BRITAIN UNDER THE JAPS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 72, 14 March 1908, Page 4

BRITAIN UNDER THE JAPS

A STRIKING PICTURE OF A POSSIBLE CONTINGENCY.

(By F. A, McKeime.)

A Japanese writer has been exercising his imagination, and picturing the future of the world. A great war between East aud West is ine\itable, lie de dales. Japan will ollicer an army of four million rhinese iruops, and direct them against Europe, for the double purpose of ci\il ami military conquest. It will be better for Europeans tli.it Japan should rule over them than that I hey should govern themselves. "Japanese statesmen are in all respects be'.-

ter qualitied to govern both Europe and Asia. The political dishonesty to which people of the Western States are subjected will be wiped out under us, and the world will be brought nearer Lo a slate of perfection, for the benefit oi all classes."

Picture our condition when this hap- I pens. What if Australia were a Japanese colony, India realised Count tlkmna's dream and became independent, ami Japan conquered and esl«b ; lished her rule over England"; Wh.it would follow? A Japanese resident-general wouhl, »f course, be placed in charge of the country, and residents working under him wouhl be established in all cities aud

large districts. The King would probably be kept on the throne, but ha would be striclly guarded, lie would be allowed to see no one except with the consent of, and in the presence oi, the Japanese governor of the palace. No one would be allowed to enter the palace without the governor's consent, 'there would probably be a large clearance of palace officials, on the plea of national economy. Prince Eddy would bo removed to Japan for liis education. The jury system would be abolished, for Japanese law-makers do not believe in juries. In cases where English judges were still in the courts tlcy would be given Japanese advisers. But, generally, the judges would be .lapiuese. and certainly so in all Courts where there were any political issues at stake. Japanese judges are famous all the world over for a very keen patriotism, which induces them to decide in favour of their own countrymen, whatever the evidence.

A scale of social positions would lie established which would have sume curious results. For instance, when the resident-general visited Leeds, the heads of the Japanese gendarmes would first issue orders about the spontaneous rejoicings to be undertaken by the. people. Men of the first grade—such as officers above the rank of major—would have to stand in certain positions; men of the siroiid grade—teachers, Buddhist missionaries, and the like—would stand somewhere else.

for the simplification of Japanese a.<lministration. we might expert Japanese lime In lie established here, and all ollicial documents would mention English towns liy their Japanese mime.-,. Japanese ticket-sellers at tile railwaystations wonlil expect you to tell them in Japanese where you wanted to go. Someone may tell me that I am talking absurdly hero. I ean only say that ill Korea they are doing these very things, anil a man who gni'> to a Korean -t ition and asks for a ticket for the Korean capital under its own name is I driven oil'.

.Naturally. a very large number of Japanese coolies, attracted by the high wages offered, would flock into this country. The coolies have not very lii-e manners. They all stand together, and

a man who attempts to avenge an in-

jury done by one ot them excite.-, t ln wrath of all. When the Japanese coolii

goes inlo a foreign land lie carries a sword and knows how to use it. A number of traders would come, too. it may li* l thought that these trailers would tinil a dilliculty ill obtaining land. Not at all. 'l'icked spots throughout Knglaud—the linest business and manufacturing sites —would be taken, ostensibly for military purposes. Japanese commercial houses and shops would arise 011 these.

A commission would come from Tokio to decide the amount of compensation to be paid to tile owners, for the Japanese would scorn to take all the land for nothing. The commission would decide lliat, since the value of certain land iii Norfolk was t:l2 an acre. 11 would make a uniform rate Jor compensation for seized land all over the country at that price. People whose land was uken might or might not oh tain Iheir compensation three or lour years afterwards. Absurd, yon say? Well, I have known this kind of thing done in other parts 01 the world where the Japanese are governing. A numlx'r of trade monopolies would lie established, flic lirst of these would he a tobacco monopoly. A duly of. say, ■2OO per cent, would be put 011 all independent tobacco imports, and State factories would turn out cigars and 'cigarettes for home consumption. -Most Englishmen do 1101 like Japanese cigarettes, ami I have w-t to find one among my friends in Japan who liavo had the courage to try a Government cigar, lint it would be necessary for us to educate our tastes. The concession-, lor exclusive trading privileges would be without number, and would all be in Japanese hands, although nominally done by a partnership between English and Japanese. Japanese steamship lines, subsidised by English taxation, would carry our goods. A subsidised Prens. run by Japanese editors, would assure us day after day that all these things were for our good, and for the purposes of highest philanthropy and noblest justice. Japanese speakers would tell us of the blessings that wer<- being showered on us, and the benefits we were reaping from Japanese rule. The Japanese might naturally be expected to bring one new- industry into this land—that of the production of l»ogus goods, jn Osaka the manufacture of imitations of lir»t-class European

goods has reached quite enormous proportions. Smnc Kuropean linns do not like it. and recently one of the chief of

them tried to induct the Japanese Courts to convict an outrageous oflender in this direction. It .was proved beyond doubt lint the man had openly imitated Kairopean goods with abominable substitutes. He admitted as much himseK, but the Court decided that it was no olVeme. iind b>t him g«>.

It may be protested that bngltshmen would never Maud this. The Japanese have a wt v nice way of dealing willi

reU'llioU" spirit- in a conquered land. When \er an Kngli>hman tried to raise a hand against the Japanese, not only would lie lie punished, but thi> entire community in which lie lived would suffer with him. Thu.-, if there was a rising in Sheilield against, the Japanese resident there. Sheilield would be burnt to the ground, and a large number of its people shot. .Japan, careful for our moral training, would Up certain to send over numbers of f'iiiddhi-l and Buddhist temples would be erected, the tilM o! iheiii near the residency general V, Jluckinghain Palace. And yet -ome nf 11-. de-pile all this, would fain avoid the "yellow blessing' which the younger genrations ol Orientals are anxious to bring to Europe. Ihe old way is good enough for us.