Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-31
JAPAN READY TO DO
SHARE In GREAT WAR
[Continued from First Page.l


at Johns Hopkins University and so
was well acquainted with America.
Speaking perfect England. elo-
quent and terse, this Japanese states
man and scholar held the Chamber
of Commerce men to closest atten-
ton while he gave precise reasons for
Japan notsending troops to the bat
tlefront, and telling just what the
nation has thus far done. He be-
gan:
Unique Position
1.-THE position Japan occupies in
the world war is singularly unique.
1t has few parallels, If any, in the
history of war. She entered the
war in obedience to the terms of the
Anglo-Japanese Alliance. which i'm
posed upon her the duty of conduct
ing military operations in common
with her ally in the regions of East
ern Asia and of safeguarding mu-
tual interests therein. Japan also
joined the solemn agreement enter
ed into between the allied powers
to make no separate peace. So long,
therefore, as peace in conformity
with the wishes of her allies is not
concluded, Japan is, of course, q
billigerent, waring against the Cen
trail powers. But since the capture
of the German stronghold in the Far
East on November Z, 1914, and the
sweeying of enemy warshipS out OF
the eastern seas, Japan as apparent
iy been standing aloof from the
great conflict While blood and
treasure are being expended on the
European battlefields with a prodi-
gality that staggers imagination, ia
pan keeps her youth intact-nay.
more! She presents the anomaly OF
a belligerent that has seen an unpre-
cedented prosperity coming out OF
the war.
These material benefits have ac-
crued to Japan, it is we'll to remem-
ber, solely and entirely by reason of
the peculiar geographical position
she occupies. 1t placed her, while
being a belligerent, in the same stu.
alton the United States found herself
in while the latter was the greatest
neutral. And l need hardly empha-
size that the war has brought pros
perity to America which is far more
marked and on a vaster scale than
that which has come to the Island
Empire of the East"
Maximum Effort
Casting about for suitable word
to describe Americas great power
the doctor suddenly biurted out
octopus which brought down the
house. He the ngave a vivid picture
of what would have happened had
Japan not entered the war; what the
German navies would have done in
the Eastern seas. In summing up
the results of Japan's operations
he said, Il may be pardoned If l say
that she has achieved the maximum
Ix- nj nf effort and
that what she has accomplished is,
so far, among the few aims of the
Allies that have been completely
realized"
He reminded that Japan has sub
scribed to the loans of her allies, al
though the country is poor from
Russian war debts, to the full extent
of her financial capacity. He also re-
minded that Japan is keeping open
the channels to Russia. He said that
the Allies had not asked Japan TO
step in with troops ard got a gen.
eral laugh when he referred TO his
race as the yellow peril" lie COM
pared Japans situation to that of
America.
just as the United States must
be the leader in affairs on the Ann
erican continent, so Japan must
sound the dominant note in the East.
Let, then, Japan use it's vast in
fluence in the Orient, and in the Oc-
cident let the United Staes, on one
side of the Atlantic, and the demo-
cratic countries of Europe on the
other side, take the lead"
His conclusion was devoted to de-
scribing the insurmountable diff
culties of transporting men and guns
TO Europe and to emphasizing the
necessity of Japan maintaining the
worlds peace in the East, helping
the Russians and watching the Ger