DEVELOPMENTS IN PACIFIC OCEAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 184, 4 August 1913, Page 6

DEVELOPMENTS IN PACIFIC OCEAN.

THE JAPANESE BOGY. ADMIRAL BRIDGE'S VIEWS. (From (_>ur Special Correspondent.) LONDON, Juno '27. Discussing in tlie "Morning Post" the economic and political developments that may be looked for in the Pacific Ocean as a result of the opening of the Panama Cans! and the growth of the young nations in the Southern Seas, Admiral Cyprian Bridge, wlro has held command in both ttie Australian and China stations, declared that whilst the utilisation of the Panama waterway must affect conditions in the Pacific the existence of the Canal will not constitute the most important, or even a very important, factor in shaping the conditions within the vast area under notice. He holds that without the Canal maritime trade in that a.rea would expand, and the expansion that will be directly due u> the opening of the Canal —howevpr large—will be hut a relatively mij;il! addition to tlint which would take place independently of it. In It 1-= view the most important result of piercing the Panama isthmus will be naval and strategical. It will produce n virtually large augmentation of the United States Navy. B.y using the new waterway the Atlantic eeetion and the Pacific section of the American naval force* will be in a position for mutual support, which is practically impossible as lone as the whole continent of South America, and much of the continent of Xorth America, are interposed between them. JAPANS POSITION. Turning his attention to Japan, Admiral Bridge remarks, that any student of the Pacitie Ocean question must be forcibly attracted by the position of Japan." So strong is that attraction that the Admiral ie inclined to think that at tirsl sight the student is likely to attach exaggerated importance thereto. Upon the subject Admiral Bridge says: — "A parallel between the United Kingdom and Japan is ol'te.n instituted. It res:>. nevertheless, on superfr-Lil resemblances only. To justify it appear-; tnces have to be, taken for realitiee. "The United Kingdom is a group of islands in the ocean near a groat and populous continent: so is Japan. This i* visible on the surface. If we get below that, important differences will be discerned. The expansion and rise in power of England were the effect of maritime enterprise and naval activity. The. position in Japan is the reverse of this. Maritime enterprise and naval activity in Japan are tlie birth of yesterday. Across the great ocean behind the English, as they faced their Continental foes and competitors, there was only a

vinually iino<'ctipie.; continent. As the •Tananese face their neighbour continent with ite teeminp population and ancient civilisation- they have behind them — not to mention Latin America, of itseLf an important element in Pacific Ocean conditions—more than a hundred millions of people belonging to two of the most advanced and most powerful States. More than that; to the south of uiic Japanese, and on their flank, as it uexuare two risinp communities of the Kncr-lish-speakinfr race, bound by many ties of affinity, history, and intercourse, to the progressive inhabitants of North America. This must affect the position of .Tapiii. and differentiate widely its career from that of tho United Kingdom."

Then, aprain. the Admiral points out that the commercial and industrial development of Japan n««3 brought with it -?rave political and economic problems. •.vjiicii are pressing for an anewer. Tlie change in economic wrought by recent development is now quite [>cr-

•erptihle. and jO-callpd -"Inborn" questions" in .I3pan arc coming forward for solution with a rush. It is, therefore, lie think?. reasonable to expect —even i: t+ie spirit of the Japanese 'impelled tbrm to bo asrjrressire. which if of itself unlikely—that they wijl have home problems too grave to permit them to bo >r>. Those who know -Ta-pan best know that what the overwhelming majority j ol itn people desire are peaceful .pro-cvp.-r, and national consolidation, not a-ryressinn ajrainst other countries. There may be in Japan, ag in other countries. Chaurinist or Jinjro faction road) —iviih utter irresponsibility for the consequencee—to take or to' g-ive offence: but. says the Admirul. the politics md diplomacy of the civilised world arc not dictated, or even greatly influenced, by such factions. THE •TVH'ITE AUSTRALIA" INSTINCT. Admiral Bridge proceeds to touch briefly on the question of Japan's attitude towards the ""White Australia" policy. Jt is absolutely necessary, he (.ays. to treat largely of Japan when dealing with the Pacific Ocean question. beeau.se it is what that country io likely to do. or what it may induce other Asiatic countries to "do. ihat dominate:- the thoughts of people when they talk 01 developments in the Pacifier The ease of Japanese immigration into L-'nirlish-speaking countries has been, he thinks, allowed or made to aaStiTOP proportions larger than that to which it ha* any right. "In tlveir desire to prevent what they fear may he inundation by Japanese, or, .it any rate, over-immigration of them', jtlic English -speaking peoples are not actuated by any assumption of race coiperiority. What does actuate Uiptd is a sense of race difference. Because two things differ from one -another it is not a reason for believing that one is superior to the other Jt is always more difficult to absorb that which "is very different ,-uid unlike. The greater the unlikencws. the "rreate.r the difficulty. The future of the nations which hmed from the British Isles depends larzelr npon tbeir power of absorption of successive additions to their numbers. If the process of absorbing Uiom be so difficult as to be nearly impracticable, I or. at the best, long irrcomplete. their I consolidation nrnst be retarded and . then- future remain uncertain. This is I inculcated by instinct; and it w so:intl jfor it js the 'instinct of self-preservation I When it 14 understood by th« Japanese j they will—as Js befitting a high-spirited and progressive race-«ee that no stigma : of inferiority is being put upon t f eln■lndeed, the attitude of American,, Canadians, Australians, and Xew Zenlanders in tine matter—aa soon as its meaning is discerned— will be found to be helpful, and not the eontrarv to Japan. That, eountrv not wieh --indeed, i.-annot afford—to lose any . large number of citizens. It wants them all at borne and in ite adjacent dependenoes. Sea« to «q»ad is come- * B*fewal aecewity.

[migrating citizens become foreigners by neutralieation and perma/neat residence thousand of miles away from home" In conclusion, Admiral Bridge submits that tho ont great development 6E which the Pacific Oc«an will be th« scene- will be oommercial, maritime" peaceful; that .la.pan will not bc-1 >K-caiise it cannot be—the disturbinfactor whic-h ie assumed by many whj deal with the question of thk oceanand. if tlie Panama Canal had not, been made, or if rt fe not used, that the development ;ibove-mentioned would sti!; be »rpat, most likely great enough to ■shift thy economic centre of sra\Ttv of tlie world. c i>