JAPAN'S MILITARY PREPARATIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 29, 4 February 1908, Page 7

JAPAN'S MILITARY PREPARATIONS.

SPEECH BY MINISTER FOR WAR. "INOPPORTUNE AND PROVOCA"I TIVE." By Telegraph.— Press Asaooiaiion.— Copyright! TOKIO, 3rd February. General Viscount Torauchi, Japanese Minister for War, speaking in the Diet, declared that Japan's military prepare lions were not directed against any single nation, but against eventualities in tho Pacific. In that ocean, Japan's coast extended from tho Island of Saghalion to tho Island af Formosa. ' This statement is considered to be inopportune and provocative. The New York Sun recently discussed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in a long, double-leaded leading article, which was apparently inspired by powerful American interests. After referring to Berlin despatches, wherein it was stated that the British Admiralty last June arrived at the conclusion that a JapaneseAmerican war waa likely to occur within the next twenty-five years, though some naval men expected it within five- years, the Sun observed :< — "Such discussions will not prove wholly academic if they arouse the British people to ask thornselves whether they would suffer a treaty of alliance to array thoir military and naval forces on tho side of Japan against the United States. W& cannot doubt that if such a question were brought homo to the British people thoir answer would be in the nogative. For obvious reasons the sooner such an answer is returned the better." The Sun asserted that neither in five nor in twenty-five years will there be a Japanese-American contest against the will of Great Britain, who&e navy could v,eto such a conflict. It declares that tho' Japanese Alliance confers no- benefit upon Great Britain, but might prove capable of very grave injury in the event of a Japanese-American conflict, beoause within three months Great Britain would be exposed to appalling suffering owing to lack, of food supplies. "The consequonces," it concluded, "would be too obvious and too frightful for the British people to permit their Government to incuT them." A telegram received last month from Honolulu stated that the Japanese Consul there had announced that the Japanese squadron which will arrive in Hawaii this monf,h will not visit San Francisco, as had been originally planned, owing to the anti-Japanese feeling there.