THE FAR EAST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 294, 5 September 1908, Page 5

THE FAR EAST.

ANOTHER WAR PREDICTED. RUSSIA AND JAPAN ARMING. "There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Japan means to absorb' Manchuria," said Mr. G. W. S. Patterson, a visitor to Wellington, who was. through tho country four or live months ago. "Japan had it in mind during the war, and her merchants or their agents followed tho> army divisions, and firmly established themsolves all over the country before tho ports wore thrown open to tho ships of other nations. Now the Japanese rules everything in Manchuria commercially, and he treats the natives far worse than the Russian evor did. "The Russian was not over-scrupulous in his treatment of tho Chineso, but the Ciinanian made mouoy out of him, and he was content to put up with the treatment, but he cannot mako anything out of tho Japanese, who treats him like a dog. "The Koreans are loft .Without a kick, so that Japan, sooner or later, will try to absorb both Korea and Manchuria—she must do it, hor own country is so wretchedly poor, and then there will be more troublo in the East. Manchuria is twico the sizo of Franco and Germany together, and is very rich in timber and soil, probably tho richest region in tho world. To tho north is the Trans-Baikal district, six times as largo as Manchuria, which is boing settlod by Russian immigration at tho rate of 900,000 per year. I travelled over the Siberian railway last yoar, and must liavo passod hundreds of oast-bound trains ladon with immigrants of a good stamp, with trucks piled high with houses in sections. These wore for tho Trans-Baikal district, a fine country with a winter not nearly so long as that of Canada, and a soil that will grow anything. "There is now an army of 400,000 stationed in tho district, which could bo doubled or trebled within a fow weeks, but no aggressive action is likely to occur until Japan makes a movo to jump more territory. Then tho guns will pla.v again. Russia cannot stand by and sco Japan absorb Manchuria. Japan on her part must act soon, as she fears the awakening of China in tho near future, and would try to embroil England as her ally. ".Tinan'it victory over Russia was the greatest calamity that could have occurred to western civilisation, as it set tho coloured man thinking. Tho treaty with England was ono of the greatest political blunders evor mado in the history of tho wtarkl. That is the opinion held by overy man of reason in tho East —and thoro is no chanco of it being renewed." _ -