The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-22
LAPAN,S AMBITION.

j
japan is cooperating with the other
foreign Powers in China. But it Is not
because of sympathy with or affection
for them Japan is playing politics, and
very shrewd politics al that. She has
an eye to the main chance, and for the
time her course lies parallel with that Of
the other Powers, in order to hold off her
natural enemy, Russia. Should che
schemes of the japanese statesmen work
well, the time would come. and probably
at no distant day. when the policy of
Japan would be changed and her slogan
would be Asia for the Asiatics. II would
then be the brown and yellow races
against the white, the former two I'M
der the leadership of Japan. For the lit
tie island Power dreams of an empire
embracing Korea and at least parts of
China, and of exercising a predominating
influence over the teeming millions of
Manchurians and MongoIans.
The japanese contention for extended
territory. as a matter of fact, is a fight
for life Japan cannot even now pro-
duce enough food to feed her people, nor
raw materials for their manufactures.
She must expand, or go backward to an
insignificant place among the nations
Korea is her grainery and the source
of supply for many raw materials. The
Korean peninsula is as large as the whole
of Japan, but IL contains only about one
fourth the population. BY possessing
herself Of Korea, therefore, Japan would
have room for her rapidly increasing pop
ulation, as well as a rich agricultural
country capable of high development.
Keeping in mind the absolute necessity for
extended territory, it can readily be com
pretended why Japan is so strenuously
opposing Russias Entertainments upon
Korea, and why she is opposed to the
increasing European influences in the
East.
Her ambition. however, goes beyond ex-
pansion into Korea for purposes of self
preservation. She hopes and expects to
become a great manufacturing and COM
mercial nation, and she wishes extended
markets for her products. A number of
great mills are already in operation in
Japan, and others are in course of cree
ton or in prospect. The Japanese. who
have been called "the Yankees of the
East" are quick to take advantage of
Western ideas and machinery, even if
they d. not adopt Western civilization.
BY way of illustrating their progressive
ness it may be noted that the govern
ment has already adopted wireless te-
legraphy and is erecting a number of sta
tons on both shores of the Straits of Ko-
rea so that the government may have
the earliest possible information respect
ing the movements of ships through the
straits. This is supposed to be in antici-
patton of trouble with Russia.
Japan is a nom Christian and thorough
" Asiatic nation. and is imbued with that
dislike for and suspicion of all white
men which is common to all Asiatic
races. Should she gain her desired foot
play upon that race prejudice to bring
the Chinese under her influence. She
would organize and drill the Chinese army
and secure such differential duties in her
favor that the doors of the Chinese mar
kets would be practically closed to the
commerce of other nations. A well in
formed diplomat has declared it to be his
belief that if Japan were TO succeed in
her plans, as they have become plain
to close observers of the trend of events
in the Far East, she would be in a posi-
ton to control China, and that she would
set the face % the East against all of
the Western and Christian Powers and
bid them defiance. If it is true that the
Powers have invited Japan to send a
force of troops into China to quell the
uprising of the Boxers, it is probable
that they are playing into her hands.
Once she has gained a predominating
foothold in the Flowery Kingdom, she
win be extremely reluctant to return
to the formerly existing status, Japan
and Russia, however, are the only Pow
ers in a position at present 90 throw
large bodies of troops quickly into China,
and it is probably the case that the other
Powers are more reluctant TO trust Rus
sia than Japan in China.