Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-29
JAPAN'S ACTIVITY
Former Mayor of Oxford Gives an Interesting Account of
 Military Work.

Vancouver. B. C., May 29.-G. c
 Druce, former mayor of Oxford, Eng
 land, secretary of the Botanical soci ety of Great Britain and curator ol
 the Herbarium of the University oi
 Oxford, who has just arrived here from the Orient, after an extensive
 tour of China, Korea and Japan gives highly interesting but some what 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 re- served, the Japanese people are not the least perturbed over the dispatch of the American battleships to the Orient" said MT Druce "Of course everybody in the far east except the diplomats associate the demonstra- tion of American 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 Mir Druce, has con- pletely reversed the "open door" pol icy in Manchuria excepting to her own people.
 With the arrival of the American battleship fleet in the Pacific and the talk of trouble with the United States in the future, Japanese statesmen. MT Druce believes, are preparing for an emergency. Port Arthur, the former Russian stronghold, is being made virtually impregnable while the for tifications at Dalny, seaport and the railway terminus on the main line, now occupied by the Japanese are be- ing rushed to completion with haste. MT Druce gives 1t as his opinion that clash with the powers over con- tinuance of discretionary policy now being carried out in favor of Japanese subjects in the Orient is in- evitable. Even if Japan is compelled to back down, he believes her sur render will bring its advantages.
 Since Japan took possession of Manchuria," said MT Druce, she has handicapped all her competitors by system of duties on imports which do not apply to Japanese citizens. The issue is live one in the Orient to- day, and unless I am misinformed there will be some developments ere long. Every European trader or con- mercial traveller I have met had the same story to relate of the methods adopted by the Japanese to keep. European goods out of Manchuria.
 Japan, although poor, is an ag- gressive Japan, which will not sur render her advantages won by successful war, even against a unit ed front unless she gets some com pensation. Japan is in Manchuria to stay. The coming of the Amer lean fleet has not been overlooked by her statesmen who believe in for any contingency which may arise in the next few years.
 Port Arthur, which wi.hstood a long siege before its downfall, is made almost impregnable. It is second Gibraltar. During my visit there saw evidences of great mili- Iary activity. New batteries were being built everywhere. If Port Arthur was strong during the Rus sian occupation it will soon be rem tered doubly strong.
 Dalny is also being fortified with | almost feverish haste. Hitherto 1t lad few defenses and was abandoned | 1y the Russians early in the same var. Dalny Is the great port of en- ny for Manchuria. It is now a Japanese city.