The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-15
PLUCKY LITTLE JAPAN.
Elbows Her Way Among the
Great Powers of the Earth.
AMBITIOUS FOR A FIRST PLACE.
The Japanese Cruiser Being Built at
Cramps Shipyards-A Novel Christening.
More Arguments For and Against the
Annexation of Hawaii.


More Arguments For and Against the
Annexation of Hawaii.
WASHINGTON. Jan. IL. Special. Moth
ing like the ambition of little japan has
been seen among the nations for a long
time. A diplomat who Is thoroughly ia
miliar with the affairs of that oriental couD-
try tells me the japanese are eager To be-
come one of the very first nations of the
world. Already they imagine they are al
most tho equal of Great Britain, Germany,
Russia, France and the United States 1t
is for this reason the diplomats are pre-
dieting the present eastern question will
not be settled without trouble, as Japan is
not In mood to sit still and permit Rus
STA and Germany To gobble up the best
parts of the Chinese coast 1t must also
be remembered that elections are coming
on in Japan in about three months, and
the party in power is hard pressed for am
munition with which To silence the guns
of the opposition. Nothing is more likely
than that the government will deliberately
stir up some row in order to take advan-
tage of the aroused national sentiment and
retain its grip upon the nation.
am told that Japan has grown so fast,
navy, her public works and all the ma
chinery of her governmental affairs that
the nation is almost hopelessly in debt.
Taxation Is ruinously high, and In order
to make both ends meet the government
may be compelled to raise 1t still high
or. The Japanese, i'm other words, are
learning to their sorrow that those who
dance must pay tho piper. They would
have the rare fun of pushing ahead into
the ranks of first class nations, and now
they have to pay the bills There is great
discomfort on account Of the high taxes,
and already this question is the burning
one In Japanese politics.
shrewd Politicians.
The Japs are shrewd politicians. For
instance, learn that in order to forestall
public opinion and allay discomfort the
government has deliberately manufactured
offices In tho civil and diplomatic corps
that l. might give these places to the sons
Of risc I'D influential men and thus hold
the elections. Legations and consulates
were established at places where Japan
has no more need of diplomatic or consular
representatives than dog has for two
tails But places must be found somehow.
All Of which reminds one of our country
system of rewards for political services ran
riot unvexed by civil service laws.
AS evidence of the shrewdness and thor
oughness of the japanese let me tell you
how closely they watch the contracts which
they let for the construction of naval YES
sells. The Cramps at Philadelphia have
built for the japanese government smart
cruiser called the Kasagi, and she is to be
! launched in about week. During all tho
| time that she has been under construction
| the japanese have had stationed at Phila-
J delphia half q dozen naval. attaches, each
! skilled i'm some particular line of naval
construction-one for steam machinery,
| another for strength Of materials, a third
for chemical tests-and in this way they
] have carefully inspected every piece OF ma
terial and every part of the work. 1t is an
axiom among contractors for naval and
| military work that If you want to fool the
willy Japs you have to got up before day
light.
Miss Long and the Pigeon.
In connection with the coming launch
| ing of the cruiser at Philadelphia there is
| a pretty little story. The japanese minis
| tor invited the daughter of Secretary Of
| the Navy Long to christen the ship, but
| Secretary Long, being "a strict temperance
| man, objected on account of the breaking
! of the traditional bottle of champagne over
| the ships bows. Then the japanese min
| lister suggested that they have recourse 10
| the custom of his own country, and, instead
| of splitting wine after the manner Of the
| occidentals, release from its cage the mo-
| ment the good ship begins to slide down
| the creased ways white pigeon. Natural
| ly Miss Long liked this idea very well,
| and SO did the temperance secretary, and
accordingly the Kasagi is to be christened
with a white dove liberated mt the right
moment. Let us hope 1t will prove to be
| a dove of peace, harbinger of amicable re-
| lations between tho ambitious little nation
across the Pacific and ourselves.
The senate Is still debating the Hawaiian
annexation question, and q vote Is not
| likely to be taken for some days. Although
| the sessions are held in secret, there are n
| great many statesmen who want to discuss
| this most important and interesting ques-
| ton, and speeches will be the order of the
| day for some time to come no doubt.
| There Is the keenest sort of interest here
| In the Hawaiian matter, and the national
| capital is divided into two camps concern
| ing it, Fortunately tho division Is not on
party lines.
The chief argument which / have heard
used against annexation is that instead of
being q source of strength to the United
| States from the naval point OF view the
| islands will DO source of weakness On
| this point opinions are as diverse as the
poles. Tho statement of tho case on the
one side is MS follows:
| Defense Of Honolulu.
II we take the islands and establish there
| a naval and coaling station, we shall be
| compelled to defend them. They will be
| liable to attack from the fleet of an enemy,
and will thus constitute just one more city
which we must guard. Instead of guard
| ing Honolulu. 1t would be better to keep
| our ships nearer our own coast, to guard
| San Francisco and Portland.
| On the other side IL Is claimed that II
the ships of an enemy spend their time
| and their steaming power fighting us at
Honolulu that Is good deal better than
having them destroying the richer city
| within the Golden Gate. Besides, we could
| so fortify Honolulu that the enemy could
not take 1t, and our ships would be able To
run In there and coal and reflt in case of
Il x.I