The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-19

regulars, are a mere fraction, being
about $4,000 officers and men. Our
MALTA or national guard has an or
ganized strength of approximately
l25, 900 that may be called on for
defense or service. Taking these
figures as basis there is-little space
for comparison.
The Official Report
The official report Of the japanese
budget just published makes the fol-
lowing provision for an ordinary ex-
penditure on the army of 79,S73.5O4
yen and an additional amount of
l2,O87 1888 yen is provided. While
the ordinary expenditure on the
navy will amount to 40, 0,999,574 yen,
although 59,790.460 yen is available
for that purpose.
The above mentioned, being the
round sum of $75,572,133, in our
currency, has been provided by the
diet in its recommendation of the
army and navy budget for the year
1914. In further strengthening
their fighting facilities Japan has
greatly advanced in their efforts to
develope an efficient aerial fleet,
which at present is superior to that
of the U. S. Considering their re-
cent achievements they bid fair to
rise in the near future, to an envia-
BILE position among the world pow
ers.
So, we'll we may assume the Jap
anese are not idle In their prepara-
tions for some contemplated drastic
move towards expansion.
The question may arise as to what
would be the pursuant attitude of
our nation, should the japanese EN-
deavor to invade our domains. 1t
is true we have a powerful navy,
but they also possess navy which
is stronger than ours in the Pacific.
They have in service-2 dread
naughts. 13 battleships and IL ar
incurred cruisers, % in all in western
waters to the 18, that we maintain.
Although our fleet as whole con-
sists of 7 dreadnaughts, "a battle
ships and IL armoured cruisers.
Their cruisers, destroyers and tor
pedo boats numbering 96 to our 7S.
Nevertheless the rifles of their
men-of-war are handled by just as
skillfu. gunners as ours. That they
are expert marksmen was demon
strated in the war with Russia. a
few years ago, which proved their
supremacy as fighting machines, in
the siege of Port Arthur, of their
victorious invasion and the fall of
one of the strongest Notifications in
the world. There recently occurred
an episode to illustrate their ability
as seamen and to what drastic meas
ures they will resort to, to gain
their objective point.
In order to evade the immigration
officers, twenty Japs manned small
sampan across the great expanse of
the mighty Pacific to a point in
British Columbia near the Alaskan
border. In an exhausted condition
owing to extreme exposure and the
duration of their perilous voyage
they dld not take the precaution to
avoid the officials who apprehended
them on their disembarkment.
Consider Alaska
Our remote possession Alaska
would be very valuable asset to
Japan. There are 81 million acres
of known coal lands, which would
be available to supply the empire
for manufacturing purposes that
have been retarded in their expan-
sion owing to the scarcity of this
natural product in the islands.
They could also obtain the supply,
to coal their navy. This would be
great factor in developing their
strength in the Pacific and extending
the Yellow Peril.
The mineral supply of gold and
copper would afford an excellent
means of disposing Of the great war
debt which they would incur during
their invasion of this territory.
The minerals obtained would also
be of great commercial value for
manufacturing purposes. A large
percent of the manufactured pro-
ducts of Japan are composed ofmin-
eral substances and at present the
supply is entirely inadequate to meet
the growing demand,
With this view in mind can we
conceive logically. that the protec-
ton afforded this possession is sufi-
cient to cope with this possible IN
vasion. No! emphatically no! 1t
is not; with but 100 regulars that
are stationed throughout the terrific
ry and it's many adjacent islands.