OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 4

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

THE PACIFIC CRUISE. JAPANESE AND FOREIGN VIEWS. (FROM OUIt Sl'EClAb COUUKSrOXDKST.) ■ Oil December 12 tbo word "lleady" was flashed from every vessel of tlio fleet of battleships tlmt is now making its way round ilio Horn to the Pacific. It meant that every maii aboard was ready to go anywhere in thowo'rld and do any work. It meant that each vessel was clean and sweet, that every engine was in the best of condition, that bunkers wero overflowing with tlio best steam coal tlio mines of tlio country could furnish, that larders wero stored with provisions; of every sort, that magazine doors wero closed upon tlio greatest store of ammunition over placed on board American vessels of war, that olliccrs and men wero trained to tlio hour. 'J'ho Hoot is self-con-tained and could not bo moro completely furnished if intended for immediate war. • Tho douarturo-of tbo fleet, was preceded by a. review by tlio President. Tlio Mayflower, tlio President's steamer, arrived at tho bay in "tlio early morning of Monday. JJy ton o'clock-tlio column was 011 tho move, saluting tho Mayflower as it wns passed, and soon tho Whito Squadron was, out at sea. .and. the'voyago that lias caused so much .discussion and for which so much preparation has been mado was begun. . i Face Value of tlio Move. Opinions differ as .to tho significance ot tho sailing of the fleet, ' Naval exports tho ■world ovor havo advocated such voyages on purely technical grounds, In this manner ships may bo tested and oflioors and' men put in tho primo of condition for all sea practice. In the Ameriuan caso there is 110 reason why such a voyago should licit bo taken. Tho Pacific coast is as much a part of tho Continent as tlio Atlantic coast, and until tho Panama Canal is completed there is but 0110 way to get from the Atlantic to :tho Pacific.. ; So much for tlio faco of it. _ . Passing by American opinion thoro•is much,.food for reflection in what foreign observers say-as. ; to tlio significance of tlio event. Nearly all foreigners link Japan in ono way or another with thocruiso. Tlio London "Outlook" speaks at'length;'of-tho reaction upon' tho' destinies of America, of tlio Croatian of groat States on the Pacific slope, of tho' annexation of Hawaii, of.tho growth, of American commerco ill tlio Far East, of the occupation of tho Philippines and of tho riso of Japan. As a'possible battle ground, it assorts, it- is no- longer tlio .Atlantic but tho Pacific that claims American thought, Oil theso grounds and ; tlio fact that it would demonstrate the strategic necessity of tho Panama Canal, and that it would serVo as a'warning to Congress that tho' presont forces are riot sufficient- to protect tho two coast lines, the cruise, is held to -be I 'defensible.' ' Hut' it concludes that withal it is impossible not to connect- it with; tho tension that oxists between tho United States and Japan. Tho London. Press. , ■■ ■ ' . Tho London "Obesryer" 'says'likewise that it is difficult to believe' that tho ".'Pacific cruiSo is'dictated dimply by professional reasons. . It declares that -the cruiso.in fact is a ' political'rcconnaissaneo in forco in view of tno riso of Japan, that tho' fleet •bears tlio American, Flag to tho 1 . Pacific as a symbol of Power and an expression' cf the national will that it will defend and develop Amoricau interests. Fear is expressed that too; much may hav.o been granted in'respect •to Japaneso. patience. ' k • "Tlio Times" dwells upon tho character of Count .Hayashi,' the Japanese Foreign Minister; -to whom the full recognition of Japanese 'emigrants is:a. matter of life or death. '■ Ho is not. a man to'bo frightened by any display •of gun-boats, and if his .purposo- cannot bo ■accomplished, in peaceful ways-vhis';''.nation 'will fight for.it. v German and Russian Views. : Tlio German; papers 'regard; tlio' voyago.as ;tho' :most. .unusual ! i)a\'al '■'expfaitnent.of modern times, Comparing it-wthvtho'ipassago of tbo Russian fleet from tlio Baltio around 'to tho Sea'of-Japan;' ■ Most of-tho comment is, from naval men- and: is of a professional character. ■ •. . ■ ■-. * In liussia the papers'aro filled with: comments of a political ■ nature.: Tho; "Novoo •Vromya" .thinks the Squadron will servo as a guarantee" of peaco by checking tlio ; elation of tho Oriental, nations. ; It paints ,out'also ,tho ollect-tho cruise will liavo upon: tho Latin-American peoples and ; that it, will .strengthen .