The Daily News. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1914. INTERNATIONAL DISCOURTESY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 6, 26 May 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1914. INTERNATIONAL DISCOURTESY.

Hitherto it lhas been tlio rule that British Army officers of high rank should eschew polities and especially refrain from expressing any opinion in public relative to international affairs. It is a wise rule, but like most unwritten laws occasionally is broken—probably quite without any intent of causing trouble, but merely on the spur of the moment. 'lt is always dangerous to speak first and' reflect afterwards, and particularly is thi» the case with those who occupy positions of responsibility. As a matter of fact, army officers while on the active list rarely concern themselves with political affairs, and it is well they adopt that wise course. Nothing would induce j the late Lord Wolseleyi to touch on j politics, and 'lie always strongly) insisted that officers of the Army should never mix up in such affairs. Unfortunately Genera! Sir lan Hamilton, when speaking at Auckland, referred to the Pacific as being ,t!ho place where it might be decided whether Asiatics or Europeans were going to guide the destiny of this planet. It cannot for a moment be considered that our distinguished visitor intended, to convey any discourtesy to Britain's ally, Japan, but he none, the less cannot be acquitted of having committed a grave error of judgment in insinuating tflat the menace which threatened the peace of Australasia was Asiatic, and as Japan is the only power tliat could possibly be meant, it is not surprising that the press of Tolcio have interpreted General Hamilton's words as meaning that both Australia and New Zealand must arm themselves for a struggle against Japan. To say the \ least, General Hamilton was indiscreet. | We may accept his explanation in all i good, faith, but the mischief has been done and it will tax the powers of diplomacy very greatly to explain away the obvious trend of the General's argument. It is not as if those remarks covered the whole ground of Japan's irritation. The ''hands off" policyadopted by the Australasian dominions is of itself sufficiently irritating to Britain's ally. The very fflfct that Japan is regarded by the Imperial Government as a friendly Power should protect that Power from either insult or suspicion, and it ia an outrage on decency to make political capital out of the possibility of a Japanese invasion oi Australia or New Zealand, or both. Surely the Dominion's defence scheme is based on sufficiently sound principles to obviate the continual exhibition of a Japanese bogoy for the purpose of enthusing the people. The true interests of Japan are identical' with those of Great Britain—the jnaintcnance of peace and tie expansion of trade and commerce. If the Japanese wanted to take possession of Australasia they eould do so with facility. They were sullicir ently strong to break the power of Russia and sweep the Tsar's navy off the sea, 'but they are not looking to conquer the world, except by the peaceful means of trade and commerce. They are just as mudh entitled to pursuo their friendly rivalry in the Pacific as elsewhere, and that they will do so is ovident. It is a slur on the good name of New Zealand that this so-called Japanese menace is being continually brought into politics as a convenient stalking horse for some policy more or less outrageous. The Dunedin Star rightly saya: "VTo have legislated against the Japanese; we have placed a practically prohibitory tax upon their right of entry; our politicians |have tickled the ears of the groundlings and secured the applause (as worthless as it is unintelligent) of the mob by vulgar denunciations; irresponsible journals and thoughtless writers have poured oil, not water, on the flames; and as though tlieso things, whioh have been going on for more than a quarter of a century, were not enough, we have of late had the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Defence and Marine for this Dominion speaking from platform after platform declaring that they are not satisfied to have these shores defended by Japanese ships and Japanese sailors. We ask those statesmen where they think such utterances will lead them, or whether they have at any time seriously thought of the possible effect of their statements? Wo are afraid that the primary object Ims been rather to have a hit at the Opposition, and to secure an easily-earned round of applause. 1 ' in these days news travels far and fast, hence the greater need for discretion by those in authority. It ill becomes ouch an insignificant country as New Zealand to flaunt one of tin; great Powers—and a friendly Power at that—which, according to the I'ii'st Lord of tlu: Admiralty, may safe.ly be regarded as the protecting influence in the Pacific, 1101 only for Britain, but for her dominions. The <ours<; which some of our politicians have taken relative to Japan is well calculated to create the enmity of thai nation instead of promoting its goodwill. We quite agree wil'h our southern contemporary that "common international courtesy ilomandj more guarded loihw. Oj one tiling at least we are c!-:i(Me;t!: If ihern is to be war, then noUi'm: {lull .Australia or New 55r:t!aml, singly ov combined, can do within the | next 12 or even 'JO ycar.-i can save us from Jajsm. T'i-t!;»y the ''Asiatic'' lias a l , li'.i cur.'.niand 50 Dreadnoughts and rruV'T.- end nearly 80 destroyer® and -'iih: :■' a. How Euiilc, then, i'or New Z>'itl»ml in talk of buying a Bristol. <•:iii-1- V'v iier lieffer protection! We ril 1 U mi the British Navy, and mi it, alone, that tile safety of New Zealand depends; and it is the failure of (lie M: : >sey Government to perceive this truth that may prove in all proba- j bilityt a not, \unfruitful source of bus-I