The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1920. A QUESTION OF IMPORTANCE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3445, 26 March 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1920. A QUESTION OF IMPORTANCE.

With which is in¢'O'r'l)'i)r:ited “The Taihape Post and Vvaimarino News.” ‘

The reports of grave social disorders in Japan remind statesmen of Australasia that the ‘Alliance between Britain and -that country is-- terminable every ten years, and must soon come under review in this Dominion, if people and government have any realisation of how deeply they are concerned with any political mover ment in that rather aggressive little country. Japan is already no inconsiderable rival in the world's trade; her industries have been built up llargely on Bismarckian methods, and lthose methods have proved no less ‘rapid and eflicient than they did in ,Prussia, in Bismarckls day, It is true it-hat Japanese Empire builders are imeeting with obstructions that were little known to Bismarck, but it yet remains to be proved whether such grave industrial and social unrest as that reported from day. to day will |have any deterrent effect upon the policy of trade expansion, economic ‘penetration, Japanese peo-ple seem to be so deeply engrossed with. That !Japan is taking fullest advantage of [the treaty with Britain is disclosed in lthe great change that has taken place in the flow of trade. Is New Zealand laying itself open to the economic penetration of Japan to any alarming extent? Have the Japanese adopted a policy that is made up of Bismnrchian protection and American Monroe‘rsm, if so how will its operations af[fect the British Empire, and ‘Australlasia in particular? From time to ‘time new tariffs have been put into ‘operation, always with the object of making the imported article sell at a ‘higher price than it could be producyed for in Japan. In only a few years New Zealand’s imports from Japan have grown from £150,000 to £l,l‘2:30,0()0, while exports only amount to isome £SOOO. Japan has striven for ‘many years to build up a trade in ‘which a preponderance of exports lover imports would be -permanently iestablished. This desirable condition icommenced some twelve years ago, ;and it may be seen from the Volume of exports and imports to and from lNew Zealand how the persistent Japs ,are progressing. The question to be decided is whether this commencement of the policy of economic penetration should be permitted to develop ‘and expand, or whether its true significance should be realised and measures taken to check it ‘before difliculties become accentuated. Leading British newspapers are drawing atten. tion to changed situations as a, result Of the War, and they declare that Japan has instituted a new policy, which seems to have a closer bearing on Australasia, as it is stated that whether the Alliance with Japan mu be renewed, remodelled or rescindedi altogether will depend largely upon] the opinion and experience of the Do. ‘ minions. If nothing else this statement discloses that the Imperial Authorities recognise the fact that Australasia is increasingly afiected by Japanese military and economic penetration ,and should exhibit a corresponding concern. International -poli.

qcies are too often defeated by a lack lof their understanding by the people upon whom success is dependent, and ‘if any less display of persistence in «Empire building patriotism becomes [3-PD3-‘rent in the outlying portions of ‘the British Empire there is a virile ‘people ready, waiting to take advantage of whatever degree of race senillity their diagnosis discloses. An Alliance with Japan can no longer be entered into in a. perfunctory manner by a Prime Minister’s scratch of -the ‘Den, unbacked by the voice of an advanced, educated and experienced P0Pl11&C€- Why extreme iah»our’s success and expansion is so rapid is because -an educated propaganda is ever in operation, blind ignorance would ‘be no more successful with labour extremism than international alliances are, of the ‘terms and intentions of which the general public -are ignorant. The Alliance with Japan must be reconsidered before July or it is automatically entered upon for another -ten years, and what do the people of this Dominion know about it? If some minor alteration is made to render it in conformity with the League of Nations covenant and the ‘Alliance is renewed, how is New Zealand going to be affected militarily rand economically‘? It may be said that Japan’s new policy of peaceful, economic penetration, and the establishment of a Japanese Monroism is purely to cope with altered situations in Siberia and China. That may be _ever S 0 true, hf-it a policy that proves . successful to the nor-thwar-d"and ‘westward, may also be equally effective to the southward; it then becomes the ‘concern of Britain and part.i"cularly of l3ritainl’s Australasian Dominions. A defensive Alliance with Japan must continue to cause heartburnings in the United States and in Canada. Any estrangement between the United States and Britain is not likely to become -any less by Britain entering into a defensive Alliance with an eastern people who cannot cloke their hatred of America. Whether there lwere reasonable grounds or not, it -has ibeen stated that Germany sought toi lconquer the world by -a campaign‘ feastward which would leave Americai [the last country to be subjugated,i .while-they Japs would attack America] pfirst. This may be mere fudge, butvl ,it does indicate thatactive-minds arel endeavouring to anticipate the ultim-I ate of Japanese in'tentio_ns in building! ‘up war machinery on the lines of that ' tin Prussia which en'couni.'ered defeati fiend destruction. Then the British,Japanese Alliance is hated in thei i United States and Canada. and is bit‘ terly resented in China. Is such an‘ alliance less detrimental to Australa-i sian peace and trading interests? The answer is given by trade statistics; Japanese economic penetration has succeeded in New Zealand to the extent of a million and a quarter; New Zealand’”s exports to Japan are negligible. Japan has an advantage of trade to virtually the full extent of ‘the million and a quartel's Worth of goods New Zealanders are purchasing I from Japan per year. And this While ‘New Zealand is a more side issue with the little Brown Men; their attention is centred. upon China and Siberia; her military penetration is being withdrawn from China for very {obvious reasons, but armed force is still maintained in Siberia, and will probably only be withdrawn when an understanding with respect to boundaries and spheres of influence can ‘be permanently decided upon. VV-hen that day comes much more attention will doubtless be paid to economic lpenetration in the sout?3:.=:-11 seas. \\"e have to understand that the people of ‘Australia. and New Zealand cannot have any interest in any nail-tr-in» [filing policy to safeguard them from an aggressive neighbour unless they are fully apprised of the nature of the danger-. In future wars it will not be ‘sufficient to hoist a German. Japanese, or any other red rag; armies will ‘Only be attainable by men being taken into the confidence of Governments, and fully educated in the details of international differences. l\’c-w izealunders, Australians and ‘Canadians are pointedly reminded by BriUHSII neW'S'papers ‘that the renewal of the Alliance with Japan will largely <l9P9nd niion the opinion and experi-: 91106 Of the Dominions. What are the i ipeople told about the effects of such‘ an Alliance‘? ‘And what means havel they f 0? gaining ‘information and ex-i Derience, other than -the statistics of* trade. and the conflicting S'llx‘C'l.lS 013$ intelligence that are cabled from all] 50115 of SOUPCBS, prejudiced and other» I WiS9? If the world is to be rendered I -“Hie 501‘ democracy it is time study’ 05 the illiel‘nat'ional situation was made more general. AS there is no consecutive, intelligible, Unprejudiced chronicling of current international .chnnges by daily newspapers it Should’ b 9 the duty Of the Government to publish 11 Short monthly review of the nature and meaning of such movements,"wit~h brief comments regartlingi their Significance to New Zealandersnl Few members of the national family will consent to fight in‘ the future for anything they do not ‘thoroughly un-£ derstand.