JAPAN AND THE PACIFIC.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19804, 17 December 1929, Page 16

JAPAN AND THE PACIFIC.

WAR CORRESPONDENT'S VIEWS. traoic our own cobsmpokdsitt.) VANCOUVER. November 11. '"The far call of the East may become a near call in a vital decision for the English-speaking peoples at the coming arms conference," said Colonel Frederick Palmer, famous British war correspondent, who arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, after an extended tour of the Orient. "In my swing through Japan, Korea, Manchuria, and China to the Philippines, the amazing change to me was the growth of Japan's industrial and military power. She has nearly 5,000,000 men who have had military drill. Her naval programme in the face of all talk to the contrary makes her plans of defence the offensive in distant water. She would take the Philippines in two weeks. Such is her present cruiser strength that she would sweep the United States merchant flag off the Pacific by commerce-destroying raids. The British might suffer the t same fate if Britain had her naval movement through the Mediterranean interrupted. "Regardless of sentiment of ties ot blood or language the English-speaking ; peoples have a common sea interest which should make a common policy in the Far East. Britain has not too much * cruiser strength, and the United j States should have an equal amount in j sharing overhead to ensure the Pacific. • The failure of the United States to j decide on any definite policy about the < Philippines may leaver us the alterna- i tive of one day suffering humiliation to our national pride or that of a fifty billion dollar war. not to mention the blood cost. "It will be a long time before China becomes a republic in anything except | name. ihc abolition of extra-terri- ! torialitv at this nliase of evolution j would be a handicap to reconstruction j and mean the practical confiscation of foreign property in China in five years, j "The question is if the time has \ come tor the missionaries to retire ■ from China All the Chinese have now heard the gospel. All mission schools 1 and colleges are now. bv Chinese law. i under Chinese direction. Anyhow, it i would be a good idea to have an inves- j tigation of the actual results from t mission funds spent in the Orient made f bv a commission of business men and ( expert educators who were not in the J missions or in the employ of the Chin- | ese Government. Parents are well ad- i vised not to encourage daughters to go as missionaries to stations in the interior of China under the present conditions.''