The Washington herald., 1907-04-14
ENGLANDS EMBARRASSING DILEMMA

President Roosevelt addressed TO one Of
them at the White House when he ex-
claimed: Beware Of keeping your far
North empty" Australia is within easy
steaming distance Of China and Japan.
The temptation. therefore. Of the yellow
man 20 take advantage OF the emptiness
Of these Northern regions Of Australia
for purposes of settlement is very
great. and were it not for the laws
OF exclusion, which are bitterly resented
in Japan as well as in China. would soon
assume enormous proportions. That these
laws should be respected Is. under the
circumstances. "a matter for some surprise.
For. owing to the difficulty of policing
these Northern regions Of what IS virtual
ly "a huge continent rather than a mere
island. thousands OF Japanese and Chinese
might settle a various points and thrive
and prosper for years until discovered.
when possibly their numbers would have
swollen to such an extent as 10 render
it a matter Of impossibility 10 expeI them,
save by means OF an army.
IT cannot be denied that the Japanese
themselves have done every thing in their
power to convey to the Australians the
idea that they are bent upon securing
sooner or later partial or total posses
sion OF the continent Not merely the
press Of Japan. bat even the very officers
and men of the Mlkado's squadron which
visited Melbourne and other Australian
ports IN May last year. have not hesitated
10 express the Intention Of eventually
having this country" Moreover. Japan
ese war ships have repeatedly been dis
covered taking soundings along the Aus
tralian coasts. especially in the north,
landing here and there to ascertain the
character Of the soil. the presence Of
water, &c; in one word. the lay Of the
country. while so far as the existing
defenses Of Melbourne. OF Sydney. and
OF the other great commercial centers and
seaports Of Soathern Australia are con-
cerned, the japanese are better acquaint-
ed with them even than the average
Australian. despite the attempts made by
the colonial and imperial authorities to
prevent anything about their character
from becoming known. An amusing Illus
tration OF this was given on one occasion
some two or three years ago. when Ad-
miral Kamimura was leaving Melbourne
with his squadron, after being most hos
Pitably entertained and feasted. The ad-
miral instead of leading his war ships
along the usual channel, out of Hobsen's
Bay, suddenly put his helm hard over.
and brought his feet sknIfuly through
treaCherous water into good deep patch
right away from the ordinarily navigated
sections OF the coast. The spot was SEEM
ingly under the muzzles OF the most
powerful guns IN the Port Philip defenses.
But as a matter of fact ii was the
only little stretch Of water into which
vessels could 60 without the guns of
the forts being able to reach Them Any
where else the guns could have shel!ed
an enemy to destruction. Admiral KAN
imura and his navigating officers, how
ever knew the locality. When he had
reached this spot. known technically as
the dead water he drew up his squad
ron IN order OF battle, cleared the decks
for action, and then ;ae imperial and
Australian officers of artillery gathered
on the heights ashore. saw with astonish-
ed eyes an hours marvellous maneuver-
ing and instruetionaI drill, in the course
Of which the japanese guns were trained
on the vulnerable points Of the forts
with the most wonderful accuracy. Nor
had the ships guns been shotted, could
the batteries on shore have fired a single
effective round In reply. There are hum
dTeds OF instances of the same kind which
Australians are ready 20 relate in illus
trati0n Of the grounds for their conviction
that Japan is bent on securing eventual
possession of Australia. With her power
ful navy within easy steaming distance
and with a big mercantile fleet at her
disposal for use as military transports,
she could pour an army, such as that
which defeated Russia, into Australia
long before either ships could arrive from
England or troops even from India If
Japan were TO effect a landing in the
North, she would ind no one TO oppose
her, while II she attacked Melbourne
or any southern ports, It is doubtful
whether the resistance would prove eff
eacious, for the naval and military
forces. imperial and colonial, at the dis
pOsal of Great Britain for the defense
of Australia. are entirely inadequate for
purposes of protection against such an
invasion.
Bitter has been the resentment excited
in the Mikado's dominions against the
United States in connection with the
attitude of California toward the Japan
ese, It is like nothing compared to their
animosity toward the Australians. AUS
tralians are. indeed. the special object of
popular dislike IN Japan, where the policy
of the Commonwealth government is re-
garded in the light of an intolerable IN
dignity, that calls not merely for Inn
mediate removal, but likewise for future