The Portland daily press., 1896-01-17
THE MIKADO'S LAND.
Japan's Ambitious Plans for Military
Power.

cho AIMS TO nave Eorce or Two Hundred
Thousand Men for Offensive Operations
and Fleet Big Enough to Meet the
Fleets of Europe and America.
Toxic, January 8, via Vancouver, B.
c., January 16 The ninth session of the
Japanese diet was opened by the Emper-
or in person on December 49,
The gist of the speech from the throne
may be reduced to two points. First,
that various measures for promoting the
industrial and commercial progress of
the country and increasing it's ornaments
will be submitted to the diet; secondly,
that the sovereign invites harmonious
cooperation on the part of its members
in discussing these measures.
The Emperor naturally desires that
national progress shall not be impaired
by party squabblss. This years oompo-
sition Of the committees implies that
the governments supporters have an
emphatic majority.
Great interest attaches to the Japanese
budget for the approaching fiscal year,
since the documents will be found to out
line the governments various projects for
increasing the army and the navy and
for promoting industrial enterprises. It
appears that, whereas the local appropri-
alton on account of the army in the last
budget was SIS, 25o. 600, it is $35, 500, 900 in
the new budget, and the outlay on ac-
count of the navy has similarly grown.
The exact details as to tine application
Of +InorA lbs Ar~rII 49, =
yet published. Roughly speaking, how
ever, the programme seems to be that the
army will be increased by nearly 100 per
cent and the navy raised from the present
displacement of TO- 600 tons TO 200. 600
tons; all this Is to be achieved within 10
years.
Assuming that the scheme can be CAR
rled out successfully, Japan will be able
in 1906 to land and maintain an army
of 200 600 men in any part of Asia. al
ways retaining at home force sufficient
for domestic defense; and to put to sen
with fleet considerably superior in dis
placement to the combined squadron of
Great Britain, Russia, France, Germany
and America now on the Pacific squad.
ron.
The Japanese correspondents in Seoul
and Toxic and the journals they repre-
sent, have been very persistent in pre-.
ferring against American mjssional les in
Korea. and against American employees
OF the Korean government, charges of
completely in the attack on the palace on
the 28th of November They also assert
that the representatives of the United
States and Russia abused their right of
asylum belonging to their legations.
( AS to the former charge, Gen. Dye, the
principal American employe in Korea,
has published an emphatic statement
to the effect that his sole share in the
business WAS to make dispositions for
the defense of the palace, on the strength
of the warnings carried by Rev. DR.
Underwood. This statement is confirmed
by Mr.. Allen, of the United States le-
cation, and completely disposes of the
accusation made by the Japanese, for
they have always represented Americans
as sympathizing with and abetting the
conspirators, when the fact is the action
of Gen. Dye and DR.. Underwood is exact
ly the opposite
Three Koreans have been executed for
the murder of the Queen. 1t was proved
that one of them cut her down, dragged
her outside the palace and, throwing
kerosene over her, set her on fire. Gen.
TunR Flu Hsiang, who commands the
imperial forces in Kansa, has sent a re-
port to the throne describing a series of
brilliant victories which were gainedsby
him over the Mahometan insurgents in
that province. 1t is very significant that
the time covered by the report is only
90 days, November IS to December 4.
The rebellion bogar in May, and Gen.
Tung at the head OF "a, 0OO Kansu and
Kashgar troops, then defending the south
ern suburbs If Pekin against an antici-
pated Japanese invasion, was ordered at
once to proceed against the rebels, but
what happened to him and his ar my
during the following five months we
learn nothing from the report At any
rate he AYERS that by December he
had repeatedly defeated the Mahometans
and relieved Hochou. The Emperor,
believing him, has handed him over to
the board of special awards as being
worthy of special honors.