The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-29
OPEN DOOR, A
JAP ANESE JOKE
Up to the Present Time the
Laugh Appears to Be on
Uncle Sam.
CLASH CERTAIN TO COME
PEsSIMIsTIc VIEW OF A NOTED
ENGLlsHMAN.

Vancouver, B. c.. May 2S.-G. c. bruce,
former mayor OF oxford. England, secre-
tary to the Botanical Society of Great
Britain and curator of the herbarium of
the University OF oxford. who has just
arrived here from the orient after an ex-
tensive tour of China, Korea and Japan,
gives a highly interesting but somewhat
pessimistic account OF Japan's military
and political activity in the far east and
the effect of the visit of the American
battleship fleet to that part of the
world.
while the official classes are reserved.
the Japanese people are not the least per-
turbed over the dispatch of the American
battleships 10 the orient" said Mr. bruce.
"Of course, everybody in the far east ex-
cept the diplomats. associate the demon
StratlOn of Americas naval power with
the Manchurian trade question. The
famous open door policy advocated by all
the white races Is in reality a nullity.'
Japan, declares Mr.. bruce, has COM
pleteiy- reversed the open door, policy in
Manchuria, excepting her OWR people.
Preparing for Emergency.
With the arrival of the American bat
tleship fleet in the Pacific and the talk
of trouble with the United States i'm the
future, japanese statesmen. Mr.. BRUCE be
lieves, are preparing for any emergency.
Port Arthur, the former Russian strong
hold, is being made virtually impre gnable
while the Notifications at Dalny, a sea-
port and the railway terminal on the
main land. now occupied by the japanese,
are being rushed to completion with fever
ish haste
Mr.. bruce gives it as his opinion that
a clash with the powers over a cOntinu-
ance of the discriminatory policy now be-
ing carried out in favor OF japanese sub
jects in the orient is Inevitable Even if
Japan is compelled to back down. he be-
lieves her surrender will bring its ad-
"Since Japan took possession Of Man
ChuTia. said Mr.. DruCe she has handi-
capped all her competitors by a system
OF duties or impOsts which do not apply
TO japanese citizens. The issue is a live
one in the orient today, and. unless / am
there will be some develop
ments ere long. Every European trader
OF commercial travler I met had the same
story to relate Of the methods adopted bv
Japan to keep European goods out of
Japan, although poor. is an aggressive
nation. which will not surrender her ad-
won by a successful war. even
against united front. unless she gets
some cOmpensating advantages. Japan is
IN ManchIlria to stay The coming, Of tire
American fleet has not been overlooked nv
her statesmen. who believe in preparing
for any contingency which NAV arise in
the next few years.
Great Military ACTIVITY.
Port Arthur, which witbstood = Iore
siege before its downfall. is being made
almost impregnable. 1t is a second Gib
altar. During my visit there 1 saw evi-
1ences Of great military activity. New
batteries are being built evervwbere If
Port Arthur was strong during the Rus
sian occupation, il will soon be rendered
LOUDLY so. Dalny is also being fortified
with almost feverish haste Hitherto il
had few defenses and was abandoned nv
the Russians early in the same war
Dalny IS now Japanese city. In Korea
we heard many complaints of the tvran-
meal oppression Of the natives by the
Japanese"