The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-30
LITTLE LOVE LOST BETWEEN RUSSIANS AND THE JAPANESE Only Question of Time Until
 They Collide in Man
 churia JAPAN STIRRED BY
 CHURCH SCANDALS Buddhist Priests Indicted for Embez- zling Four Million Dollars-Count Otani Was Picturesque Figure of the Church

Tokio. August 2a.-(SpeciaL) )--Japan's all l lance with Great Britain and her war with Germany. making her appear indi- rectly as an ally of Russia in the Euro pean war, lends a keen significance to an interview with General Hunterberger, former governor general of the Russian | Maritime Provinces, which appeared re- gently in the Russian Fisheries and Trade Review" published at f1akodate. | It immediately brought up an active dis cission of the Japanese relations.
 In the event of a war breaking out on | the European frontiers, he said, Russia would be prepared to face the invadion | of Japanese troops over her eastern fron- | tiers. At any cost, he argued. defensive | preparations in the east must be equal to | those of the west
 While he thought Russians should re- frain from an aggressive policy. he de- cared that if Japan continued her eco homie invasion of Manchuria. which had already reached the frontier of the Rus sian zone of influence, Japan and Russia | were liable to come into collision sooner or later in Manchuria. He believed that peace between the two countries would only be strengthened by keeping their armaments on an equal footing. Expects Another Conflict. He estimated that the population of Russia would reach more than SooooO,o0O in another 50 years The only outlet of the increased population was Siberia and other Asiatio territories. Their prospec- l tive competitors were the yellow races, whose migration into these maritime l provinces at present was far greater than that of Russian immigrants. The Russian authorities were well advised to
 put heavy restrictions on the inflow Of yellow people.
 | It was a mistake, he argued, that the
 law of exclusion applying to Chinese should not also include Koreans. The
 idea that Koreans would easily assimilate l was false. Forming their own villages
 wherever they went, they kept firmly to their old customs and ways. and were
 more formidable as future rivals to Rus
 sian immigrants than Chinese, who were
 only merchants or laborers whose set clement in these provinces was temporary
 The Japanese had invested an enormous
 sum of money in ornaments with eye to assuming the highest place in far east ern politics, he said, and 1t was natural that the Japanese should demand an ade- quate return for the capital invested;
 but he foresaw that their forward move
 might mean danger. For that reason
 he argued that the replction of Russian
 armament in the east should not be neg, lected for moment. .gr'
 He concluded: "It cannot be too much emphasized that the Russian army in the east should be strong to hold its ground against the move onward of Japan, which
 is steadily preparing against possible | emergencies"
 Church Scandal Stirs Japan. Indictments which have been returned
 charging five Buddhist priests with the
 embezzlement of approximately $4,000, GOO,
 together with allegations that the corrup-
 ton has extended to some prominent of fcials attached to the, Imperial palace in
 Toxio. and the resignation of the distin-
 guished abbot, Count Otani. of the west
 ern Hongtnji sect, because of the scan
 dal and his announced intention of m-
 grating to Chile to begin life .anew as a
 farmer, have constituted sensation for all Japan
 Count Otanis case Is of absorbing in- tterest. The Western Honganji sect, founded 700 years ago. has been one of the !
 Today it has a debt of some s5,00o,000.
 The sect has a beautiful temple at Kioto,
 and it's leader, Count Otani, had over q million followers throughout the empire He is one of the most picturesque and , commanding figures in Japan, although . only 30 years of age.
 ' His great idea was to make Buddhism
 of the East as strong force in the world as the Christianity of the West. Ht travelled much abroad He went through , China, studied Buddhism in India, made Investigations in England. sent favoritt priests on long journeys to all parts of | the world, equipped an exploration tt Central Asia, started a religious propo. | ganda on a large scale for the diffusion of Buddhism and kept in touch with the world problems to an exceptional degree He spent much time and money in estab fishing Buddhist schools In which hi priests were educated, bought and solt land, harbored an ambition to become { member of the house of peers, and bull a magnificent palace on the top of Rok kosan, mountain near Kobe
 He saw that Christianity. as he put 1t
 was like a strong chain that joined thu countries of Enrope together He pre-
 dicted time when there might be { = great clash between oriental Buddhism , and occidental Christianity, and wondered . whether Buddhism would be stron,
 
 Fl His ambition was to strengthen Budd hism so that when the great combat cam | the religion of the East would predomi nate.
 An Ardent Buddhist.
 In Japan Buddhism found it's greates strength. he believed. Returning to la pan he began vigorous campaign. H III preached his doctrines and his ideas Il He told the young men that they shoul l go abroad as missionaries, specially to tn
 uncultured parts of the world. for tn | diffusion of Buddhism. His students be gan to dream of adventures in far dis III tant lands. Some went to Australia an II others to the Pacific coast of Sout IT Africa.
 M Then he conceived gigantic scheme J explore Central Asia. He was convince J that a Buddhist party would be able | . make discoveries that would strengthe i, the claims of Buddhism upon the work | Older priests pleaded with the abbot nc | I