Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-01
INS|STENCEo OF
JAPS FOR EARS
HOME FOLKS
People Are Loath to
Scrap the Battleship
Mutsu
Seven to Ten Ship Ratio Has
Been Political Slogan of Jap
Politicians for Years-Situa-
ton Similar to BRAND Stand
on Army
BY MARK SULLIVAN
National Political Correspondent of the
New York Evening Post.

B1 MA Rk 81 iIlIl\ Az
National Political Correspondent of the
New York Evening Post.
Washington, D. c., Dec. l. All the
talk about Japan not accepting the ra-
ito of ships laid down by Mr.. Hughes
probably has had less to do with the
armament conference than with poll
tics in Japan. For many years the
japanese politicians of all parties, ana
especially those japanese leaders who
are now in power. have been telling
the. japanese people that They must
have seven ships to every 10 that any
other nation has. Seven to ten has
been kind of political slogan IN
Japan. The Japanese are very much
poorer than VIC are. and it has been
more difficult for the Japanese gov
nrnment to persuade its people to give
up their money for shipbuild.ng thGn
it has been with us. The. consequence
has cut much larger figure in Jap
dH'St poutItS Juan II mas III ours ne
japanese politicians have built up 81
sentiment among their people for the
definite naval ratio of seven to ten
Our own naval men, like those in
japan. have always had the ore tica ly
desirable ratio as the standard 20 " ork
towards. Our theoretical ratio was Ii
tons to Japans five. But our navy
on ,n,,t Iar l.
never had to preach this ratio up and
down the country to political audi
ences in order to persuade the people
to endure the taxation. Nntty-nire
out of a hundred of our people have
never heard anything about naval ra-
| tIos. But the Japanese leaders have
| had to preach their ratio of seven to
ten up and down the country until
their people were familiar win it. and
mat IS what is worrying them now.
In their hearts the Japanese have
never really doubted that the Hughes
ration of ton to six is entirely fir.
but they have had to consider their
political situation at home The jan
anese position on the navy, in fact.
is somewhat like the BRAND :pcech
on land armament. 1t is intended no;
so much to affect the prescn- confer
once as to "void political urheaval
back home"
IL has been much like, many
speeches made by American con-
gresham, designed less to affect the
decision at issue. than TO square
themselves with their constituents.
Mutsu a sort of sacred symbol. Not
only has the seven to ten ratio been
Japanese political slogan. but fur
ther than that, the particular ship in
VolVed, the Mutsu has been made n
KIND of popular personifcation and
symbol of Japanese naval aspirations
to the japanese people the Mutsu has
become among ships what our I'M
known American soldiers at the re-
cent Armistice Day celebration. A
Japanese journalist tells me that
every japanese laborer feels that he
has personal dime or quarter in the
Mutsu. 1t was built with monar OBJ
tanned through voluntary self-sacri-
fee from Japanese laborers, who earn
about quarter a day and pay about
nickel in taxes. This journalist
tells me that the shock involved in
scranping this splendid new ship less
than a month old, may cause the
overturn of the present Japanese
ministry before the delegates get
back from the conference Inciden-
tally this japanese Journalist reveal
ed rather likable trait in japanese
| psychology. When I asked him why
his delegates didn't go to the Brit
| ish and American delegates and ex-
plain their political necessities back
home in the same spirit in which this
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