The Washington herald., 1908-03-22


United States or Great Britain. and
that is why the impending demonstration
of an understanding between these Two
powers. on the subject OF perfect equality
of all nations in that mighty ocean. and
In favor OF the maintenance OF the statu
quo, is exciting so much sympathetic in
tereSt on the banks Of the Seine The
French cannot forget that al the time Of
the FashOda imbroglio between Great
Britain and France at the moment when
the crisis WAS most acute. and when the
question OF peace or war was trembling
in the balance. every officer OF the general
stan al Tokyo was at his post ready %
respond 10 the orders mOmeHtarily ex-
pected. for the immediate mobilization and
embarkation Of couple of army corps
for the invasion Of Frances possessions
in the South Of China
No AngIO-Japanese Alliance.
| There was no such thing as an alliance
in those days between England and ia
PAN not even any understanding. But
the japanese had already then. by means
| Of their marvellous intelligence depart
ment. taken the measure OF the efficacy
Of the support which the Gar would
I have been able to give to France in the
I far East, and il was considered at To-
I kyo that the outbreak OF war between
/ England and France would afford par
( tlcularly favorable opportunity for ia
pan 10 not merely settle old scores with
/ France. but likewise 10 secure a magnifi-
4 cent foothOId on the mainland, and 70
/ establish her prestige as one Of the great
military and naval powers OF the world
Sir Edmund MOnsOn. the British am
I bassador in Paris. found means Of Undue
.ag France to comply with the demands
OF his government, and TO withdraw from
Fashoda without delivering tie ultima
! tum which he had been directed 10 pre-
sent. and a Franco-English war. which
would have been calamitous from a po-
litical and stin more from ar economic
point Of view, was averted- In conse-
quence thereof the order for the mobiliza-
ton at Tokyo was not given. But before
the end OF the year there was not q for
I eiga legation al Tokyo and Pekin. and
only a few OF the governments in Eu-
rope. which had not become aware OF
what had been Japans intentions With
! regard 10 Frances possessions in the
/ Orient.
Germany l. ApPrehensive.
Germany, too. has been quite apprehen-
sive Of japanese aggression with regard
10 her Chinese colony OF Kiao-ehau, and
Of her possessions in the Pacific Ocean.
including New Guinea. the Bismarck
Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands.
while she likewise views with concern
the altogether remarkable invasion OF
the Dutch East Indies by the japanese,
where the latter are gradually securing
control OF industry and trade. and ae-
quiring so much power and influence that
quite recently the Sultan Of BGnka. one
OF the Javanese Vassal princes. who has
been giving the Dutch authorities a great
deal Of trouble. visited Tokyo for the
purpose Of appealing for the protection
Of Japan against the Netherlands
As for Australia. SO much has been
! written OF her fears Of a Japanese inya-
] sion. and OF her efforts TO avert the peril
Z BY the enactment Of the most rigorous
Asiatic exclusion laws. aimed particularly
against the people OF Dai Nippon. that il
is unnecessary 20 say much here on the
. subject. beyond recalling the fact that Sir
John Ward, premier OF the Dominion OF
/ New Zealand and one OF the leading
D statesmen OF the Antipodes- gave express
2 sion 10 the views entertained by the on
J cial and popular sentiment of Australasia
= when he publicly declared last year: The
c Japanese are our natural enemies against
: whom we shall have TO struggle in the
e future; and We cannot allow them 10
Z come in and settle in our country as they
{ please; nor do We want the imperial gov
] eminent TO enter into treaties with for
I eign nations that would give them right
r TO claim an entry into the colonies against
our wishes and TO the injury Of our inter
ests."
IL Is Not SeIhshness.
It is not the selfshness OF trades unions
e that is leading the Australasian govern
e ments 10 keep the japanese out Of their
( territory. Il is the fear that sooner or
I later Japan viii attempt TO secure posses
I sion Of Great Britain's dependencies un-
r der the Southern Cross. In fact. the vel
low peril is regarded by australians as
$ an ever-spreading and growing shadow
2 over the future Of their country. Japan.
Ike China, IS overpopulated. and stands
in urgent need Of an outlet for her over
= flowing millions On the other hand a
= vast portion OF Northern Australia is viz
tually empty. as far as the white races
5 are concerned. The extent TO which this
e is the case Will be appreciated when it
= is explained that the ratio OF white popu-
o lation is about one 20 every 70l square
s miles. Australian statesmen are fond. in
j this connection. OF citing warning which
President Roosevelt addressed 10 one OF
( ! them little over a year ago at the
= White House. when. IN discussing the
o danger of Asiatic immigration. he ex-
= claimed: Beware of keeping your far
2 north empty"
How timely this warning may be
y gathered from the fact that owing 20 the
( difficulty of policing these northern
n regions Of what is virtually a huge con
tinent rather than mere island, thou
sands Of japanese, in defiance If the ex-
n clasion laws. settle at various points. and
: thrive and prosper for years. until dis
: covered. when their numbers have swollen
" 10 such an extent as 10 render it a mat
= ter OF impossibility 10 expel them. save
d by means Of an army. That the japanese
Il people themselves have done everything
q in their power to convey TO the Austria
. lians the idea that they are bent upon
. securing. sooner or later not merely the
: mastery Of the Pacific. but also partial or
y total possession Of the continent, cannot
a be denied
Japanese Make SOundinKs.
: Not merely the press Of Japan, but even
{ the very officers and men OF the Mikado's 5
h feet which visited Melbourne and other
n Australian ports Just two years ago. have
: not hesitRted 10 express the intention OF
q | eventually having this country" More
= = over. Japanese war ships have repeatedly
: been discovered taking soundings along
the Australian coasts especially in the
: north, landing here and there. TO ascer-
!, tain the character Of the soil. the pres
ence of water: in one word. the lay OF the
I, country
. Constituting as the Australians do the
: dispatch OF the American battle4ship fleet
= on a visit 10 their ports. in the light OF
a friendly warning TO Japan that there