JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1918, Page 5

JAPAN.

THE INTERVENTION QUESTION RUSSIANS MAY CO-OPERATE. Washington, March 10. The United \'nw states that it is rumored that the .lapnuese Government has Deviated with the unti-IJolslie, Ik leaders for some form of political aid in Hi.' event"' intervention in Siberia. A decision concerning Japanese intervention in Siberia is expected in the coming week. Tim United States will be notified should .Japan decide to intervene. There are indications that, Japan is- now morn anxious than a week ago to enter Siberia. H is understood that Japan is forming a division of Russians to co-operate with the Japanese in Siberia. VERSAILLES COUNCIL TO DECIDfe. New York, March 10. A Washington correspondent learns from an Entente diplomatic source that the Versailles War Council is dealing •with the question of Japanese intervention. JAPAN WATCHING. INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA. WHAT THE. EMPIRE OF THE MIKADO MAY DO. Count Teranchi (.Premier of Japan) 3paawhig at the opening of the House of Peers in January, said Japan was deeply concerned because the internal disorder in Russia was spreading to the Far East possessions. "'Japan," he said, "holds herself responsible for the peace of this part of the world. If it was endangered Japan would not hesitate to take proper measures. Japan lias unreservedly shared the resolve of the Allies not to sheath tlie sword until au honorable peace has been secured." Three weeks ago the Manchester Guardian published from Russia the text of further diplomatic correspondence, including dispatches from Krupensky, former Ambassador at Tokio- In February, 1917, Krupensky cabled to Petrograd in connection with the negotiations' for China's entry into tlie war. Japan did not object, provided that Japan's position at the peace conference was safeguarded. Japan, therefore, sought the Allies' ugreemeut to Japan's desires for the acquisition of Germany's rights and privileges in the province of Shantung, and the annexation of the islands north of the equator now in Japanese occupation. Krupensky recommended Russia to pledge herself to support these war aims. In a dispatch in March, Krupensky stated that Japanese opinion was more sympathetic towards the revolution, welcoming the overthrow of the bureaucracy, but fearing excess. Later news shows that Japanese soldiers were in active training; but it has always been considered as most unlikely that Japan would intervene iii the war in Europe, though M. Gauthier, a member of the Franco-Japanese Society, has pomted out that Japanese troops could be transported to Europe across America in twcity-live days. The possibility of reaching the great war zone in Russia through the wholly inadequate railway lino from Vladivostok or Port Arthur is too remote for consideration. Still, there is nothing to prevent Japan landing a strong force at Vladivostok, which is washed by the Sea of Japan, and is littlo more than across the bay from the nearest parts of Japan. Tho ice must have loosened in Peter the Great Bay by this time. The bay is icebound for about three months of the year only. If Japan desires to keep order her landing forces would gradually extend their boundaries without difficulty, or possibility of interference by either Bolshevik or German armies. The army of Japan on a peace footing has 225,000 effectives of all ranks. The war strength is: First line field army, about 490,000; second line, fully trained, about 900,000. Service in the army and navy is universal and compulsory. . Liability to serve begins at the age of seventeen, and extends to the age of forty; but actual service commences at twenty. Those capable of bearing arms are divided into two classes—the "fit" and the 'absolutely fit." The first line men (Geneki) are taken from the absolutely fit, so that 400,000 of these men are now, and can be shipped at a moment's noticeIn tho Japanese Year Book, published in 1916, five reasons are given for the expansion of the Mikado's army. They mostly concent Russia: (1) Russia, intent on repairing the defeat in the late war, is steadily supplementing her strength in the Far East. (2)' The doubling of the Siberian railway line was expected to bo completed in 1915. (3) Since, the revolution in China the frontier line dividing the spheres of Japan and Russia has become considerably extended. (4) The future of China is extremely precarious, and Japan, to give the full weight of her voice on tho occasion of emergency, must have military backing. The fifth reason deals with conscripts. Japan, (before the war, did not look too kindly on Russian encroachment. She was becoming a most dangerous neighbor. In an emergency Japan could place more than a million trained men in the field on short notice. PECULIAR TRADE FIGURES. Recent cablegrams announced that ships of tho Japanese navy were at Vladivostok watching the interests of the Allies in the Ear East Russian port. The people of Siberia were preparing to declare a separate republican government, but Bolshevik agon La were reported to bo busying themselves among the people. A peculiar commercial position has arisen during the period of the war in regard to Japan's trade with Asiatic Russia. In IM4 Japan imported from Asiatic Russia goods valued at £102,50!) In 1915 the imports had increased to .£356,44f1, and Japan, which was vigorously applying itself to the making of munitions, was drawing all the raw ma-

IcWal it could get from ;<„» near neighbor. Japan's export trade with Asiatic Russia Ml from .CI.O-H.Sli in 1914 to .•CI:i,S!U in 101,' i. lint the value of expeit.; from Japan to European Russia increased from .CH)li,7Bo in 11)14 to £7,829,017 in V.)ir>, showing -that she was drawing the raw .mat»rial from one part of the Russian Empire and sending it in a manufactured state to a more distant part of tho Russian Empire. Viscount Motono. the -Minister for Foreign All'airs in the Japanese Cabinet, was, until his appointment; to his present position, .hipaneso Ambassador in Pclrograd, where he was po-.ved for about tosi veai.s, his Ministry being taken over by Mr Uchida, Ambassador in Sweden, iii DUO. Viscount Motono, in ISO 9, was a jimipr delegate of Japan in the Peace Conference held at The Hague.