THE WHITE FLEET AND JAPAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 252, 21 October 1908, Page 4

THE WHITE FLEET AND JAPAN.

. Now that the American naval squad- j • ron has finally got to Japan, any doubt i that-may have existed as to the possible effect of this startling apparition upon! I I the imagination of the Japanese- may : I happily, be laid to rest. The Mikado and j 7 his Ministers were far too diplomatic! I ever to manifest any surprise or annoy-] mice when the project of the Pacific 1 > I cruise-was*first"announced, it came at a' • I moment when the relations between ' 1 Axaerica.ns and Japanese -were decidedly 1 strained, and when any lack, of tact or j display of nervoua apprehension' might j • I have precipitated a very serious crisis. I I But the Japanese Government promptly rose to the. occasion; and, by inviting 1 the American fleet to visit Japan, at onca , I disarmed those American agitators who I had hoped to utilize this naval cruise as ah excuse for a demonstration against j . Orientals in general, and the Japanese I •' in particular. Subsequent events have j fully justified the conciliatory course I • adopted by the Mikado and his advisers. The outburst of popular ill-feeling! , j against Japah in the Western States has , at least temporarily died down. No one at the present'moment talks about fight-1 ; ing the Japanese oh account of the 1 Californian mixed schools or the San ,- Francisco riots. And the splendidly im- • pressive and hospitable reception accorded to the "White Fleet," rihw that ' it lias reached Japanese waters, will go far to remove the impression of inveier- 1 • ate hostility between the United States; 1 -and'- Japan that irresponsible agitators J otf both sides of the Pacific have ! done their best to encourage. The peaceful : denouement of this dangerous crisis is I convincing proof of the usefulness of '■ politeness and self-control in international disputes,* and it may stand on re-1 ' cord for all time as a supreme illustra-1 tion of the value of the soft answer 1 which turae.th away, wfath. I . But, though no sane person has ever j believed that President Roosevelt sent the- American fleet on-its cruise to fight Japan, or that the United States Government has any present intention of making war upon anybody, the fact remains that the voyage of the Pacific Fleet is au event of gi-eat international signi- , ficance. . Though Ariierica has never attempted to map out a policy of naval aggression or territorial aggrandisement, and, though she is at present on the best of terms with England, there is no doubt in the minds of most thoughtful Americans that, it is the destiny of their country to control the Pacific. It is not probable that this laudable ambitiwri will ever bring the United States into direct conflict with England. But it certainly has a very direct bearing upon America's probable future relations with Japan, or with any other naval Power likely to.debate this question seriously. And the language used by President Roosevelt, and by the,leadiiig organs of public opinion in the United States, during tbe- past year, certainly confirms the view that America now regards the maintenance of an overwhelmingly strong naval squadron in .the Pacific as one of the primary conditions *» of her national safety. But here a further consideration of ■ vast international importance suggests itself. If America's naval strength i 3 now concentrated in the Pacific—and,there is not any serious" pro.- . bability that' the fleet now cruising there ,' .. will, ever .be witlidrawifcrT-lt will be necessary for her to build another* fleet to guard her.Atlantic frontiers: Th'_ alterpative would be to invite aggression arid I -. ?rtt*ck frbm the; Continental Powers al- ', ratty jtsakw oi Amerfc»> ""wealtff'-'atid,' [atremjfch, and raeentful «f' t&'« 3_o_nol

Botiriae; wiieii the : %mi&h States have j now irrevocably/ pledged: tUemeeJvee to ' enforce. But America has already anepiraredj/.teay doubt 6r ; - questions, tfh*t s«ch a- coattagency might evokes Former statesmen ter- naial experts ijtve with one voice declared that if be needed jorthei Atlantic coast, it shall be provided; and it must be remembered that America is the one country in the ..world-riek.enough; to un-. dertake §9 stapei^ious* "a, iaet. without blsiag financialJy cnppled by itir. 'The pos- ] seeeioa of: two-great- fl^ets^-one-station-ed permanently in,the Pacific, the other tit' ihe Atla.niic-t-woiiHlea.ve America almost .without a.s.riv,al in.the race for . maritime* supremacy; and the-- cruise of the White Fleet may.thus provfc-tb bean epoch-making "event , of the fitst order in the "world politics" of- th,e- present ac& ■ • - . ■■ ~..-.. -.':. •■•.,,■

