WAR CLOUDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 239, 15 February 1911, Page 8

WAR CLOUDS

AMERICAN-JAPANESE TROUBLE. DECKS CLEARED FOR ACTION. Tokio, January 25. It is the general belief here that the United States is being hurriedly armed for a war with Japan. The belief, which is supported on reliable information from, various sources, has occasioned much disquiet. The Tokio daily newspaper Nippon today publishes a very inflammatory article. in the course of which it is declared that war oetween the two countries is certain, and will occur very soon. The article bears the headline, "America feverishly pushing ahead armaments." It states that "Japan and America have at last cleared their decks for action, and they will soon begin to open fire on each other." The article goes on to soy: —"Secret advices plainly telj us that the American Uovermnent 1 is straining every nerve to expand the army and navy on the assumption of Japan being a possible enemy." It also emphasises the fact that when the Panama Canal is completed K will be possible for America to send the Atlantic fleet to the Pacific without any difficulty. Many other Japanese newspapers have published articles of a similarly inflammatory nature. ' Washington, January 25. An important speech bearing upon the warlike prospects was delivered yesterday at the National Merchant Marine Congress by Mr. Humphrey, member of the House of Representatives. Mr. Humphrey declared that whilst a rupture between America and Japan was not anticipated, war between the two countries was much nearer than most people realised. He pointed out that the trouble had arisen over the anti-Japan-ese crusade in California.

Mr. Humphrey then went on to emphasise the startling unpreparedness of the United States to meet a warlike emergency. He compared America with Japan in this respect, and pointed out that whilst the latter country was able to transport 200,000 troops by employing the vessels of its mercantile marine, the United States could only transport 10,000. Japan had 50 merchant vessels building at the present time, whilst the United States had not one.