AN ENGLISH OFFICER'S IMPRESSIONS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11790, 13 January 1904, Page 7

AN ENGLISH OFFICER'S IMPRESSIONS.

A retired English military officer, now in Christchurch, who spent a month- in Japan recently, and left about the middle of November, gave a representative of "The Press" a few of his impressions yesterday. This gentleman was in Tokio -when a great military review was held in honour of the Mikado's birthday. All the European Powers having; interests in the Far East, with the' single exception of Russia, were represented, most of them by a large fore© Owing to ill-health, he was not present at the review, but be attended several other celebrations and functions at which, though nothing was formally said on. the subject, he was able to gain some knowledge of the opinions of the Japanese with regard to war. The common belief was that sooner or later the conflict must inevitably take place, and though the people generally seemed confident of the result, he thought the War Office, the Admiralty, and Minieters realised fully the dangerous nature which the struggle would assume if it occurred. He believed, that a war with Russia would put Japan hack for yearn. There was no saying, moreover, what other Powers might, be drawn into the struggl. , . It would be impossible Britain fo Ktand by and tamely see" Japan downtrodden. If the Japanese were victorious, he saw nothing for other nations to feur in die result, but, on the other hand, if Russia were successful, the predominance of power which ah* wxiuld- immediately acquire in the Far East, and the impetus which would be given to her ambitions, would be such as not even France or Germany, to cay no thing of Great Britain, would be ablo to allow. The opinion among Russians was that war would be averted till the spring, which was now not far off. The delay would only benefit Russia from "the point of view of* affording her additional time for preparations. Hβ was told while in 'the East that the harbours of Port Arthur and Vladivostock, which were generally euppesed to be blocked during a great part of the winter, were kept open all the year round by means of ioe-breakers. When"ever war occurred, the Japanese to a man would be impatient to take part in it. The English officer greatly admired the Japanese soldiers whom he saw. ~uey were as like as possible, he said, both in build and ardour, to the Ghurkas in the Indian Army—"ready to go anywhere and do anything." He admitted that there was a great deficiency of cavalry, and stated that the regiments which do exist are very light. Russia's threat to occupy Pekin if v-iiina should support Japan, he characterised as absurd on the face of it. No European Power witn interests in the extreme Orient would dream of permitting euch a thing, and China ought to know thia well enough. Ii the Chinese coald only be persuaded to rouse themselves oad teke up the same attitude o» Japan, Russian aggression would not have a chunce of being successful. The visitor w»» much impressed with the sincerity and warmth of Japanese friendship toward* Great Britain. xie was much struck by this while he waa in Japan, and the feeling wa* evinced in a most noticeable way on the Japanese boat on which he went from Canton to Melbourne. When many of the English paesenjrers by this vessel "left Australia *or New Zealand by the Huddart Parker Company's eteamer Victoria, the stewards of the Japanese boot, with napkins in their hands, all raugeJ fbemselve* on deck to wave them a lest farewell. It wae impossible to mistake the fervour and •xncerity of their good withes.