The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-01-16

prepared BY the National Geographic Sc
ciety, Washington, D. c.
Japan's great catastrophe has serve
TO turn more than ever the attentio
Of the world to this country which
from a position Of isolation In tn
Asian seas, has emerged to become on
Of the dominant factors in the Pacifi
and world power overlapping in I'm
portance many Of the old powers O
Europe.
This island empire might be terme,
the narrower and less compact Britain
of the Far East. Like the British Isles
the Japanese islands form the firing,
Of great continent; both were In tn,
hands Of petty kings and grew into
centralized nation; both looked abroad
for expansion; and both have con
ceived that their safety and future
prosperity depends largely on sea
power.
But there are differences as we'll as
l1kenesses between these two island
nations. Since she began to grow into
an empire Great Britain has absolute
ly turned her back on Europe In so
far as territorial acquisitions are con-
cerned, and has sent her colonists into
the remote parts of the world. Japan,
on the other hand, has acquired large
blocks Of the neighboring continent,
but has expanded somewhat In other
directions also. Great Britain has be-
come the headquarters Of scat
tered, distant empire. Japan has re-
NAMED SO far the center of her en-
pire with her possessions drawn rela-
lively closely about her.
Though Japan had imperial ambi-
lions even in the early centuries, as
indicated by the fact that she once
conquered Korea, and laid claim In
the Sixteenth century to Formosa and
even the Philippines, The national life
when Commodore Perry opened COM
with the West in 1854,
vas confined to the three main south
I'm Islands of Japan proper and the
mail islets near their shores. Not I'M
II the seventies did the government be-
lin development Of Yezo, the big island
o the north-the Japanese Scotland.
Both Russia and Japan claimed SAX
alin, the fifth and northernmost of the
arge Islands of the Japanese group,
nd there were similar double claims
o the Kurile group, a chain of small
olcanic islands, comparable to the
Aleutians. which stretch from Yezo
to the tip of Kamchat-
a. In 1875 Russia induced Japan to |
axe the Kuriles and relinquish all |
laims to Sakhalin.
Beginning of Her Expansion.
These expansions to the north were
little value, for the cold, bleak
orthern lands have never appealed
, Japanese colonists. Yezo is sparse
settled, and the Kuriles have only
andful of inhabitants. Japan's next
ep was to the south. In 1879 she an
exed the Lu-Chu archipelago, extend
g from the s0uthernmost of the large
ipanese islands southwestward for
70 miles to Formosa. China laid
aim to these small but pleasant and
,pulous islands, as she did to For
osa, but she finally consented to
pans annexing them.
Japan's victorious war with China
1895 gave her immediate territorial
and In addition greatly
ightened her prestige among the ma
ms. China coded the island Of For
osa (now officially known as Taiwan)
tn It's 1900 square miles of terri
ry and its 100000 inhabitants; and
e Chinese peninsula of Liaotung on
lich battle-scarred Port Arthur is
W situated; and acknowledged the ,
dependence of Korea. Russia,
ance and Germany forced Japan to
inquish the Liaotung peninsula, and ,
Issa later leased 1t from China but
, Russo-Japanese war placed 1t
ain in Japanese possession, and the
and empire now holds 1t under a |
year lease. BY defeating Russia,
pan further extended her influence 4
tn on the mainland of Asia and j
ong the islands. She obtained a pro- I
torate over Korea, sphere Of in q
ence" in Manchuria, and the ces- 4
n of the southern half Of the island $
Sakhalin.
As a result Of the World war, Japan [
) made further territorial advances
.th, east, south and west. Her Y
lere Of influence has included east c
| Siberia, she took over for time s
German lease on Kiaochow in ]
Ina, and by receiving a mandate for e
three archipelagoes Of former Ger f
n islands in the Pacific north Of the "
lator, she has Jared thousands Of b
es eastward into the Pacific. a
The magnitude Of Japan'a present IN o