Following is Captain Edwin's weather forecast, for 24 hours from 9 a.m. .this day:—"Strong winds to gale from between, north-east, and north and west j raia.probably:heavy; glass falL" . In the ease at the Police Court yesterday sin which a gang: of boys were up for theft of coney from the till of Mr. F/ollas' shop, Newmarket, the sum reported was 'between £2 and £3. This was the amount of money the boys were accused, of having- stolen/ whereas the actual loss/of Mr. Follas totalled: £8. odd.! According to the Labour Journal for October, the'number of men employed on the railways in. the Auckland . province ' are as follows: — Kawakawa-Graham-town, 223; Helensville Northwards, 313; Gisborne-Rotorua, 184; North Island Main. Trunk- line, S2l. A warm discussion arose at the meeting of the Eden Terrace Road Board hist evening on a proposal to increase the clerk's salary by £ 39. per annum. This was opposed by Mr J. Browne, who held that .the clerk was entitled to no more consideration than ■ the ■α-orkmen in the Board ? s employ. The Board had just decided to go into committee when Mr Browne, remarking that the action was worse than a "Press gag," left the meeting in protest. 'An extraordinary, accident befell Mrs j CVmatti, a resident of Whitford, yester- ( day morning. milking, a cow in I a paddock adjoining her residence, the I animal fell, and rolled over her, badly crushing her. Four hours later Mrs Cimatti was found still lying in an unconscious condition. She was attended to by Dr Baker, and" then convryed i to ithe Auckland hospital, where she is j now making satisfactory progress to; ) • wards recovery. The steamer Indravelli, of the Sew Zealand and Canadian Steamship line, arrived at L'rttelton from Vancouver yesterday with 500,000 feet of Oregon pine and 25,000 bundles of Oregon laihs for Lyttelton, end a further consigns ment of 1.500,000 feet of Oregon pine for Wellington. Archibald John McNeiJL who was arrested under arms at VVoodend, and re* manded to appear at Wellington on a ■charge of false pretences, is reported to be a dangerous character. It is stated that when hiding in the scrub about the J Bluff, he had his revolver in one hand ,'and a stout club tied to his other wrist.' Once before, while going a train journey j 'in custody, McNeill managed to "lay ont" j Jiis escort, , and escaped temporarily, and,' he: nuw boasts that he will get away yet. In reference to a : cable message pub;lished on .Saturday that £1,000,000 |worth of New Zealand bills of ' oue year's currency had begun to be placed on the London market on a. basis o! about 31 per cent., I the Pi'ime Minister, in reply to an inI'quiiy from the editor of the Christehurdi "■Press," telegraphs: "I do not understand the cable. No Treasury bills of any kind have been authorised to be used, nor has any authority for £1,000,----000 been given by mc. I am inquiring into the matter." A Japanese oppretta in three acts will (shortly be staged by the members and (friends of St. Benedict's choir, and it is j expected that tie organ fund will greatly j benefit. Bright., sparkling music is a distinct feature of the oppretta; the solos are extremely pretty, and the orchestral parts cftll for skilled musicians, which i the management have been very fortu- | nateto secure. The Remuera. Ladies' Guild announces a sale of iwork, to be held in< St. Mark's Hall on the afternoons and eveninge of Thursday and Friday. The bazaar is I designed on attractive and -pleasing lines, and, apart. from usual - features, there will be musical items, amt&ing competitions, side-showd', etc.. to interest visitors ' and ensure success. The boy e of the disj trict provide a novel feature in the form of a stall organized and controlled by themselves. The Girls' Guild is responsible for a very attractive stall, and its I members have tastefully planned the main decorations of the hall. The competition stall will show children's frocks, sJip' bodices, dressed dolls and d'ovlevsuntil the presentation of prizes takes place oil Friday afternoon. The ReernI era Blackbirds have kindly- consented to I repeat "their bright and racy entertaini ment for the Guild on Friday evening. I Attention is drawn to the aiTvertiseI ment of the Auckland Co-operative I Terminating Building Society, announcj ing appropriations, six ballots, and five sales, total £4400, to be distributed on Wednesday, 28th inst.: also mentioning that November 10 is- the first pajr day foT subscriptions in the 16th group,' and' November' 4 for application fees' in the 17th group. The Parfcar-Lamb Timber Company, Ltd., have declared an interim dividend at the rate of lOpercent per annum. Take Zymole Trokeys for your cough. They will stop it by soothing the irritated membrane of the throat. Hoarseness is relieved and the throat strengthened. ■ — (Ad.) Tussore silks, 1/41, 1/HJ, 2/11; very special; at 3/6 yard: coloured ditto, 3/6, 4/11; splendid value in coloured or white Jap. silfc The new dress-satins, double width, in bkek, wMte, and iashionable shades, 5/11, up.—McCiillagh and . Gower, silk people.— (Ad.) Large variety and the very latest ideas antf cut iri blouses, frbrii the simple to the, most dressy, and prices moderate 2/11, 3/6, 3/11, to 79/6.—McCullagh and Gower, the rioted bouse for blouses.— (Ad.) Splendid value in our rioted makes of calicos," 3/3, 4/6, 4/I], 5/6, to 10/9 dozen; white and unbleached damasks, special value, IOJd., 1/-, 1/3, I/44, up; towels, direct frbm : makers, 43d.,. ajd., 63d., 83d., to and Gower, the noted house for Manchester ■ gcods.— (Ad.) Lovely French , muslins, small floral designs in pink, blue, and yellow; l/ 6£; liouquets, in' pink, bine,' and' gold, I/Si; Lily of Valley, pink or blue, 1/9J; Eng- ; lisli voile muslmej stripes and fancies, ' eid., lOid., llii, to ; f/ki : [l*£h aifdf Go>Vr; ~