JAPAN & JAVA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1998, 4 March 1914, Page 7

JAPAN & JAVA.

V AN, ALARMIST PIQTORE. By Telegraph-Piee? Awoolation-Copyrle'u* Auckland, March 4. Mr. J. H. S. Stuart, managing agent for Australia for tho ltoyal Packet S.N. Company, which runs steamers between Australia and Java, arrived,in Auckland yesterday to make arrangements for a New Zealand-exhibit of produce at the forthcoming lCxhibitioh at Samarang. Mr. Stuart pointed 'out • that thirty-five million people live in a country, a little bigger than the South Island of Now Zealand, so tliefo is, there an enormous \ market for: New Zealand: produoc. v Mr. Stuart had ngodd deal to say iboitt tho menace of Janan. Ho stat«l that the.Government of Holland had jono seriously into tho question of a. proper defence of tho Dutch Indies. A Kc.val Commission, of. Defence sat, and, as. a. result, nine Dreadnoughts aro to bo built, also eighteen destroyers, and twelve submarines. That means a heavy expenditure, but; in viow of the growth of Japan since the Russian War, it is ' felt necessary to prepare to defend the Butch East Jndies.. "This;"' continued Mr. Stuart, "is a mattbr-that'also interests you over hero, for if once Java passed into the hands of an Eastern nation it would bring them.within very close .striking distance of Australia. It is an easy four days'; steam to the.nearest point from, Java to Australia, and still less from some:of the outlying islands belonging to the-Dutch. Although the expenditure- for defence' will' be large, the Government of Holland re- ; coeniso tho. value of Java, as-,.-.these islands nro ■progressing wonderfully. During the past ten yours, imports and exports have, increased by'2s per cent."