The Daily News MONDAY, AUGUST 17. AMERICA, JAPAN, AND BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 203, 17 August 1908, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, AUGUST 17. AMERICA, JAPAN, AND BRITAIN.

llie new Dreadnoughts the Japanese are building, it is averred, will carry sixteen 12-inch guns and Have a ilisplaeeiueiit four tiiousand tons larger than the first of tin: Dreadiioughis. impressive to colonial eyes no doubt the Heel at Auckland was, but colonial eyes are young and inexperieneeu. If the purpose oi America is to contend for predominance in the i'acilic so far as naval power is concerned, it wuiild be wise tor her to continue on good mends with Japan. At all events, unless something very unexpected occurs, tire people of this Dominion have little to lear. of any raid emanating from Japan, bound as that nation is by treaty obligations. Tiie real danger lies in England being constrained to come to t';c aid of her ally against the Americans, and lor the consequences of such an eventuality New //.'aland sJiould be prepared. Were America and Japan to go to war, the Japanese would, almost certainly, pursue the same policy as llley adopted with regard to the Russians—awnit the coining of the foe oil their coasts; they would leave the; ta>k of crossing the I'acilic to tlieir enemy. Nor is it in the l";isl dogrio likely that the .lap.iiic-e Mould trouble themselves about the liability ol Australia and New Zealand to attack; she would plead the necessity of protecting her own ports and commerce.

Were England drawn into a war with America, no doubt, a powerful ileet would be immediately despatched to harass the eastern shores of the States; but the sending of a lleet to meet the Americans in the Pacilie would necessarily take some time. However, iu time of war England possesses advantages that no other nation can boa.st 121 facilities for transport, coaling stations, and wayside ports. Any hostile vessel in the Pacific would soon become powerless from the absence of coal, ami the same observation applies much more pertinently to a ileet. Coal may be declared to be the burning necessity of modern naval warfare, and in the event of any raid or lleet attack in the I'acilic, it may be confidently taken us assured that the depots for the supply of coal would receive lirst attention. This is a matter wnich should receive from our Government the very closest consideration. Defenceless we may be, but if an onvmy cannot obtain coal supplies his career is bound to be short, indeed the security of our coal supplies is a duty that we owe not only to ourselves but to the Empire. Any vessel crossing the Pacific must be fed on the way, and in any case she stands in danger of arriving completely exhausted at her destination. For a vessel of war to be eli'ective coal is just as necessary as ammunition. Next time an American lleet visits Australasia, it may be Justus well to remember, the interchanges may not be quite so pleasant, but everyone agrees in the hope that that day will never come.

Article i of the treatv of alliance tillered into with the Japanese on the 12th day of August, 190.), provides that "if by reason of unprovokeibattaek or aggressive action, wherever arising, on the part of any Power or Powers, either contracting party should be involved in war in the defence of its territorial rights or special interests, the other contracting parly will at once come to the assistance of its ally, and will conduct the war in common, and make peace in mutual agreement with it." it will tie seen at a glance how far-reach-ing this engagement is. it is but a year ago when the air was thick with rumors of approaching war between the United Slates and Japan, and had hostilities eventuated.' England would have iieeii bound by the terms of her contract to immediately plunge into conflict with her Anglo-Saxon ••cousins" across the Atlantic, the people whose armed representatives we have done our best to worthily entertain in Auckland. This is a view which appears to have wholly escaped attention. It was out of the situation that existed a year ago that it was determined to send"the American lleet into the Pacilie, but what the real purpose of the visitation has never been made very dear. The Admiral was instructed to go with earnest professions of peace on his lips —and at Auckland the people of this Dominion have had a fair sample of how well his instructions have been carried to fruition but he was to carefully keep bis .-hips ready Jor ac-i-K-.i at any moment.

'J'lio >v:lhdntwal of a licet of sixteen bnU]c-h;ps-obsoletc us n 0 doubt many [of them are—has Mt the defence ui ■the eastern shores of the States very weak; yet, in spite of this consideration, and at very great expense, the (levt was sent to the Pacific. The object of sending tile tleet was to visit Japan. Why Japan 1 Why not China, India, or liao-cliuuV The United States have, a base of operations in Manila, which i.~ comparalively near to Japan. Was the idea latent in the minds of American tlaVosmen that it would bo. well for young officers of their navy to learn something of Japanese ports, waters '/ At tins moment it is not delinitely known whether the America ileet is to return to the eastern shores of the States or to remain permanently iu .the Pacific. The British treaty with Japan has yet seven. years to run, and during those seven years, in the event of our ally quarrelling with the States—and a rupture may occur at any moment —Britain may lind herself engaged in a deadly grapple with the most prized'of all liar present friends. Let us nope that such a dreadful happening may never come ] about.