorial expansion in Asia, and if she escapes embroilment in the Near East, and does not have to fight for her interests in the Balkans, there is every reason to assumo that she will turn lier attention once more to the Far East, and again threaten China or Korea, or both.