The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1919. THE JAPANESE MENACE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3373, 30 December 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1919. THE JAPANESE MENACE.

With which I'2B incorporated. “The Taihape Post, and Waimarino Newn.”” .

[ The increasing volume of ‘news ‘con'eerning and having reference to Japan, Icabled from day to day is :a true "intiication of the importance {of what ‘is happening under the adinin'istra'-J tion of the Japanese Govemnient, and of the solicitude it is causing in ‘the I greater western nations It is not an uncommon" occurrence for a whole‘ ‘column of news to be cabled daily from, or having reference to, those agitated, perturbed people, an ‘.lll='U.iStakable sign that Japan is g‘l'{)\v'i'ng inordinately large in the eyes of the world in one connection or a.rl_<‘vthc:', or, perhaps, in a complexity of diJ verse Ways. From time to time the world" is advised that the army of Japan is being enlarged and more officiently equipped, and that -a huge naval p'rogramme has been decided upon, so many warships ‘being constructed annually, and this is proceeding while western nations are reducing both‘ armies and navies, America alone‘ following a limited shipbuilding .progra\mme; but Ainerica. always has had a" navy disproportionate.ly small as compared with other great lnations, and with that kept up by JaI pan. In matters of trade extension the Rifapanese -have been bfisily aggressive‘ for many years past, not omitting the ‘currency of the great quinqnennial iwar. Their foothold in New .Zea}.and is not beingavicwed seriously, but the -hold they have secured of much larger markets is adding largely to their ‘riches while at the same time circumiscribing the trade of.western peoples !who hitherto had possssion of‘ these ‘markets. In "trading methods they are, undoubtedly"’following the example, financially, and otherwise, set by Germany, and they are achieving sinl- ; ilar success. Japanese are buying} land otherwise acquiring property zllldi ,'intercsts in other countries; they are E carrying on a flirt with Mexico almost }amounting to scandal; they have purichased an imxh'€nse tract of land in ' South America; they are aggressive almost to the point of war in China; they have wholly annexed Korea; they have a. semi-control ,of ‘.\/lanchuria and a similar hold Itp’6n' Mongolia, and now ‘it is learned that America is withdrawing troop‘s"TFsl7l Siberia, leaving the Japanese to contest their ‘right to remain with the -oncoming 'Bolsheviki. _The system of governing Pacific lslands taken from Germany “by the Allies is» being contested by Japan: they boldly take the stand that the mandatory given to Australia shall not result in those island being governed ag Australia is governed, as it would involve Japanese exclusion from settlement. stop Japanese immigration thereto. a privilege they enjoyed preViollSl3‘ by arrangement with Germany. They want free and full right of iiziiiiigratioh to these islands, and there can be no question about those islands rapidly coming under Japanese sway if such‘ a concession is granted, and there are indications that freedom of immigration may be conceded; T-he producing and trading value of these islands is of less momcnt to western people having large,

interests in the ‘East than the fact)

that Japan’s obvious intention is to secure naval stations throughout the -Pacific, just as Germany was bent upon doing prior to the war. The right to freedom of iinniigratioll to these islands is claimed as a set—off to Japan having policed the Pacific in -‘he early stages of the war, and they taunt [Britain with endeavouring to“set up ‘a paradoxical position in taking from [them that right that they enjoyed iwhile the islands were under German lrnle. Internal conditions of Tap.-.in are growingly disquieting; the fiact is «that expenditure on‘ war preparations, -and on tel'l'itorial expansion is placing heavier taxation burdens upon the people than they can carry, and live as such busy workers must live_ if-;-nce Japan iffbecoiiiing famous as a country of strikes, no less than four hundrcd having taken place during 1919. The fate of the present administraiiozz is in the «balance; the populace is ill a state of ferment, not so much because, we think, of labour disagreements as of the unbearable taxation that is respbnsilble for the preponderence of strikes and of social tuninlt. There was a national clamour for racial equality being provided for in the Peace Treaty and in the League of Nations, and because of failure to secure such equality the Govcrinncnt is blanied, and it is not improbable that a new Government will soon replace it. The Japanese people are, "under certain leaders, becoming‘ jinfgoi.st'ic, and are fast drit‘.-ting to that state of mind when whatever government is in power -may find that war with some other country is the 011?? alternative to revolution, and the ultimate setting up of a democr:it.l.c regime that present rulers have no taste for. View Japanese wherever we may in foreign fields there is about them an uncoverable aggressiveness accompanied -‘by its inseparable in-trl-gue ap'pal-ent about them. At home there is social and industrial ‘unrest, dissatisfaction with Government's clamour for equality with the foremost peoples of western civilisation which, combined, .pl-oduce just that condition of pregnancy with war that the World has already had accnrsed experience of. » Excuses for war as an outlet and cure for the prevailing tumultousness. are not wanting; the Japanese -‘Government Is

‘‘starring’’’ the advancement of 801sheviks in Siberia, add the persistent spread of Botsfievik prop:rg'anvl;i at fitirne, and this is diversified with a claim for freedom to emigrate to those islands in the Pacific that were taken from Germany. Japanese policy in Siberia. is proving to be a drain on Japanese resources that will not be tolerated for long. The tension is becoming unbearable. and the Japanese people must eitherobring their expenditure within reasonable limits, break loose into war, or __suffer ilie consequences of internal revolution

As the Japanese people cannot now be. lookd upon as far distant neighbours nf Australasians’ NewVZeala‘arlers are sure .to feel the results of wh-.1-‘.eVer the future policy of Japan may-result in, be it good or bard.