Militarism in Japan.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1921, Page 4

Militarism in Japan.

A PROFESSOR’S WARNING. SYDNEY, Aug. 2. In appealing for a sympathetic and helpful attitude towards China in what he termed her extreme hour of trial, Dt J. C. Keyte, an Englishman who is now professor of philosophy at Shantung University, China, and who has spent over 10 years in the East and is now visiting Australia, made a striking indictment of Japanese militarism. Addressing the Millions Club —a strong organisation of commercial men—he declared that despite all they heard to the contrary, Japan was still an autocracy, subjected to the autocratic power of the Black Dragon military caste, so that Japan would never become democratic if the ruling powers got their way. The Japanese Diet was largely camouflage, and the power of the members was mainly that of saying ‘Acs” to the decisions and desires oi the ( abinet, which represented the Elder Statesmen. The Press in Japan was entirely under the domination of the Cabinet, and was as much a Government bureau as if its director were drawing Government salary and his term of rule dependent on the whim of the Government. The Press could not publish a single item of news that the Japanese Cabinet wished

to suppress. The destinies of Japan, proceeded the professor, were absolutely in the power of the Chauvinistic party, and they wore the party seeking naval and military domination. But it must ever be remembered that these military ruleis were situated in a country where there was neither coal nor iron, and all the raw materials for warfare had to he imported. The northern parts of Japan provided hut little for the support of file, and even Southern Japan only grew rice. All wheat had to lie imported into Japan. On the other side o| the Yellow Sea was China, so naturally rich that it easily provided all the necessaries of life, whilst coal and iron abounded in quantities capable ofsupplying the world’s needs lor hundreds of thousands of pears. Japan knew that without the consent of the Western Powers she never would wage a first-class war so long ns she was deprived of the ran materials, but if she got the coal and iron and labour facilities of China she would he independent of the Western Powers, so the Western Powers should he exceedingly careful not to allow her. or to help her, to gel her hands on a weapon such as they never had reason to fear in the past. The only people the Japanese feared and respected "etc the Germans, and that because of their military and economic efficiency.