Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-15
THE CONTROL OF THE PACIFIC.


THE CONTROL OF TBE PACIFIC.
Out of the cheers of enthusiastic
present visit to Australia comes a new
note of concern over the alleged plans
of Japan and China for a mastery of
the Pacific n a new plea for CO
operation among the Anglo-Saxon ma
tions against the invasion of "the yell
low peril" Officials of Australasia
have not hesitated to couple their well
come to the American fleet with ex-
pressions Of concern over the future
domination of the Pacific and of hope
that America may come to the aid of
Australia in keeping orientals in the
orient.
The situation gives rise to complica-
lions that cannot be pleasing to the
British authorities, in view of the fact
that Great Britain is in working har-
mony with Japan, expecting protection
of British interests and influence. in
the far east, and thus making 1t EN-
barrassing for the British government
to become active in checking Japanese
aggression in the Pacific. The British
colonies have felt the effects of this
peculiar condition for some time, and
undoubtedly some liberal share of
their enthusiastic welcome to the
American fleet is due to the fact that
it forms, to a degree, a protest against
England's failure to keep a fleet in
the Pacific for the protection OF Aus
tralasia. This matter has been before
the British Admiralty for discussion,
and the decision has been reached that
the British naval policy will be best
conserved by keeping the British fleet
intact, leaving Canada and Australia
to depend for protection on England's
alliances with foreign powers. Canada
is apparently satisfied with this policy,
but the situation is entirely different
in Australia, where shrewd observers
have long held that the real yellow
peril" lay in the overrunning OF Aus
tralia by the Chinese, thus giving the
Asiatic races a foothold and a vantage
ground from which to operate for the
establishment of their supremacy in
the Pacific, A writer in the National
Review recently called attention to
this condition in an article in which
he said:
Northern Australia is easily accessible
from the most densely peopled part OF
China. Almost directly to the north, at a
distance Of 1900 miles. lies the continental
Monaghan country, overcrowded almost to
the utmost point of endurance; to the south,
the unoccupied coast of a continent
stretching 2,4OO miles from east to west.
offering freedom. well-being, and condi-
lions of untrammeled prosperity, such as
the Chinese race has never known In 1000
years. Into this open and inviting field
the overlooking millions of Chinese are
sure to pour, in fact, are now pouring. An
influx of Chinese means an influx of Jap
anese, ,and the two races once established
in Australia would mean a considerable
vantage ground for the commercial con-
troll of the Pacific by oriental nations.
The Australians are keenly alive to
the situation. The address of the New
Zealand Legislature to Rear Admiral
Sperry contained the assertion that
"the people of New Zealand recognize
an unwritten Anglo-American entente
far more enduring than one formally
declared through their diplomatic
agencies" This, of course, referent to
the recent Anglo-Japanese treaty,
which n Auckland paper character
lied as "a temporary expedient to Sc
cure peace" The press of New Zea-
land processes to see for the early flu
ture a struggle for the mastery of THE
Pacific, in which the United States and
Great Britain will be natural allies
against the combined forces of China
and Japan.
The United States has been highly
successful in evading entangling alli-
ences with any foreign power, but
there is no telling what action may be
forced upon the country as a result Of
its unavoidable entry into the field of
world politics. 1t is interesting to
Eote, however, and also reassuring,
that in the case of the much talked Of
struggle between this country and
Japan for the commercial or naval
supremacy of the Pacific, Australia,
end, through that colony, Great Brit
ain, may be relied upon as the natural
allies of the United States in prevent
ing Asiatic domination of the Pacific.
THE STANDARD on CASE.
Attorney General Bonaparte has