Evening star., 1935-12-01
BY TAUTOMU NISHIYANA,
Manager OF the Yokohama Specie Bank
in New York


es EADE IN JAPAN" is mark
Nh that is being attacked in
Vl Great Britain and the
4 u United States as a men
ace to the prosperity of the two great
English-speaking empires, and some
times even moderate men speak OF
the possible danger Of the individual
development and commercial expan-
sion of my country leading eventually
to grave conflicts of interest.
For example. Lord Strabolgi, for
merly of the British admiralty, in an
article on the subject recently pub
lished in American papers, stated that
German competition was one of the
contributory causes" of British par
ticipation in the World War, suggest
ing that the expansion Of japanese
overseas trade might ultimately have
like influence on one of the West
ern powers. The British peer is fair,
however, in stating that German trade
expansion was only one Of the minor
causes"
There are reasons why japanese
trade expansion is not likely to lead
to serious consequences, unless one
OF the two great trading nations of
the West should lose sight of the fact
that, in spite Of any trade competition
with Japan, their own dominant self
interest is in peace and friendly CO.
operation with the leading Far East
ern country. AS British and Ameri-
can trade figures show, the industrial
and commercial development of Japan
is more valuable to the great Western
trading countries than the competi-
ton is injurious. And at the same
time the measure of stabilization
which Japan preserves in the Far
East is indirectly beneficial to the
Western nations in insuring security
for much Of their commerce with
China.
Defines Causes OF War.
1t appears that the principal rea-
son for Great Britain's entry into the
World War was rather political ap-
prehension than economic considera-
tions, and that the imperialistic de-
sign OF Germany, making an auda-
clous bid for the Continental hege-
mony and aiming at the domination
OF the North Sea, was responsible for
preparing the way for the Stupendous
struggle. Although it is true, as Lord
Strabolgi says. that the steady en-
! croachmentS of the reorganized indus
tries OF Germany on British markets
led to hostile feelings for Ger
many" it was primarily the political
menace of Germany that precipi-
tated the British decision.
Today the United States is Great
Britain's powerful commercial rival
but Englishmen do not consider going
to war with this country because
there is no political menace from
America. Their government knows
l. while the United States is their
country's great competitor, it is also
one of its foremost customers. Trade
rivalry is one Of the bogies that mill
tarists employ to further naval ex-
pansion.
The rise Of Japan as Far Eastern
power has been of direct service to
Great Britain in two great wars
Japan served British interests in driv-
ing Czar1st Russia away from the gates
OF Peking in 1904 and 1905. thereby
protecting to a large extent British
trade in China. And throughout the
World War the japanese Navy con-
voyed British ships from New Zealand
Australia and India and in the later
years aided the British Navy in the
Mediterranean in combating the SUBJ
marine menace.
Japan Guarded Pacific.
1t may also be recalled that after
the United States entered the war and
| Withdrew every vessel of any effective
ness from the Pacific Ocean. the
japanese patroled the seas from
Panama to Suez, guarding the peace
on the Pacific a. we'll as on the Indian
ocean. After the war had ended
however, the cry of alarm against
Japan was revived in the United
states to such an extent that the bulk
OF the American Navy was returned
10 the Pacific side of Panama. and
the Anglo-Japanese alliance was de-
nounced as inimical to American in
tereSts.
IneSe alarmS-which were perhans
10 some extent natural in the davs
OF hectic thought that followed the
war-have now been largely dissi-
pated. Even ultranavalists no longer
contend that Japan is q menace to
american security. But there has
risen the new alarm regarding trade
winch In its popular presentation, is
mace 10 appear as a menace to British
aho American warfare. But to charge
tnat the japanese, with a country the
size OF only of the 48 American
states and not the largest of them
and with natural resources inconse-
quentlal compared with those of eithe,
the British Empire or the United
states, are capable of impairing the
healthy commercial life Of either of
THESE vast and powerful countries. is
hardly logical.
New Power Arises.
II Is true that the rise of Janan in
industrial development and overseas
commerce brings a new power, the
flrst in Asia, into competition with
European and American trade enter
priseS. But that rise similarly brings
It's compenSations. The awakening of
Japan has enabled the Western World
particularly Great Britain and the
United States, to profit valuably.
Let us look at the facts of this
competition from across the widest
OF the oceans and see whether it i'm
pairs or promotes American trade as a
whole. That the competition Injuries
the trade of few American manu-
facturers cannot be denied. Nor, on
the other hand, can it be denied that
it BENEFITS American commerce at
large. American statistics attest the
facts.
The situation that exists across the
Atlantic, between Great Britain and
the United States, also exists across
the Pacific, between Japan and the
United States. AS the British and the
Americans are mutual beneficiaries on