The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-07-23
REVIEW Of JAP POLITICS


'H'ON'l' W. .N'AtN pl lit NdNllllH-
ton Star. who visited Honolulu on his
way from Japan to the States. has a
very interesting article upon Japan IN
general and Count Okuma i'm particu-
lar. The following extract outlines
the policy of Japan at the present
time:
THE KEYNOTE.
The keynote of Japan's foreigr
policy is sounded in the words Of
Count Okuma: Japan could then en-
ter into competition with Europe as
the representative of the Oriental
races" asia for the Asiatics" is She
japanese Monroe doctrine. and as The
only genuine nation of the far east.
as the only Oriental people welded to-
gether into homogeneous and power
full combination by a strong national
sentiment, they are or aspire to be the
Asiatics for whom exclusively Asia is
reserved. Defeat of even the smallest
realization of this ambitious hope is
threatened by Russia. which prevented
Japan from securing a foothold on the
Asiatic continent as a result of her Vie
tory over China, and which will soon.
il is evident. take for her own use that
which she compelled Japan to rclin-
quish. With the completion of the
Siberian railroad to a terminus in a
seaport open all of the year, at pres
ent in the possession of China and
Corea. Russia will dominate the Pa
cific. She can concentrate through
| her railroad an overwhelming land
force for Asiatic use, and her strong
navy will be at home in her Pacific
| harbors. to cooperate with army and
| Notifications. Russia and Japan as
pire to play the same role in :
and only one can be successful Tho
japanese people have not entertained
! the slightest doubt of their ability TO
whip the Russians in Asia in a fight
between the two armies, and their on
| ~ apprehension has related to their
navy, which they have been inces-
sanity strengthening. Russia is stead
! lily massing troops and collecting
warships at Nladivcstok. Japan is
spending the Chinese indemnity and
much other money in warships, in for
tifications and in army development.
All Japan is drilling. for the sake of
its health. as Count Okuma says. IF
there is not a collision in the near fu-
ture between these opposing forces it
will be because Japan confesses de-
feat in advance, and abandons her
dream of Asiatic supremacy. Clearly
Russia will fight for the winter sea-
port on the Pacific. For centuries she
has been bottled up and confined 20
harbors closed by ice for half the year.
In the eyes not only of apprc-
hensive Japan, but of uneasy England,
she is now like the Afrite in
the Arabian Nights, about to escape
from the bottle and to expand n
stature until her head touches the sky.
JAPAN WANTS PHILIPPINES.
IF Japan abandons hope of checking
Russia in the north her next ambi-
ton in accordance with the principle
of "Asia for the Asiatics" is to annex
the Philippine Islands, her neighbor
on the south. Japan does not fear
| Spain, and would, it was whispered.
have assented some time ago to the
petition of the insurgents and have
taken hand in the recent fray if she
had believed that the European pow
ers would permit her to retain pos
session of the islands. In case of n
general war in Europe, breaking mp
the concert of the powers Japan
would, it is believed, promptly seize
the Philippine islands.
Japan would be sorry to see Hawaii
annexed by the United States, for an
neXation would close a profitable mar
l<et for the empires contract labor,
and would destroy all hope of Japan's
ever possessing a point of vast strate-
gic importance to the naval control IF
the north Pacific.
JAPAN'S OWN TROUBLES.
Tn speculating upon the probable
action of Japan in future years a dis
tincton must be made between the
n I