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

! Explaining the unique position held
by Japan in the world war, DR.. Toya-
kichi Iyenaga addressed the members
of the Bridgeport Chamber of Com
merce at The SSratf1eld at noon to-
day, large gathering listening to the
speaker with marked attention. DR..
Iyenaga pointed out the position
which Japan occupies, the peculiar
advantages which it gives her, and
reviewed the campaigns in which his
countrymen have been engaged in
/ furthering the common ends of the
Allies.
He also showed why it has not been
! feasible for Japan to come to the as
sistance of the Allies on the western
| front owing to the great distance and
impossibility of sending supplies, and
! spoke of the relations between Japan
! and the United States. In many
places he was interrupted by the APP
/ plause of his listeners. DIR. 1yenaga
spoke in part as follows:
! The position Japan occupies in the
world war is singularly unique. 1t
has few parallels, if any, in the his
/ tory of war. She entered the war in
obedience to the terms of the Anglo
Japanese Alliance, which imposed up
on her the duty of conducting military
operations in common with her ally
in the regions of Eastern Asia and
of safeguarding mutual interests
therein. Japan also Joined the solemn
agreement entered into between the
Allied Powers to make no separate
| reace. So long, therefore as peace in
conformity with the wishes of her al
lies is not concluded. Japan is, OF
course, a belligerent warning against
the Central Powers. But since the
capture of the German stronghold in
the Far Fast on November Z, 1914,
and the sweeping of enemy warships
cut of the Eastern seas, Japan has
apparently been standing aloof from
the great conflict. While blood and
treasure ere being expanded on the
European battlefields with a prodigal-
ity that staggers imagination, Japan
keeps her youth intact-nay, more!
She presents the anomaly of bellig-
erent that has seen an unprecedented
prosperity coming out of the war.
These material benefits have ac-
crued to Japan, it is, however, well
to remember, solely and entirely by
reason Of the peculiar geographical
position she occupies. 1t placed her,
while being balligerent, in the same
situation as the United States, while
: the latter was the greatest neutral,
found herself in. And I need hardly
emphasize that the war has brought
a prosperity to America which is far
more marked and on a vaster scale
than that which has come to the Is
land Empire of the East.
! While these fortuitous circum-
stances of war and geography were
bringing to Japan unforeseen riches,
has she lain idle, amiss in the fulfill
ment of the duty allotted to her by
her allies? No! Far from it. She has
done her part with fidelity and thor
oughness. Let me dwell upon 1t for
a moment
The story of the destruction of Ger
man power in the Far East and in
the South Seas, with which Japan was
entrusted by her allies, is simple
one. Soon after the declaration OF
war against Germany, Japan dispatch
ed one division of her army to Shan
trng, and, in conjunction with the
British troops under command of Ma
jor- General Bernadiston, reduced
Tsingtao on November Z, 1914. jap
an also dispatched the First and Sec
ond Japenese fleets and other squad
rons to blockade the harbor Of Kia-
chow, to hunt out the enemy war
ships rowing the adjoining seas, tC
capture their bases in the South Sea
ard to convoy the troops of Australia
and New Zealand to Europe.
The Kiaochow campaign was, OF
course, but childs play compared
with the colossal battles fought on the
western, eastern and Balkan fronts OF
Europe. Nor was the work undertak
er by the Japanese navy so nerve
racking and arduous as the task i'm
posed upon the allied fleets in Euro
, pean waters, although the vast extern
of the sphere of activity allotted t.
the Japanese fleet and the consequen
enormous length of the cruises the!
made over the Eastern seas, the South
: Sea. and in the indian and Pacific
Oceans, are not generally known. II
= summing up the results of Japan
L onerations. may be pardoned when
saw that she achieved the maximum
that what she has accomplished is 81
far among the few aims OF the Al
t lies that have been completely realiz
ed.
: The real significance of Japan
= participation in the war Will, De
S lieve, stand in clearer relief II VI
= let the magination play little ant
D picture to ourselves the contingenc1e
= that would have arisen had not tn
= Japanese army and navy been mobii
Q lied against the Central Powers
g Would the channel Of communicatiol
}. and commerce between Europe ant
3 the Far East, with all that its secur
"a ity means, be safe as it is today
o What part of the allied fleets mus
n of necessity have been withdraw
= from the home waters to safeguar'
t the road from Alden to. Shanghai
e Would not Germany, with her stron
n base at Kia ochow and the hinterlan
: at its command, have played a for
3 midabIe role in disturbing the tran
q GUILTY. of China to the great detrimen
Il of Great Britain, France and Russia
j Would not German propagandisn
tonce so active in stirring up a revol
in India and the Straits settlements
II have seen some measure of success
e to the prejudice of British interest
q in her Asiatic dominions? In shor
how is peace in the Far East, the In
dian Ocean, the South and North Pa
II cific covering almost half of tn
S globe, preserved at the present mo
. ment and the interests therein of tn
n allied powers safeguarded?
Furthermore, Japan has subscribe