Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-02-25

also covet the immensely rich East
Indian possessions of the Dutch. This
is made clear in the following cable
from Toxic; while the dispatch from
the Hague shows that the Hollanders
realize their peril, and view the pro-
posed American REIMBURSEMENT of
Uncle Sans Far Eastern domains
with lively alarm.
BY HUGH eYAS,
lntl News Service Correspondent.
TOXIC, Feb. 25.-Japan must eX-
pand, she must expand now, she ought
to expand to the south, and a right and
proper place for her expansion would
be the two Dutch islands of Java and
Sumatra, is the substance of plea
addressed to the Japanese public by
an influential publicist.
The two islands constitute the bulk
OF what the Dutch like to call "Hol-
lands colonial empire" and in fact
they form an empire much greater in
population and area than the parent
country.
Java covers 50,554 square miles and
has a population of 3O,O9S.O 900. Sumat-
sustains population of 4.629.505
They are defended by an army of 81,
600 men. OF whom one-third are Dutch
men, two cruisers CTS and 1893 tons
respectively and a handful of gun.
boats.
The author of the plea is Yusaburo
Takekoshi, a member of the Diet, the
historian of Japanese rule in Formosa,
and Of the colonial system of Japan.
His book on Formosa is a standard
work and has been translated nto Eng,
lish. He has been editor of the two
leading papers of Toxic, and is, in
short, one of the most Influential un
official figures in Japan. His article
on the acquisition of the Dutch Indies
appeared in the January number OF
the Commercial Japan, which has the
largest circulation OF any Japanese
magazine, and II was published stimuli
) taneously in a number of other pub
locations.
First, he justifies expansion. JapaI
is young country, rich in resources
and able men and inhabited by Wig
orous people. AS the bamboo com
pletes its years growth in the spring
SO the Japanese nation should enlarge
her territory while she is young. NJ
doubt while doing this the japanese
will be called aggressive by European!
and Americans, but what nation ha!
ever expanded except by war? HI
hopes the Japanese will become lik,
the British who, having been aggres
sive In their time, are now a great ma
ton and can denounce any others wht
seek to become great by the SAM
method
History teaches that all nations
have expanded towards the south
Korea and Manchuria weaken Japan
A peninsular country is always weak
The South Sea Islands are the field t
Caroline and Marshall Islands, which
Japan has acquired from Germany, ar,
mere rocks. Java and Sumatra ar,
the real prizes of the South Seas.
Mr.. Takekoshi dwells on the strate
gical positions of these islands an,
points out that If Japan possessed
naval base in the Sunder Straits an,
had a strong flotilla of submarines n
European power, however strong
could force passage. First of al
he would advocate the acquisition O
the islands from the strategic view.
But there Is also Japan's civilizin
mission. The western powers Away
say 1t Is a burden upon them to hav
Now that japan has attained Wester
civilization 1t is the duty of the JaI
anese to relieve the. Occidental pow
ers Of part of "the white mans buI
den." Besides, It is held that til
Japanese have Malay blood in thei
veins, and II is thus duty to say
those countries of their forefatheI
from Dutch administration, of whic
Mr.. Takekoshi has low opinion.
The article finishes with the decl
IttIOu ludL blIlCe inc DulCn nave IdlS
to improve the condition of the nj
tives the Japanese are justified
seizing the islands.
When foreigners or foreign new
papers call attention to the chauvi
lstic utterances of Japanese, the o
ficlal answer invariably is that II
ciews objected TO are those Of the We
low press or irresponsible politician
Mr.. Takokoshi Is one of the mo-
prominent publlcists In Japan, a mel
Der of the Diet for many years.
writer on history.
He has been TO Europe and Americ
he has studied scores of Europes
books on Just this question that |
argues. and he is as good n represe
tative of influential opinion as can |
found In the whole Japanese empir
Yet man OF this type calmly adv
Gates the seizure Of the territory OF
nation with whom japan is on cordi