Evening star., 1921-11-12
DEMOCRATIC IDEA
POTENT IN JAPAN
Younger Leaders Demand
ing Part of Navy Cost Be
Diverted to Civic Needs.

Diverted to CIVIC Needs.
Although the Japanese delegation
comes to the arms conference with its
| interest centered primarily in an in
ternational agreement to limit naval
construction, 1t also has a very spe-
cial interest In all problems affecting
the Pacific ocean and far east
Japan has always held to the theory.
according to the prevailing opinion in
the far east. that her geographical
position in that part of the world.
that the fact that she is the leading
oriental power and that her growing
necessity of meeting the require
ments Of population increasing at
the rate of 100000 yearly. all entitle
east 1t would, perhaps. be more exact
to say that she feels she is entitled to
predominating position, more espe-
cially with reference to China.
China remains for Japan as her
great problem. The Japanese them
selves have been divided to the point
Of internal controversy over how best
to direct their policy toward their
Chinese neighbors.
Popular Voice Being Heard.
Responsible japanese statesmen.
| who have talked freely to newspaper
correspondents. say the japanese
financial situation will not permit her
to continue in a limitless program Of
| naval building. The economic Stua-
ton of the empire is not satisfactory
! to its business and financial leaders
The popular voice of Japan is being
heard louder and louder in favor of
diver ting the immense wealth that is
being expended in warshjps to the
| more productive channels of educa-
! tion and home improvements
| Never haQ rho nf fra pSif in
| Japan been 60 acute as it is today.
when the younger generation, i'm
bued with foreign ideas" is demand
Ing the development Of the state along
for internal progress and more po-
! lltcal rights is more and more pre-
! Yalllng among young Japan. Modern
Japan is demanding that the civil
elements in the empire shall have
more say in the guiding of national
policy and that the militarists shall
| be forced to abandon their program OF
| trying to directly influence. if not
monopolize, the policies Of the coun
| try.
| 1t is believed that the members of
| the Japanese delegation have come to
! washington with a full realization of
the home situation, and look forward
TO when they must return to Toxic
and render an account of what they
/ have accomplished.
Need of Food Supply.
Japan has developed into an indus
trial country from an agricultural
one. and after the hoped-for agree
ment on armament curtailment, it is
| considered likely that she will ask
Tor the adoption of some principle
by the conference which would rec
! ogniZe that she is entitled to an
ample supply of raw material to feed
her growing industries. Japan does
not grow enough rice TO nourish her
| own people, and she is obliged yearly
| to purchase the essential grain from
/ other countries. She would like some
assurance, it is said, that the source
of her food supply will not be cut Off
| She needs cotton for her spinning
mills and will have an interest to see
that the regular supply of cotton is
| maintained. She will, it is believed,
ask for the adoption of some principle
| voicing the conferences conviction
that Japan is entitled to equal oppor-
! tunity not only in the commerce of
the far east. but of the whole world.
The vital question of emigration and
the general vague question of racial
equality are possibilities from the
Japanese standpoint, but the outlook
during the pre-coIference days is that
Japan may avoid them. Japan ap-
parently recognizes the delicacy of
the emigration question and would
prefer TO have this question settled
directly between the states concerned:
| IN other words. between Japan and the
United States, with reference to the
Pacific coast and between Japan and
| Great Britain with reference to Aus
tralia, New Zealand and Canada
Japan also has an interest in the
opening up for foreign trade and
residence of the interior provinces
of China, believing that If this be
formally authorized by the Chinese
republic 1t would open up new and
Japanese factories which are not
finding in these days of intense post
. war competition the market which
Jaoan expected.
, In few words. Japan is expected
to ask the conference to assure what
she calls her right of existence"
There are indications that Japan is
| somewhat anxious over the critical
tone of foreign opinion concerning
her military activities in the far east.
more especially in Shantung and ST.
beria- The Japanese troops are
still in Siberia. The conference, at
Dairen between the representatives
Of the Chita government and the
japanese. at which Japan hoped to Sc
cure a definite commercial arrange
ment with the Far Eastern Republic.
has not succeeded. 1t has been uugN
gested that the Chita government has
been delaying the negotiations be-
cause it prefers to have the Siberian
problem settled at the Washington
conference. The Chita people tried to
make the evacuation of Siberia a con-
dition of the commercial agreement,
but Japan insisted that the with
drawal of troops from Siberia must
be made at time to be settled by
Japan alone.
| The assassination of Premier Hara
threw the whole Japanese situation
into confusion. Mr.. Hara was the
strong man" of Japan, whom the
plentipotentiaries would consult free
iy by cable as the Washington con-
ference proceeded. The saying that no
man is essential to the existence of
a state is true in Japan as elsewhere.
but Premier Hara had become DOM
inant figure at rather critical Pc
riod in the history of his country.
limitation above fixed and the
maximum standard. capital ships