FAR EAST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 March 1941, Page 6

FAR EAST

JAPAN AND PACIFIC PROBLEMS ATTITUDE IN PRESENT WAR. ADDRESS BY MR. S. L. P. FREE. “Future Pacific problems are intimately bound up with Japan’s southward expansionist policy—the Japanese are a powerful, conquering people whose record of progress over the past--70 years is one of the marvels of the world. That it can stop right away I don’t believe," stated Mr. S. L. P. Free in an address on “The Far East” at a meeting of the Masterton Rotary Club yesterday afternoon. Mr. Free prefaced his remarks by observing that he was not a phophet nor a son of a prophet, but would endeavour to give his personal opinion, with illustrations on a map of the

trend of events in the Far East, with particular reference to the dominant people—the Japanese. He pointed out that to understand the Japanese it was necessary to know something of their history.

“The origin of the Japanese is rather obscure—they are a kindred race with the Chinese, while the aristocracy contain a strong mixture of the Polynesians,” said Mr. Free. “Their culture is intensely Chinese—the language is similar and they use Chinese writing characters, which are substantially the same. Scholars are brought up on Chinese classics, which had a stimulating effect on the people. To read the classics a scholar must know 3000 to 4000 symbols—which required a ■ tremendous mental effort. As a result, the Japanese are exceedingly clever mentally.'’ “When the missionaries went into Japan from 1400 to 1500 the then ‘powers that be’ thought them a disturbing influence so in 1566 an edict was issued forbidding all foreigners from entering the country,” continued Mr. Free. Thus for 300 years Japan was in isolation, until in 1866 a fleet entered a port and either by personality or the presence of the ships induced Japan to open the country to foreign | trade and ideas. Mr. Free described the contrasts in the Japan of that date to present-day Japan. Brought about by a feudal system, with no outside interests Japan had become entirely isolated working out her own destiny. Today the cities were a credit to any part of the world. Japan had appealed to France for military leaders, thus France had taught Japan the arts of modern warfare. England had taught them naval building. "The Japanese are intensely Nationalistic. They are pleased to have recognition from any Europeans,” said Mr. Free. They have been treated as coloured people, but have resented it keenly. They considered they were equal to any race. “Mentally, they are quite right,” he added. Mr. Free illustrated on a special map how Japan toad expanded, and traced possible spheres of interest.

“We are considering a race of some 80,000,000 people, very, very solidly knit together by their religion—Buddhism chiefly—but over that is laid a veneer of Shintoism, or veneration for the Emperor and the Nation. That makes the Japanese so intensely conscious of the national honour that if an individual lets the nation down he commits hari-kari (suicide). For generations the Japanese have been compelled to live and work very hard, with the result that they possess a power of endurance in body and mind, making them a most formidable opponent in anything they undertake. "That it is the considered policy of Japan to extend its borders I have no doubt. Personally I consider that the Japanese don’t think their hour is near,” said Mr. Free. He stated that he regarded the message sent from the Prime Minister of Japan to Berlin as containing something in this vein: “You got Italy into the war—look at Italy.” The British successes in Africa had given Japan reason to pause, particularly when Japan sees America is behind Britain. Japan had spent enormous sums in China, and was not in a financial position to fight. Britain and the United States of America in the East. However it was expected that she would exert pressure, short of war to get advantages. If a match were struck to set of! a conflagration, or the proud Japanese were insulted trouble might result.