- tho Monroo .'doctrino. ■, The IVltotch" fears that tlio' concentration,.of so much powor on tho'Pacific shores will vastly increase tlio responsibility of tlio Federal ;Govornment, as it appears to bo inevitable that it will produce air outbreak of warlike ■sentiment and will feed the flame of ,raco feeling in tho Coast-States. '

"A Clash Inevitable." There. are two opinions in Paris, ono to tho effect that Japan'catlnot properly tako \imbrago ' at tho sailing' of tho fleet, tho othor that tho' real issue between tho two nations is not tho immigration Question .but arises from Japan's inordihato ambition jto control the Pacific Ocean, which,' if persisted in, will mako a clash inevitable. \ In this latter view tlio. recall' of Ambassador Aoki'-is looked : upon as significant. ' A publicist of r'eputo is quoted as saying; that it is an open secret in diplomatic circles .that tho American licet is going to,tho Pacific to enable'. tho United States' to answer Japan upon an equal footing, It. is an elementary mcasuro of prildencp until'.'Japan i shows her hand. If sho entertains no ulterior motive, tho immigration 'question will 1 soon bo settled. Tho.'' "Presse" 1 remarks 'on tho' coincidenco between the 'departure of. tho licet and tho' rumour that Japan is seeking a now loan in London and Paris. Tokie'a Cordiality. At Tokio tho . recall ,of Aobi is assorted i to be tho result of his own expression of a desire to bo rccallod and .that a' chango at Washington .has long beon imminent. Tho chango should, not bo construed as denoting any difference in tho friendly attitudo 'of tho Japanese' Government towards America on tho-' immigration question. . Minister Hayashi; announces that steps 'will bo taken to limit all immigration to tho United State's and , Canada. At a meeting of tho'Oriental Association, a Japanese organisation of Tokio, held'on Dccombor li, tho evo' of .tho fleet's departure, "America" was toasted with every expression of friendship. To tho exhibition to bo held in Tokio in 1912 during .tho chrysanthemum and cherry-blossom season, a special invitation is oxtendwl to tho American peoplo to como. On its acceptance by President Roosevelt, Viscount Kaiioko cabled President Roosevelt as follows: —"Wo aro'all'rojoicing'at, your ' strong .rocom-/ mendation that America should parlicipnto in our exposition and I thank you with the authority of and on behalf of tho people of Japan." So' much for official views, and equally favourable commonts could be gathered at Washington. Viscount Kaneko says,that President Roosevelt's messago of 1906, in.whjch Japan is oulogised, haß become a classic with tlw Japanese people:' . Audrow Carnegio.].has- 'also been giving somo fiuo things lately/about tho Japanese peoplo and honours are oven., Japan's,Mercantilo Marina. In viow of all this discussion an articlo in "Appleton's Magazino" for January by a Japanese writer on tho Japanese quostion js exceedingly interesting. According to.,thiswriter Japan does not want war bccauso sho is too much concerned in securing tho absolute, commercial mastery, of ...her. merchant fleets. . This sho. is • straining every nerve to accomplish before tho United States wakes up to. the importance of building and equipping-commercial vessels in tho, Pacific, That tho Land of . tho Rising Sun. will bo ready to light to .maintain' her advantage when- her conquest is secure tho writer does not say, but it may bo inferred from what wo are"told of tho past policy of Japan. The "rapid extension of Japan's shipping interests in tho period following the war with-China was, it appears, lor tho ono purposo of preparing for war with Russia. At tho present timo the expansion is much greater, and the ships that are being turned out are much larger aud more important,.

