The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-11
JAPAN, THE YOUNG GIANT.

JAPAN, IdE 1OONU NHlAN1s
Japan was opened up by Commo-
dore Perry seventy years ago. She
has made progress hardly equaled in
the worlds history in those years.
She has taken rank among the most
powerful nations of the earth. And
she has only started.
Lessons in industrial development
she has learned from the United
States, but in the matter of grabbing
and holding world territory, England,
Germany and France have been her
tutors and she has been an apt pupil.
In the seventy years since she
emerged from her hermitage, Japan
has acquired Korea, Manchuria and
Shantung from China. This has been
done in open view of the world. But
what she has done and is doing in
Siberia may not be SO generally
known.
The japanese are occupying the
city of Vladivostok, the most impor-
tant Russian seaport on the Pacific.
and it's environs; Sc miles south of
Observation-Disclosures Bay; north of
Vladivostok-the line of the Ussuri
railway, for a distance of 14S miles
as far as and including the city of
spassk, west of V1adivostok--the line
of the Chinese Eastern railway for a
distance of 144 miles, to the station
of Pogranichnaia, on the border of
Manchuria.
According to the latest available re-
ports there are now stationed in the
Maritime Province two divisions Of
full war strength. more than 5000
men.
In the northern part of the island
of Sakhalin, with the city of Alexan-
drovsk, and the Udski district on the
mainland, japanese garrisons are
maintained at the following points:
Nikolaievsk, Mariinsk and Sofiisk on
the Amur and De Castries Bay on the
Gulf of Tartary. The entire area Of
the Sakhalin Province is about 71,400
square miles. Along the western
shore Of the island of Sakhalin there
are coal deposits estimated by experts
at more than two billion tons. On the
eastern shore of the island, oil has
been discovered. On the mainland
the area of japanese occupation COW
ers the lower course of the Amur riv-
er. where some of the largest fisheries
OF the Russian Far East are situated,
and the shores of the Gulf of Tartary,
where vast timber tracts are located.
According to the latest available in
formation, there is at present sta
toned in the Sakhalin province one
Japanese division of peace strength,
about 1000 men.
| In Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, jap
anese war vessels are stationed, which
are patrolling the waters along the
eastern coast of Kamchatka as we'll
as the whole Sea of Okhotsk. These
waters abound in fish and a vast fish
ing industry is carried on there.
| In numerous declarations and an
nouncements the Japanese have SOL
| emily promised not to interfere in
Russia's internal affairs. Actually,
however, they have not kept these
promises, and the stay of japanese
troops in Siberia has been accompan-
led by frequent interferences by the
Japanese command in the local polit-
ical life. In a general way this inter-
! ference prevented the formation of
stable government and aggravated
| confusion.
! Apparently Japan has adopted Eng
lands long established policy of never
relinquishing her hold on any bit of
territory which comes under her occu-
patton, regardless of the circum-
stances under which such occupation
has taken place
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