JAPANESE SPIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 6 April 1909, Page 3

JAPANESE SPIES.

. Mr Gintaro Mizuhara writes as follows to the Hawke’s Bay Herald ! of Saturday last: —■“ Sir, —As a native of Japan and a visitor to Australia and New Zealand, I wish to enter a protest against the publication of such paragraphs as that appearing in this morning’s issue of your paper, headed “Japanese Spies,’’ and sub-headed “An Australian Sensation,” I declare that nothing more foolish or showing greater ignorance of the means adopted by my countrymen in acquiring information about any country could be penned. Japan has already prodded herself with all the necessary infer--1 mation regarding, not only Australia, but also every country in or about her own vicinity ; which is surely the duty of every progressive nation. As a strartling instance of this fact, I would point to our recent terrible struggle with one of the most formidable Powers in the world, and claim that the success of our operations was not due to a paltry and comic operalike knowledge of the distance between waterholes, or of the eccentric windings of b,ush tracks, but rather to a broad and comprehensive knowledge of conditions prevailing for some thousands of miles, both by land and sea. While admitting that such articles appearing in Australian papers (probably inserted to eu-1 hance the sale of same) induce in me no kindly feeling, I can afford to smile at the concluding line of the report:—“A careful watch is now being kept of their movements."’ If Australia’s system of defence extends no farther than to the careful watching of three or four wandering showmen in the back-blocks, then I fear the Commonwealth is simply inviting trouble, which is not more likely to come from Japan than any other Power. In fact, just now Japan has quite enough troubles of her own to prevent even the contemplation of a dash for more territory though the prize be far more i tempting.”