New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-06
viii Japan Fight Russia'
Blu Adachi Kinnosuke

No eager and ready Eyes" 10 the above ques-
,ion will be Forthcoming from Japan. For
such war is war of conquest, pure ano
simple. Itmeans also the creation OF a SECOND
Russo-Japauese war-which is happily ana
effectively dead now Another. and a rather
pertinent. query is whether Japan is imam
cislly and economically able to carry out
scheme OF conquest Of that sort. Leading
economists of Japan would be bitterly op-
posed to it. including such men as baron
Takahashi. Professor Tsumurs and ali 'ne
rest who oppose what is called the cont
mental policy" of Japan.
Besides the maritime province IS not saen
gittering prize as is generally SUPPOSED
There is mistaken idea that the Primorsh
is a promised land of flowing honey and miik
that il is a vast agricultural wonderlahu'
Nothing is fukther from the actual truth
Attitude of the United States
And then there is the United States When
japan drove the Germans out OF klaochao
American public opinion was not SLOW 10
point the finger of condemnation at Japan
The American press was filed with the pct
ure Of Japan driving the first wedge IN ner
tnholy scheme of the conquest OF emma / ne
OCCUPATION of the maritime province OF 81
IBERIA would look in the eyes OF the Oniteo
states like the birth OF another Germany IN
the Far East And Japan would be much
HACKER and more sinister in American
ewes than the Germany in Europe because
Tanan il nearer to the United States and be-
cause she is yellow" power And japan
would not like that at all. That is about the
last thing that Japan would like to see o,
all the black perturbations of international
oil IL tho attitude OF
the United States which fences out Japan
from, the Asian continent. as we'll as from
tho Americans on this side of the PACING
certainly infinitely more effectively than Rus
STA does.
Then. too. Japan has learned a good lesson
with Corea-a lesson she is not likely to for-
oct soon-natnely. it is neither pleasant nor
profitable 70 make your neghbors country
= mart of vour own. This is utterly contrary
N what some of the American papers say
about the sinister design of Japan on China;
hut never mind them it is true. When she
can have all the wealth producing advantages
in Manchuria and in the maritime province
If Siberia without the annoyance and eX-
ncnditure Of administration why should sne
insist on spending her good money FOR no
other commodity than the enmty OF your
neichbors and the hatred and distrust OF tne
other powers of the world? That is not
,cnse. Whatever else Japan is. she is neltner
downright idiot nor an incurable lunatic.
The Russo-Japanese Alliance
Tbon. again. there is the present Terauchi
Cabinet and its foreign policy. All tnis 'a'A
of attacking Russia would sound Ike cheap
warn in the ears of those who know the pres
ent Foreign Minister of Japan, Niscount MO-
tono. 1t was he who signed the Russo
Japanesc agreement of July 3d. 1907 lie was
the negotiator of the Russo-Japanese cohVen-
ton of 1910, and it was he who put through
the Russo-Japanese alliance OF July 5, 1910
Russia to-day has no better frlend III the
whole of the Far East than the present holder
If the portfolio of the Foreign Minister Of
Japan. Would Japan under such minister as
Notono and with the general foreign policy OF
Premier Terauchi be likely to indulge in
dark scheme of playing Judas to Russia even
while she is still her ally? The extremely IN
nocent American international imagination
might be equal to hatch an original notion or
that sort. but no other.
Besides. public opinion in Japan IS no"
suffering from an acute attack of sudden So
briefly in matters Of international politics.
This. again. does not square with the popular
picture of the Young Japan revising her nat
bands every few seconds But, again, 1t IS
true. Marquis Okuma, writing in his own
magazine, the "Shn Nihon," in the May, 1871
issue. devotes six or seven pages to the merci-
less exposure of the shortcomings OF the
japanese and the primitive state OF their SCI
entific achievements, and then adds:
Nevertheless, our countrymen too OFTEN
fall victim to pride and empty boastlng. some
of them mouth the Monroe Doctrine for the
Far East There are even hose who enter
tain the shallow idea of trying to drive out
the influences of the white men from ASIA
under the name of Asia for Asiatics.' 1t IS
all wrong What we should do is to hold our
selves in all modesty and face the world and
life in a receptive attitude of mind. We
should foster substance and power with might
and main"
And Marquis Okuma is a representative
japanese of to-day. In the above he is simply
echoing the general sentiment of the thinking
half Of the nation.
Fighting Russia in the maritime province OF
Siberia will not stand much chance in
Japan whose leaders are of the type of Mar
aus Okuma. It's a catchy, colorful sugge.-
ton, but it hasn't ghost of show in the
realm of practical politics.