The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-21
JAPANESE WAR
PREPARATIONS
They Are Attempts to Bring
Up Paper Strength to
Actual Strength.
advertiser Correspondence, Copyright
by Frederic ]. Haskinl

advertiser Correspondence, Copyrigh
by Frederic ]. Haskin.l
| TOXIC, May 5.-War is the bushes.
of the japanese nation. 1t is in wal
| that it has excelled; it is by war thar
| it has come to its present diplomatic
rank among the powers; and it is to-
ward war that every energy of its
greatest men is bent. Those who rule
the government are themselves vet
Grams of successful wars and they are
today preparing for other wars-with
whom and for what no man knows
Every cent that can be squeezed from
the poverty-stricken people of Japan
is being turned into engines of war.
No matter how industry, education and
agriculture may suffer, the military
and naval establishments must be ex-
tended, exalted, perfected
Notwithstanding this warlike spirit,
it is seriously to be doubted if Japan
can measure up to the somewhat
romantic ideal which many Occidentals
have created in their own minds. 1t
cannot be disputed that Japan has
fought two wars within fourteen years,
that it was victor in both, that these
wars were fought with the two most
populous nations on earth, and that in
the last one all records of modern war
fare, in point of number of men en-
gagged, were excelled. Yet it is equally
true that this first war was fought with
a country absolutely without military
and that when the end of the
second war came, Japan was almost
exhausted and quite willing to accept
peace propositions which were a Dip
lomatic victory for it's vanquished
enemy.
But the alarmist who sees an all
Yellow Peril will exclaim
that Japan can put into the field at a
notice an army of a million
6Te-tested soldiers. 1t can do nothing
Of the kind. AS a matter of fact, in
is army of 10000 men today there are
not more than 10000 who saw service
n the campaign against the Russians.
The same alarmist will say that the
Japanese soldier is possessed of a BRAY
cry that is more than human, that he
holds to the ancient code of Bushi-do
md would rather die in battle than to
i've in peace, and that therefore the
apanese soldier is more than a match
or any man who has natural ideas
lbout self preservation. Even the
Japanese themselves laugh at this no.
ion. 1t is true that all Japanese are
patriotic and that most of those of the
over classes believe in the divinity OF
he Emperor, but they are not any
more anxious to die than other people.
The japanese officers who forced their
wn men to fight at the point of a re-
oliver know that the Japanese soldier
; brave, but that like all other human
'eings he is fallible, and sometimes is
fraid.
The japanese navy has the advan-
age, so it is said, of having fought
he greatest sea battle of modern
lines, of having won that battle, and !
therefore, is ahead of all other navies
4 actual experience. The fact that {
a pans present navy has fought
reat sea battle is not so great an
dvantage when it is remembered that 1
ig guns are soon worn out. Many of
ne guns on Admiral Togo's ships were
lready useless when he won his great
ictory After that battle was over, :
lore than half the armament of the Y
apanese navy was worthless. It is to t
cline or to replace these guns, and to [
epair these ships, and to restore the
aptured Russian ships that the Jap