Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1911. DESIGNS OF JAPAN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10144, 21 January 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1911. DESIGNS OF JAPAN.

The average New Zealander is probably not aware of the immense strides which have in recent years been made by Japan as a nation. He does not realise the peril attending the policy of expansion adopted by the "little yellow man." He will be interested, therefore, to read what Mr B. L. Putnam Weale, an authority on Far Eastern subjects, has to say on the matter, Mr Weale ; sees danger. ahead in. the aggressive ambition of-the Japanese. Within' fourteen years Japan has gained Formosa, Corea, the JLi-otnug Territory, and Southern Saghalien, which are far greater in area than the Japanese . Isles themselves. Besides this, Japan.is already the virtual arbiter of an area in Manchuz-ia larger.than Oreat .Britain and Ireland. Japanese statesmen are under no illusions, •They 'know that if the Empire today, lias no enemies it" still has to reckon with the ambition ,of .powerful rivals-; -There are three of .thejjj& riv* als, Mr Weale asserts, that Japan dreads. The first and greatest of

them is Russ : . ; tie apprehension in this case is due in part to the relatively speaking negative, results achieved by the late wi:r, and still more because if the Czar is to be arbiter of the fate of China, the peril is great, sincß the frontiers of Russia envelop those of China. Japan fears America because of its wealth, and all that such resources are capable of rapidly accomplishing in a crisis. Lastly, she fears China because of its latent strength and untold possibilities. "At this moment Japan is not arming against Russia in particular, or against America, or against China. She is arming merely because of the fact tnat these three mighty countries exist in her immediate neighbourhood, that is, oh the Pacific Ocean." Japan realises that the. striking power of any one of them might suddenly expand, and therefore she is making great financial sacrifices in order to keep ahead for a few decades of her rivals for., power in 'the-Far..East, so. as .to be : in a position to &ilce' advantage of any favourable circumstances which may arise, and by quickness and completed f preparations be in the position to take, sudden and .'unexpected action. Mr Weale points out" that that is what she did in her Chinese war and in her Russian war, and he evidently thinks -that, given the tempt the same : . bold coup again.