In 1903 the' total tonnage of Japan's merchant fleet was 657,269 tons. At tho present tinio tho tonnago : is over 1,200,000. Tho Nippon Kaisha, tho largest of the Jupaneso companies, has a greater tonnage than any ocean steamship lino in tho United States, and is adding new lines and now ships every year. A significant undertaking ,is tho establishment of a new Japanese company which is to operate a hundred vessels from tho beginning and to cover practically ail Pacific ports.. American Shipping—Where is It? Against all this activity what has t-l.io United States.dono to cover tho Pacific? Very little indeed. And.it is reported further that negotiations, are in progress looking to tho purchaso by Japanese companies of tho ships of th.o Pacific Mail Steamship Company and those of the Oceanic Steamship Company. ... . As showing that Japan is thoroughly in earnest in her determination to control tho Pacific, referenco may bo made to the subsidy law which provides that from 12 to 30 cents a ton shall bo given for every 1000 milos sailed by si ship owned in Japan. It also grants a bounty, of- 6 dollar's to 12 dollars a ton and" 5 dollars a horse-power on every ship built in Japanese yards. The conclusion reached by this writer, is that Japan will not-fight now,because,alio is not ready. AVhen sho ; has secured the commercial mastery of tho Pacific and wlion, ns seems, likely, tliri. American/' flag has disappeared from this ocean, there may boa different story to tell.-.-Tha Panama Canal. , Down.in''- Panama" tho Americans are actually : "making tho dirt fly"—to use a familiar colloquialism". : ' In'"November tho excavations reached 1,838,000 cubic yardsail- amount of dirt sufficient to cover ten city blocks a depth. of' forty - feet. .'Probably no such- work has over '..been dono before. Every fifty-days t-hero is being excavated an amount of material equal to., tho famous, pyramid, of -Cheops, 'which ' consumed I 'tho labour of 100,000 men for twenty'-years-, and tho ;'seryico of tho sa.mo : number of men 'ten years in ' constructing tho road - conriectinn tho pyramid with tlio quarry:.. At tho present ,'rato'of construction this force of men and machinery would have. built the" Suez Canal hi loss than ; four .years—a canal 'which:took, the, French engineers ton 'years, to construct. Chinese Riot in Canada. . .Up in Canada the race,feeling is-as bitter as in any-part of,tho.States.. ; Recently at Lutlibridge.. Alberta, a, riot, took-.- plaeb . : m which all tho buildings of.' the .Chinese quarter wor'o demolished-bjl a mqb, In all these riots tho ostensible, cauljo'.is, now-'ono thing, 1 aiid now . another. , At;, bottom .it is, raco/pre-: judioc—a jir.ojudic.oj; if you like, .born, of the fact that in, all tho, largo .'.cities and. tqwrii.ol' tho Pacific Coast :,.thero is ,an Oriental "quarter." Tho lioaialseparation <' of. the two.races seems, imsvitable.r....:•■■■, s : Tho California Fruit Growers in Favout. < : In' California tho' only body of moil favourable to Oriental 1 immigration is" the' Fruit Growers Association. * Th 6. members of this Association.' want cheap labour, ami are will-' h)g,to-seo the ■ ctjuntry/ overrun by cheap labour so -long • as-' individually:; they • may profit." lAt a recent-convention of this Association a resolution was passed- in favour of breaking ddwn the wall of. cxcusioiv. A short timo ago tho Stato: 'Grange, an association of farriers, passed a resolution favouring .the*"exclusion of 'all - Orientals. ! • Tha Spineless Cactus. - Some'months ago'l noted" .to various parts cf, tbeT Hwuul by,.Luther •Burbank. of specimen's of tho spineless cactus which the ' ' had practically .created:' .At Los ' Angeles 'a physician tried an' experiment oi ii cactus: diet for fourteen' days. During tlici first,; eight' daysthq ox; perimonter.lost flesh but' then : begvi,, gaining and . at the end 'of the experiment , .\>ighed' : , a pound more than it- starting*- : lio. asserts that ' the cactus' inay jo/beJ'!substituted;^for many vegetables, - especially'' tomatoes .and ■potatoes.' It is probable that -tho- cactus contains >lhoro of tho drganic - salts; beneficial; to life than any other 'vegetable.