The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-07

practically impossible for America &
secure a naval base for operations il
| European waters Forts, mines, TOR
pedoes, torpedo boats and submarine
are valuable accessories, but such de
fenses have never stopped a determined
commander of a great fleet. They dit
not stop Nelson at Copenhagen, no
/ Farragut at Mobile bay, nor Dewey a
Manila. Such defenses never determin,
the issues of a war, and have no weigh
in lettering an enemy from seeking
war The forts that we have are woe
fully unnamed, whereas the troop.
needed for other Iandward defens,
could not be modified within the tim,
necessary"
Possible War With Japan.
The possibility of a conflict with ia.
pan was discussed at length by Mr.
HobSon. He said it was but perfectly
natural for japan to aspire TO dom
mate the commerce of China, the com
merce of Asia and of the Pacific ocean
And, he added, it was perfectly natura
for Japan to seek to control the poll.
cies of China and TO attain supremacy
in the Pacific ocean, and to lead thu
yellow race toward a recognized su.
premacy i'm the world.
With regard to the great nations oi
the white race, Mr.. Hobson said, "it is
of course, clear to the Japanese states
men that America is the one great ma.
ton standing athwart of the realization
of these ambitions. 1t is true that
America only asks a fair chance and
no favor-simply the open-door policy
in China-but this policy goes counter
to Japanese ambitions
The United States, said Mr. Hobson
must accept Japan's protestations OF
friendship, and we should most cordial
ly reciprocate friendly feelings, and
should realize that if any breach should
come between the two countries il
would be our fault on account of being
defenseless, and not the fault of Japan
Japanese Preparations.
Pursuing his analysis of the condi-
uoEs in the Pacific. Mr.. Hobson de-
clared that I'VE cannot ignore the fact
Japan has undertaken stupendous wal
preparations, preparations which have
doubled the national debt of Japan
since the war with Russia was over. Ii
is estimated that she has between 3O0,-
900 and 100000 men under arms, vet
there is no menace from the armies of
Siberia or the armies of China or the
armies of Europe. No nation since the
world began ever maintained such an
army, under such conditions, except as
a preparation for an early campaign
of aggression"
Facts Cannot Be Ignored.
Continuing. MIR. Hobson said that
Notwithstanding the fact that five bat
tleships of the Russian navy had been
added to the Japanese navy, and al
though the Russian fleet had vanished
from the Pacific ocean, and there was
no fleet of any size of any European
nation in that ocean, and no fleet of
any European nation that was avail
able TO be sent away from Europe into
those regions, yet Japan has launched
upon stupendous program of naval
expansion. Some, he said, had mag
ined that Japan's warlike preparations
We're intended for China. but, he de-
clared, no one could conceive how a
great new navy would be needed.
whereas there is scarcely a Chinese
gunbOat. The United States, he said.
could not ignore the fact that warlike
activities have been going on in Japan
ar a teVerish rate" since the war with
Russia. He said Japan had made great
purchases of war material abroad. He
pointed particularly to the fact that
America had supplied 100000 rifle bar
rels, although our own troops have not
yet been supplied with new rifles. -
Neither could the United States ignore
the fact, he maintained, that two naval
bases had been established in Formosa
and the PescadOres islands, down near
Luzon, and that as soldiers were dis
charged at Hiroshima they emigrated
to Hawaii.
Spies in the Philippines.
Mr.. Hobson charged that Japanese
spies have been diligent and active
throughout the Philippines. in our out
lying possessions, throughout all parts
of America, i'm our forts, arsenals, ship
yards, and particularly up and down
the coast along the Pacific, in noting
the elements of Americas defense and
and charting harbors and ap-
prOaches from the rear to our coast
wise forts and to our cities
referring to the situation in San
Francisco. Mr.. HobsOn declared that
the most trifling incidents there were
seized upon and made great interna-
tional affairs.
when we realize" said he. that
in case of war with Japan we could
do nothing practically TO harm that
country, whereas we would be ex-
posed on an SldeS 10 INJURY that CAN
not be computed, it becomes a matter
Of absolute necessity for our peace and
tranquility that we should not only
have naval force in the Pacific as
large as that of Japan, but that on
account Of our strategic disadvants ges
we should have a very substantial
margin of superiority"
In conclusion, Mr. Hobson said:
1T may be remarked that at this
critical juncture, when the world is
drifting towards wars, that the failure
on the part of America TO build up
the naval power adequate to keep
peace in the Pacific ocean will be liza
bic TO entail not only a war between
America and Japan, but ultimately
war between the white race and the
yellow race, and engender a hatred and
anger between the races that would
prevent the carrying of the gospel Of
peace throughout Asia. The true pol
lex for a Christian to advocate is to
have his country, the great peace coun-
try, keep the peace. secure and create
the opportunity for the church to reach
the myriads of Asia and carry the
gospel until every knee shall bow"
IA~@H |