JAPANESE MOVING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 24 September 1907, Page 4

JAPANESE MOVING.

MARCHING TOWARDS AUSTRALIA *

"The Japanese arc colonising .lava," Mr A, E Webb, an engineer well-known in tlie East, remarked to a Sydney press representative last week. "They are driving the British out of the China Seas; they are trying to get a firm footing in British Columbia; and their ambition, as every studtnt of Eastern affairs knows, is to be paramount in the Pacific—paramount at the expense of ally, friend, or foe." Mr Webb was formerly in the employ of the Japanese Government, and later was in the Siamese service. Nine months ago lie was in Java. Having spent over a generation in the East, he has acquired a good knowledge of the Oriental language. He is going back—perhaps to .Siam, where they arc building railways." "The Japanese are coming down ti: Java," Mr Webb asserted. "The Sultan of Banka (one of the Java Islands) has been to Japan to interview the Mi kado. Why? It is common property; everyone knows. It was an impudent thing to do, but lie attempted to get the Mikado to grant him protection against the Dutch. I was in Java, foi two and a-lialf years. All the Dut?l, i steamers running from Hongkong take Japs to Java. Jardine's boats are doing the same. Also, there is a line ol Chinese steamers running between Sarnie rang and Hongkong. Besides the E. ami A. Company bring some Japs to Timor I in the Malays, ostensibly for the pearling luggers. They never return from those luggers. They drift along the Java islands. "The Dutch authorities have been very much troubled about this mattei for some time—ever since the war. Even the Malay States they are getting in In Singapore they are already prominent. They are gradually drifting to wards Australia. In Hongkong to-day you will sec the Japanese motor boats careering about the harbor. In the Pacific the Japanese marine is driving the British, out. The Scottish Oriental line lias gone into the hands of the Germans —the Nord Deutseher Lloyd William Millmrn and Co. no longer ex ists in the East. The Gulf Steamship Company have gone out of the trade; so has the Abbotsford Company. Then Bowser and Orinson have disappeared In short, two hundred British steamers have been wi|>ed out of the Eastern trade during the past few years. To-day the Japanese are buildinf steamers for Siam, both gunboats am, torpedo-destroyers. They are trying tc get in there too! Three or four lmn , dred years ago there was a Japanest colony in Bangkok, Siam. They an , trying to build it up again, and to exclude" the British and German officer: from the Siamese service. As a mattei of fact, the tendency in the Siamese scr vice is to supplement tile German am ! British officers by appointing Japanese ' Of course, there are points of reseinb ■ lance in the Japanese and Siamese lan i gunges. Besides some Japanese art Buddhists; so are the Siamese. "Many Punjabs have told me—am there is no reason to discredit theii i story—that Japanese emissaries dressec ; as Buddhist monks are in India. The> ' are trving to instil into the Onenta ! mind that Japan is the coming Power i It is the intention of the Japanese, nc i matter what Count Hayaslii says, tc secure supremacy in the East at al costs. . "This interests Australia. Java is three days' sail from Port Darwin; Ti 1 mor is 24 hours." m