Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-05
JAPAN SHOULD Be READY
TO HELP ALLIES TO WIN
Lack of Leader With Sufficient
Genius Responsible for Failure
to Play Active Part.
POLICY MUST BE POSITIVE
Japanese Writer Urges Importance
Of His Country Sharing in War
In Europe, Especially Now That
Russia Is Out.
ny DIR. A. NINAKAwA.

II has been said that the present is
Napcieonic age without It's Napoleon
and Nelson age without It's Nelson.
Most of the great nations Of the world
are hanging In the balance between
rise or decline. There Is hardly ma
ton on earth that does not feel its need
or great hero, never more pressingly
than to-day. Nor is Japan Il whit dii-
fcrcnt in this respect. Her present
situation in the international arena de-
mands Napoleon or Il Nelson 20 lead
the nation along the path of glory and
solve her great outstanding problems.
Japan has reached position now
where al negative policies must be re-
Jected. She must formulate a positive
policy ana carry 1t through III spite OF
AL opposition. Japan must no longer
waste the precious opportunity dccid-
in. what noS 10 do. but must devote
herself cEergeticcily to doing "ha:
she should do.
On one side Of her japan has Russia
I'm state OF Unprecedented crisis. with
its army deserving and ,hc soldiers
returning to their homes The people
OF that country are no longer thinking
OF dying for their native land. but OF
saving their skins and protecting their
property. Even tho leaders are be-
,raying their country by parleying
with the enemy. In Russia some are
contending that each race OF the en-
pire should assert It's Independence
and the country undergo dis!ntegration.
Austria and Germany are being great
~ assisted By tho Internal disorder OF
Russia And this encouragement Of
the central powers will extend be-
You'd this war. so that hcnceforth they
will feel that the western powers are
the only serious opposition 10 be reck-
oned with. The result may be that
the races Of the Balkan peninsula will
Il mt r,,ta IA
sibility will but urge Germany deeper
Into international trickerv.
For ;he allies this encouragement o.:
tho TcutonS Is serious matter: but
not less to Japan than 10 any one Of
the other allies. for should Germany
be able TO retake Tsingau, where
would Japan be? Japan is quite as
sured that she made no mistake in taxi
Ing the side % the allies against Ger
many. That she did the right thing
at the right moment should be 4 mat
ter for permanent congratulations to
her. Hut Japan has not set attained
her goal. and She should never rest
until she does. And this becomes all
the more !ns!stcnt since Russia can
no longer be depended upon by tho al
lies. The armies OF Great Britain and
Franco are brave and invinclble, but
IL is too much TO expect them TO undo
the TcutUniC powers with Russia help
less behind. The German army Is a
triangle. with its bases on the Baltic
Sea and the English Channel. and its
apex we'll into the Balkan peninsula;
and Il Will be no use TO defeat the
western side o. that triangle 4. the
eastern IS left intact.
since Japan has entered this war
she must go on and help TO win IL.
The question now is how she can best
attain this object? To the whole world
indeed i, is crucial question as to
what policy Japan VIII adopt. The
future must depend on whether
Japan's policy will be a negative or i
positive one. There is no doubt that
Japan should adopt a more positive
policy and go ahead with determine
ton. Al present she is hindered by
divergent opinions. Some hold that as
.Iapaa entered the war simply TO main
tain the peace OF the Far East; she
has done her part so long as Germany
Is driven out and the peace OF East
Asia secure. But such convictions
smack OF negative policy They
should not hc allowed to influence
Japan at this time. The stage of ac-
ton for Japan should no longer b..
confined to the Far East. China is in
state OF internal disorder and Russia
in anarchy. America and the western
powers arc too pccoccupicd TO attend