The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-19
JAPAN'S CONFLICT
FOR EXISTENCE AS FINANCIALLY
 SOLVENT NATION.
Enornous Debt Has Forced Taxation to . Point Which is Bringing Pow
 erty to the PopuIation.

Special Correspondence of The New
 New York Evening Post. n
 Tokio-Despite the alarming fndui- gence in war talk and other surmistng suggestive of beIligerency that have been persistently circulated by cer- tain section of the press. in regard to sJapan's intentions on the Pacific her next war is assuredly beyond the range of vision or even foresight. And yet one need not be prophet or the son of prophet to perceive that Japan IS on the verge of great conflict. Para doxical as such statement may ap- pear, if is nevertheless true. There is to be struggle. though it may not mean the clash of arms and the she'd ding of blood.
 In the first place Japan does not want war, and has no intention of do-, ing anything that might invoke trou- ble outside her borders. The fact is Japan has had enough of war Co do her for reasonably long and very inden- mite period. Her governing classes will have no more of 1t, and without them Japan could put up very poor show in favor of fight. Nothing less than the very gravest of causes could persuade them to enter upon another conflict with the sword. They have perforce arrived at the conclusion that war is rather too expensive luxury for a poor nation. The Manchurian victories, so unrivalled in glory and so unprecedented in achievement are admittedly too costly an undertaking for more than one generation. There is not a man of any common sense in Japan who has any ambition for rep etition of their atrocities; the thous- ands of orphans they created are not yet provided for; the millions in gold they buried can never be resurrected and creditors in vain are calling at the imperial doors. The last war has laid upon Japan a burden greater than she can bear. No one could contem- plate another war for Japan without desiring the nations ruin.
 But the nation is face to face with gigantic conflict, nevertheless. NOne evil always breeds others. and the hast war has left Japan in a state of fi- nncia1 depletion that only the most tremendous efforts in the way of fru- gality and thrift, can recoup. No one who knows the social conditions Of the country at present believes that Japan is going to accomplish this with out 8 pressure upon the masses that they cannot endure. In the not very dis tant future Japan will find herself confronted with conflict not Of blood, but of money; not for conquest but for existence as solvent nat ton; and the adjustment of her ti- nances will require far greater in- genuity than the taking of Manchu- ria.
 Tax Limit Reached.
 Japan's foreign debt at present is not less than 2,30O,00O,000 yen. Tne amount required to meet the annual interest at high rate on this enormous indebtedness is fast reducing the pop ulation to condition of extreme pow erty. Already the limit of the na- tion's taxable capacity has been reach ed, but the giant burden has not be- gun to move. How long can the poor est people on the face of the earth be expected to endure per capita tax of 6S yen. Even now 1t is easy to notice that vast social and industrial unrest is permeating the entire rabric of Japanese society; the threat of in. creased taxation is tightening the strain; in dozens of instances the cords