New-York tribune., 1918-03-20
The Yellow Peril Can
By Ndachi Kinnosuke

ton which is far from the truth it takes
iron and steel to turn out guns and mum
tons. Hearst papers have enough faith in
the miracle working genius of the Japanese
to do this thing. Nobody else has, ccr
tanly not the Japanese. The annual ca
pacity of the Government Iron Foundry at
Wakamatsu- the largest iron foundry in
the Far East, the only iron works worth
talking about in Japan-is about $4,000
tons. The third expansion programme of
the iron works has beep put into operation,
the programme covering FIVE years beginning
with 1917. at total expenditure of 3d.
100000 yen When it is completed the an
nual capacity is to be increased to 650,000
tons. The most optimistic estimate of the
total iron production of Japan at present
does not go over 100000 TONS less than
one weeks production Of just one Amer-
corporation, the United States Steel
Corporation.
Many Skeptics in Japan
American embargo on steel exports gave
something like heart failure to the most
profitable and prospcring industry of Japan
at the simc, namely, the shipbuiding. 1t
paralyzed it. At this very day the Japan
cse are trying to meet the cruelty onerous
conditions which the Washington govern
ment is trying to impose upon the ship
owners of Japan, in practically asking
them to sell TO the United States ships at
$l75 ton, or some such ridiculous figure,
the ships for which the British and French
who. mind you, are going to use the ships
for the same laudablc end, Of "making the
world safe for democracy" are willing and
are actually paying $500 to $500 a ton, for
no other reason whatsoever than that
Japan has to have steel to build more ships
If America is not willing to cooperate
with Japan in the Siberian expedition to
the extent of giving her all the steel she
needs in making guns and ammunition
what then? Nothing happens-that is ALL
Japan cannot undertake the work alone.
without American backing even, if she
wants TO.
Whether she wishes to do this is a
rather dcbatable question, judging from
the cablcd reports from Toxic. The oppo-
sltlon party is making capital of this thing
IN fighting the present Terauchi govern
ment There are many among the people of
Japan who think that Japan is not going
t" gain anything vital to her national de-
fence by the proposed Siberian campaiyn.
and she will have to risk great deal.
The British Empire is the one mower
which will reap great benefit from the ST.
berlan expedition of Japan. Not japan.
nat much is plain even to a careless eve
German success in gaining the Northern
frontier of India would mean the break-up
OIL the British Empre-nothing less. 1t
would spell chaos in Asia also, of course.
which would be highly injurious to the in
tcrests CT Japan. But as long as she con-
lines herself to the defence of the terri
tory along the frontier of the Japanese
Emplrc, Japan has ample means to carry
'hal schcme out and maintain it. She cam
even go into China and fight the cont]a-
grafton a few miles beyond her boundary
line. And that is precisely what Japan
VIII do-that is the only thing she can do
with the resources at her command
Unless unless, America backs hcr with
an her enthusiasm and, more especially.
! with all her tremendous financial and ma
tcral resources.