The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-12
JAPAN is NOT TIMID.
She Expects to Conquer Russia in
War and Great Britain in Trade.

From the New York Times.
In the last report Of the late Mr.. Enslie
British consul at Hiogo. in Japan an in
teresting section is devoted to the notions
Of the Japanese themselves as to COM
mercial competition between their coun-
try and Great Britain. For this pur-
pose he summarizes a series of articles in
leading native newspapers on the sub
ject
According to these the time for Japan
to receive instruction from Europe and
America has gone by, and the time to
teach them has come. The day of DEEPEN
dence on the manufactures of other coun-
tries has gone, and the time to supply
them with Japanese manufactures has ar
rived. The epoch when Japan feared Eu-
rope and America has been succeeded by
one in which they fear Japan; and when
the latter takes her full part on the stage
of the world Russia and Great Britain are
the two powers, with which she will come
into collision, the one in a military, the
other in commercial aspect.
A few years ago the distance between
Japan and these powers was regarded as
great, but now she is in close proximity
to them. AS regards trade, it is true,
British work is predominant in the world.
and Japan in this respect is as a boy be-
fore giant; but already Japanese coal
and the Osaka spinning mills have become
sources of anxiety to the Welsh coal own
ers and the Lancashire mill owners.
The japanese are an optimistic race
Continues the native writer and do not
fear British intelligence; but the British
hear of Japanese intelligence with dread,
and what gives Japanese most pleasure is
to hear that their improved industry
alarms Englishmen, who fear the Japa-
nese and know them for formidable ri
walls. From foreigners Japan has acquir-
ed the manufacture of such exports as
silk piece goods, cotton yarns, umbrellas,
matches, glassware, hats, gloves, foreign
paper, soap, etc. and the steady improve
ment in these manufactures takes Euro
peans by surprise.
The manufactures of Japan now en-
croach in the markets of the east on the
monopoly of Great Britain, and hence
England naturally feels Jealous, and is
afraid of Japan. What she fears most IS
the Japanese spinning industry In 1878
Japan imported from Great Britain 5000
bales of cotton yarn, and from India none;
after that the import rose to 74,4f7 bales
from Manchester, and $4,000 bales from
Bombay. But with the fall of silver and
the development of japanese spinning
came the downfall of Manchester yarn
in the east. In 1875. SO per cent. of all
the yarns reaching China and Japan were
British; in 1894 the proportion was 14.2
per cent, although the eastern demand
for yarns has increased 'fivefold in the
last twenty years.
While the Lancashire mills are suffer-
ing so that few only could declare a div
idend of per cent. and many large ones
are being worked at a loss, in Japan all
the mills declared dividends of over per
cent, and some as much as IS and Is per
cent. Japan has been victorious against
the spinners of Manchester; what she
fears Is a second Manchester in ROmbav
or Shanghai; and, therefore, wherever
profit is to be found for japanese spin
ners, there the industry should be start
ed, whether In Shanghai, Bombay, or
elsewhere.
AS to coal, the British product is every
where giving way to the Japanese, in
consequence of the fall in silver. In
short, the difference in price in favor
of Japanese manufacturers and producers
having become greater owing to the fall
in silver and the cost of manufacture
being naturally cheaper in consequence
of low rates of wages and abundance of
coal, it is easy for the japanese to beat
English manufacturers in the Oriental
market.
--Jones-I say. what's the exact meaning
of ''voa"?
Brown-Well, should translate it as be
hold" or there you are" or some thing
like that.
Jones-Confound It! I've been using it
for the last month and thinking I've been
swan rino in ErNaf, oh Pinch