The Washington herald., 1921-12-04


forth by Japan in her settled pur-
pose to dominate Asia and the Pa
cifc Ocean the most ridiculous is
the issue which she brings to the
arms conference and which will
rank second to the vital question
OF the open door in China-thst Is
her plea that she must be permitted
room for expansion due to the over
crowding OF her population. She is
less crowded than England or HoI-
land or Belgium or France or
Germany.
Even IL Japan IS overcrowded.
that is no reason why we should
turn over to her fast propagating
emigrants the fairest valleys I'm
California, Oregon and Washington.
We want these valleys for our
white race. This is sufficient rea-
son for all, save towards and lu-
natics. for retaining them. Japan
wants them butts that any res-
son why she should have them?
Jspa. Not overcrovded.
Let us review the situation as #
really lie. AS a matter of fact, ia
pan is not overcrowded,. although
with an increase in her population
OF from 100000 to 100000 annually
there is no doubt that she must
have an outlet for her surplus pop
ulation. She has ample room at
home on the mainland OF Asia, for
since she controls Manchuria and
Siberia at present and has swallow
ed Korea in it's entirety. Il may be
stated that she has possessions on
the mainland OF Asia. But what
she wants 10 not land for settle
ment SO much as riches to develop.
Japan does not raise sufdcient
food to sustain her population. Ag-
riculture has languished there for
much the same reason that IL has
declined in our own country. There
has been a movement TOWARD the
cities due 10 Industrial expansion.
easier hours and high wages, with
. consequent decrease in food pro-
duction.
Crown Holds Land.
The real reason why Japan needs
an outlet for her surplus popula-
ton Is not that the island is I'M
able to support its population. but
because much OF the agricultural
land IL held by the crown.
In 1910 there were but $4,000. 900
acres of land held by private own
ership. while $4,000, 900 were held
by the crown. A great deal of the
privately owned land is held by the
nobility and not available for the
use of the proletsriat-
Between 1910 and 1917 but I,5oo.-
900 acres were transferred to pri-
waite ownership, and in the year
1919 the Japanese government
agreed to ALLEVIATE 100000 acres
more of the crown lands and, after
reclamation. throw them open TO
sale and settlement.
Cannot Endure Cold.
Hence. we have been treated TO
the spectacle of poor little Japan
entreatig the world for sympsth
because OF her lack Of space for her
population, while at the same time
she reserves from her own people
30 percent OF her lands.
Opposed to this, the Japanese Of
fer the excuse that much. OF the
land in Japan is mountainous and
not arabic. This is true to a limited
extent. but on the other hand the
Japanese farmers have an aversion
to using lands of slight slope. which
is not the case in the oyercrowded
D - T-asrnnr-11Ga N china
and California.
Hokkaioa, the northerly part Of
1 Japan. is large and productive yet
it is thinly populated. Why? II is
/ bitterly cold in the winter. and
japanese cannot bear extreme cold
Korea Has No Appeal.
Although Korea could support a
population ten millior- greater than
at present. and although Korea is
less than twelve hours distant from
the coast OF Japan, we do not find
the Japanese emigrating to this
land they have conquered by force
of arms The reason is obvious
The Japanese cannot exist in eco
/ nomic competition with q Korean: a
Korean cannot live IN economic
competition with a Chinaman! All
attempt to colonize Manchuria has
ceased.
Siberia will never appeal to the
Japanese as an agricultural coun-
try. 1t is too cold: il is one
crop-a-season" country and is valu-
able to Japan merely for the sake
of those natural products which ia
pan lacks.
Their Honor Not Hurt.
Australasia would please the Jap
anese greatly, but, unfortunately
for them. Australasians in the very
beginning had the common sense 70
realize the danger OF Oriental In
vasion. They possessed also the
courage to debar all Orientals. and
as a result we do not hear any
walls from the Japanese. The
Australasians have not hurt the
honor" of the japanese, and the
Japanese have not pleaded with
these British to save the face" of
the Japanese Empire. They knew
what the answer would be did they
make such plea-''whst bslly
rot"
Formosa, huge and fertile
island, offers opportunities to the
Japanese pioneer, but he declines
them. Farming in Formosa means
the reclamation Of the land to start
with. with a little indiscrminste
fighting with the original inhabi-
tants to vary the monotony Of ex-
istence.
Realize Danger New.
Saghslin Island is too cold and
inhospitable a. climate.
Remained then, the Hawaiian
Islands and the United States.