THE SUPREMACY of the PACIFIC

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 253, 23 October 1907, Page 6

THE SUPREMACY of the PACIFIC

I'he "Sydney Sunday Times" has a very interesting article on the above subject. It is written entirely from the Australian point of view, >but the facts and arguments are equally applicable to New Zealand. The map gives a very fair idea of the positions of the central ports of the communities directly concerned in the trade of the Pacific, and ako of the principal trade routes. Of the lutter it is very hard to give an absolutely accurate plan, as they are so frequently changed, but the routes marked on the map may with due allowance be taken to indicate approximately the great trunk lines. Because of her gTeat naval strength and the completeness of her resources, naval and commercial, within the Paci-/ fie, Japan claims first attention as A RIVAL OP GREAT BRITAIN. From her base in the north-wost corner she can expand gradually, but. surely. Behind her arc peoples whose sympathy are directly with her as opposed to the European races, and with her. rapidly growing mercantile marine and the keen business acumen of her people, she is bound to make the most of the enormous trade possibilities right at her doors. As far us America is concerned, she has little to fear, because while American traders have great distances to traverse to get the raw products of the western countries to her markets, Japan is virtually in the centre of it all. A glance at the map will, however, serve to convince anyone of the SPLENDID POSITION JAPAN HOLDS in her straggle for the commercial supremacy of the Pacific. America, on the other hand, as was evidenced by those who read between the

lines in the cable message published recently, dealing with the establishment of a coaling station at Guam, apparently intends to make a bold bid for a great share of the trade, and is preparing to back up the efforts of her navy of commerce with battleships, if necessary. With her great national base at San Francisco, and with the possibilities of increased trade to be obtained upon the completion of the Panama Canal, SHE IS LOOKING AHEAD, and carefully preparing the track. Already the Hawaiian Islands are hers, and thus a commercial outpost has been established in the heart of the Pacific. Then with Guam as another base, she seeks to complete her chain of communication with the Philippines, which, in spite of contrary reports, Uncle Sam's Government is using every endeavour to develop. From this it will be seen iJiq Xorihern Pacific is, to all intcnts"*anti' purposes, in the hands of the Japanese and Americans, and as will be shown later on, the former are steadily creeping south. Gorman and French interests in the Pacific, while being of considerable importance to those nations, are not extensive enough to warrant either being considered as a very potent factor in tha development of future trade. With great Britain, represented directly by Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, together with America and Japan, the problem of future supremacy directly lies, and they are the only Powers worthy of consideration herein. How, then, are British interests guarded in the Pacific? First, by Australia, as a great distributing and receiving centre, capable of providing

FOE FORCES OF PEACE OR WAR. As yet, however, nothing worthy of notice beside the efforts put forward by America and Japan has been done. On the eastern side of the great ocean highway is Vancouver, the Pacific stronghold of British Canada, but still doing little to meet the struggle for the commercial prizes at stake, ao seriously entered upon by other nations. In the centre of the Pacific Great Britain hae not any possessions which would compare with Hawaii and Guam for strategical purposes, although she retains possession of a large number of trading centres. On the western side, however, are Hongkong, and further south Singapore, both points which undcnbtedly give us considerable advantages in the race to be run. •' This, then, is briefly the position'Of nffairs to-day, and, knowing what we do, it rests with those who preside over Jifn destiny of the Empire to say wlietlier or not some great effort shall not be put forward to retain for tis some of the advantages the importance of which will only be thoroughly appreciated when it is too late to alter the trend of affairs. In the Northern Pacific, Japan and America will have sufficient to keep them occupied for soma time to come. In the Central and South Pacific, Great Britain still holds the advantages, which are hers to keep if the &amo energetic methods are adopted for their preservation and development as are being used in the North. THE EAYS OF THE RISING SUN. A gentleman who during the week returned to Sydney after an extensive tour through the Pacific extending over twelve months, and who has a constder-

able amount of capital invested in New Guinea and elsewhere, in conversation with a "Sunday Times" representative, gave some interesting and startling information relating to the Japanese trade in the isl.TjLids. "They are a holy terror up thers," lie said, "and as SURE AS THE SUN SHINES they -will collar the island trade unless something is done to prevent it. Already they have got the trade of the Carolines in their hands. A white man cannot live there in competition with them now. When I was at the Marshall Islands the Germans were virtually shivering in their shoes. The Japs were coming, and they knew it would be all up once they put in an appearance. You Bee one or two about the first year spying out't lie'landpand the next they come in thousands) and cut prices in a ivay that makes European competition absolutely imposisble. THERE IS NO STOPPING THEM, and had it not been for the war they would have practically collared the MarShall Islrrde ere this. Then they are graduail- TForking down to the South via New Guinea. Already thera are several Japanese traders there, and the swnrm of bees will come along soon, and then look-out! They have introduced themselves into the pearling business at Thursday Island, and you will find Japauesc all the way down the Barrier beche-de-mer fishing. You will also find them on all the islands along the north of Australia, and they are getting more plentiful every year. You hear people talk of a Japanese invasion here, but you don't know how near it is. The progress they are making , is wonderful nay, mpre than, wonderful, it is appalling."