The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-01-23

to the loans of her allies to the full
extent of her financial capacity. She
has supplied munitions and other war
materials to her allies, and especially
to Russia has she assured an almost
uninterrupted flow of guns, rifles,
ammunition, clothing, foodstuffs, and
other materials.
While I do not wish to over-rate
the part Japan has taken in the war,
cannot let pass unchallenged the
charge which is now and then made
in the American press that Japan is
lukewarm to the allied cause, because
she is not fighting on the European
battlefields. It is, then, well for US
| to examine the ground why Japan has
not yet sent an expeditionary force to
Europe, while the United States, join
ing the ranks of the Allies only half
a year ago, is now mastering all her
military resources and sending to
Europe her sons by hundreds of thou
sands.
In the first place, it was neither the
wish of her allies nor that of Japan
that she would thrust herself upon
the European stage. know that the
subject has been discussed by certain
publicists in some allied countries, but
have not heard that any formal re-
quest by any of the allied govern
ments has ever been made to Japan
| to send an expeditionaS force to Eur
ope. The reason is not far to seek.
Japan's proper sphere of activity is
in the Orient and on the Pacific. 1t
was for this reason, when she entered
the war in obedience to the terms of
the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, Japan,
by an agreement with her ally, limit
ted her naval and military activities to
the Far East and its waters. The
sphere of her naval operations was,
however, gradually extended. 1t was
extended at first to the South Seas,
then to the Indian Ocean, then to the
waters of the Cape of Good Hope,
then to embrace the Pacific, and,
finally, to the Mediterranean, where
a fleet of japanese destroyers is to-
day cooperating with the allied fleets
in the operations against the enemy
submarines.
But % far as the movement of Jap
ans land forces is concerned, the
basis of action first established still
remains intact, for no cause that JUS
titles its alteration has yet appeared.
As the Outlook well remarks:
'Just IS the United States must be
the leader in affairs on the American
continent, so Japan must sound the
dominant tote in the East. Let, then,
Japan use its vast influence in the
Orient, ma in the Occident let the
United States, on one side of the At
| lantic, and the democratic countries
of Europe on the other side, take the
lead"
So far as purely military operations
are concerned, it seems, then, but
proper that the war in the Occident
should be met by the European and
American allies. It is, in fact, none
of Japan's business to intrude her
self upon the European fields. Such
an enterprise is entirely out of har-
mony with the wise and far-sighted
pc Icy that should guide Japan, for
in so doing she is bound to face the
dilemma or either imparting her hard
won military prestige or of re-awak-
ening the cry of yellow peril" which
is now fortunately on the point of be-
ing committed to oblivion. It would
en- the other hand, be mark of dis
part Of Japan to think of sending her
1tops for the assistance of her Euro
pean allies. Those who advocate in
an easy fashion the dispatch oc jap
Ianese forces to Russia for the pur~
pose of rehabilitating the morale of
Russian troops, completely ignore the
psychology of the Russian people.
In the next place, IT is we'll to re-
member that there are almost insur-
1rountable difficulties in the way of
dispatching an eKpeditionary force
from Japan to Europe, There Is first
the question of difference in race,
language, habits, and diet existing be-
tween the Japanese and European
troops, which would by no means be
easy to adjust. Then there is the
question of a tremendous cost invclv-
ed in the expedition. Rich as she has
suddenly grown to be, Japan is still
burdened with heavy debt bequeath-
!: ed as a heritage of the costly Russo
japanese war, and is, therefore, rela-
) lively poor country when placed by
the side of the United States. That
Japan cannot bear the burden of a
| distant ovcr-sea expedition is a fore
} gone conclusion. But the foremost of
all questions is that of transportation.
The Trans-Siberian railroad, although
it may have seen a considerable i'm
J provement through the help of Amer
: lean engineers, is, l fear, still in a
) paralyzed conditioner at least is
over-taxed in hauling across Siberia
5 the military provisions piled up
} mountain high in Vladivostok. The
: only alternative would, then, be to
transport japanese troops by sea. But
| where can you get the required ships?
In Transporting a million Japanese
= soldiers-nothing less than this num-
Der would prove of any effective value
with all the necessary parapherna-
l liza of war, it would probably require
l four millions of tonnage; in other
words, 1000 ocean-going ships of A.
} 600 tons each, and a constant flow of
l munitions and foodstuffs must also
be provided for. Those who think
that the latter can be supplied by the
European allies are not aware Of the
construction of Japanese guns and
rifles and of the dietary needs of the
t Japanese troops. Were japan to COM
!, mandeer for the purpose of transpor-
j, tation the entire fleet of her merchant
5 marine fit for ocean voyage, not only
would much tirne-according to some
estimates it would take two years and
: half-be expended before the com
= pletion of the transportation pro-
: gramme. but in the meantime the
: cornmerce of the Far East with Amer
lea and Europe would De completely
! paralyzed.