The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-06-16
JAPANESE VS. RUSSIAN POWER.
The Mikado's Small Chance in Conflict
With the Gear.


American capitalists, with all their
ambitions in the sphere of world
politics. will scarcely provide funds for
Japan, for the simple reason that ia
pan is already over head and ears in
debt, and the native resources of the
country cannot. guarantee even the in
terest on her loans. Further, If we
come to compare the armed resources
of Japan and Russia, one may straight
way perceive the utter discrepancy be-
tween the two nations. Russia's Pa
cific squadron is twice as strong as
that of Japan. Against the army of
invasion which Japan is to transport,
one knows not exactly now, to a point
on the mainland, one knows not exact
ly where. Russia has on the spot,
ready for instant action 100000 regulars
I and 10000 Cossacks, whose martial
I qualities are known to others besides
! the natives of Asia. 1t is therefore
plain that for Japan to declare war
I against Russia would be to sign her
own death warrant.
You may, of course, say that Japan
I has a trusty ally in England; to this,
allow me to reply by the following
! question: Why was it that, in the pre-
! llminary warfare of words which be-
gan the Venezuelan dispute, England
| came forward as valiantly as her allies,
while when the Germans bombarded
Fort San Carlos, the English officers
"a went so far as to excuse themselves, in
/ talking to American officers, for hav-
| ing even been present at this spec
tacle? Personally, l answer the ques-
ton in this way, that Germany, count
i ing on her allies, England and Italy,
! was seeking friction with the United
States with a defined determination to
bring it about. England, on the other
hand. counting on bluff and on Mr..
Hays sympathies, wished to test the
Monroe doctrine, but reflected that, for
the immediate pleasure of Joining with
| Germany in the destruction of the
American feet she would have to pay
by the ultimate loss of Canada. SO
England preferred to pay with the sa-
crifice of her self-respect, which cost
nothing.
Now Russia has against England a
much weightier argument that even
| Canada: to wit India, which yields
England revenue of a billion and a
half dollars. On the very frontiers of
India stands Russias Turkestan army
numbering a quarter of a million ad-
mirable soldiers, whose mobilization
would only take the time to open the
! envelopes in which their orders and
destination are already written. This
perpetual threat directed against the
most vital point of the British empire,
while it is a constant source of petty
irritations, also serves as a most valu-
able deterrent. Englanl will not de-
clare war against Russia-eSpecially
now. If, after the Transvaal war, Eng
fish consos fell from 113 to 80, that is,
% per cent-after war with Russia
could she sell them to the German
banks for 80 per cent?
The most warlike of the American
papers do not threaten Russia with any
adversaries except England and Japan
yet several American dailies, and even
statesmen like Senator Beveridge,
menace Russia with a Conflict" 1
must admit that the meaning of this
word is not quite clear to me. Does it
mean the sending of a diplomatic note,
or something else? But my subjective
impression is, that the real profit of
this conflict will fall to the diplomatists
of Berlin, who are clearer sighted, and
can discern between serious issues and
diplomatic trifles.
(The Russian Editor of Novoie Vre-
mia in Golfers Weekly.