IN ONE YEAR-WAR!

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1063, 28 February 1911, Page 4

IN ONE YEAR-WAR!

JAPAN AND AMERICA.,. J', [By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, February 27. - Mr: C. : 'E.:' Russell, . the American journalist, who stood for the Governorship of New York at the last election, agrees with the cabled prediction that war. between America and Japan will break out within the next twelve, months. '.■•.' | Speaking to an interviewer, Mr.'Bussell said that the position was never,,more critical than nor,-. "It is , not so much Japan's desire for-moro territory," he said,. , "although-that is something of a factor.' , '' Th- real danger lies in Japan's rapid growth as a .producing country. It is becoming a formidable competitor with America-in.many lines. For instance, it has, with remarkable rapidity, developed a great iron and steel business. L believe that Japan, if it got the chance, could lay,down steel rails on the Pacific Coast of America for far less than the American ■ Steel Trust. It could do it also in building great steamships—they are ever outrivalhng. the United States. It is Japan's evident intention to dominate the Pacific, and America also has ideas in that direction..: Japan has already defied the American Tobacco Trust, and driven it out of Japan and Korea, and largely out of China. Tho Tobacco Trust had invested millions of 'dollars in building up that trade, but Japan has 'Oiited it' absolutely. The little yellow men have also'hit the Standard Oil Trust very hard by developing their own industry. Even the American j Railway Road Trust has suffered. , because, a big trade ; in flour was bsing developed! with the East, and the grain was carried by rail two-thirds of the way across the Continent, and then transhipped. J\ow Japan has the grain trade -in its own hands. : In every movo of the game, commercially speaking, in the Bast, Japan holds the winning hand, and the American trusts, which have very \largo tcrests at stake, are being ouhvitted. ■»■ "Wo have at all .times on .the/.Pacific Coast whnt misht bs called a 'powder house' condition of affairs," continued Mr. Russell. "Air along the coast there is a very bitter feeling against the Japanese. Just at the' present moment thero is the need for a new treaty with Japan, and the significant thing abont it is that i the pronosal before the Senate, as approved by tho representatives, contains no provision for the restriction of' immigration. The Senate will never ratify the treaty without the inclusion of restriction clauses, and the only inference, in leaving the Senate to do this, is to olTer Japsn tho greatest possible affront. On the Pacific slopes the is now tense.' It only wants an anti-Japan-ese riot to lead up to a declaration of war. ■'.'■■'• ■ ';,...■

"Still another reason why the trusts nmv force,'hostilities • is that the'.great ethical movement is now so stron<r in •Arfrvrici thaj only such a calamitous fiiiis as a war can 'stop its- proST««. Plunsiv the two countries into a sreat ftniKKle.howpvpj-. and the n«' , vfm>nt rpcpivos an immediate terrible set Kick. We arc riot a warlike rmtfnn. and wp .ire Tint ready for war. hut the Mtnntinn is critical, nfl I think the war pinnae aro nhiiit to burst. Amprica wmiM win flvcntiinll.v; hut victo'rv ■ wnuM tip. nlmiif as (lisi«lrous k« defeat, for it would ho n'forribly costlv war. , i

"Tt.is.my opinion, havinff tpcppHv visitp-l Japan, and tmvin?->jnet-'.left Aniprica, that Kpnrcsentntire' wnr"lng may bo taken as distinctly ominous." ' ' . .