EASTERN MENACE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 118, 20 May 1914, Page 7

EASTERN MENACE

SIR lAN HAMILTON'S REMARKS "A. DISTURBER OF THE PEACE" JAPAN MUST STAND ALONE. (By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright.) (TIMES AND SYDNEY SUN SBRYICIB.) TOKIO, 18th May. The Jananese press, referring to Sir lan Hamilton's recent remarks on the subject of the Eastern menace, declares that Japan must prepare to stand alone and face the white races in battle. Asia must co-operate with Japan for their common defence. The newspaper Mainichi Slumbun complains that Sir lan Hamilton is a disturber of the peace. JAPANESE DOUBTS CONCERNING BRITAIN'S ENTHUSIASM FOR ALLIANCE. WHITE MEN'S PREJUDICES. LONDON, 19th May. The Daily Mail's special correspondent at Tokio says that the Japanese doubts concerning British enthusiasm for the Alliance have been renewed by Sir lan Hamilton's Auckland speech, referring to the Pacific as a possible battlefield between Asiatics .and Europeans. A declaration by Count Okuma has not removed the uneasiness. The Mainichi Shimbun declares that Japan must warn the other Asiatic nations _of the, fearful consequences of the white men's prejudices and unrighteous attitude. Japan has no warlike designs, but is striving for an equal footing with the whites. SIR lAN INTERVIEWED HE DECLINES TO COMMENT ON CABLE MESSAGES. WANGANUI, 19th May. A Chronicle reporter waited on Sir lan Hamilton this evening in reference to the cable message from Tokio giving the Japanese press views on his utterances. General Hamilton said that he was unable, owing to military rules, to make any comments thereon. THE CRITICISED SPEECH At a civic reception at the Town Hall, Auckland, on 13th May, Sir lan Hamilton said that he might make answer to the query which had directly and indirectly been submitted to him throughout his tour from south to north. That question had been: — "Why, when we are expecting the millennium, do we find practical and prosperous countries like Australia and New Zealand earnestly engaged in furbishing up their armour ot defence?" He would like to try and. answer that question — not in the obvious way, but rather in the abstract. It might even be that those whom, he was addressing would regard his statement as # original. The first reason he would give, then, was because of the shrinkage of distance, the advent of electricity, steamships, aeroplanes, and high explosives, "so high that a shot from a 14-inch gun could kill a man twenty miles away." They had brought most dangers nearer. Next there was the Obvious reason that in the Pacific great nations had either risen during the' last 100 years or else old nations were showing marvellous energy. Even as volcanoes long quiescent broke again into activity, so it was with some of the old nations of the Pacific. MEETING GROUND OF CONTIf NENTS. The third obvious reason was that the Pacific, despite its charming name, was if anything more stormy than some less distinguished parts of tho globe. And while they would all deplore such a contingency it was conceivable that in the future, apart from the storms of Nature, there would be greater and more terrible convulsions than in the past. That was to say, the Pacific was the meeting ground not of nations, but of continents. And here it might be decided whether Asiatics or Europeans were going to guide the destinies of this planet. These were more or less obvious reasons ; but there were others which he believed to be real and true, although they were more or less under the surface. In the Malay States, for instance, they would see fine people going under before the influx of low-class materialists — coolies brought in to work for low wages. China, a country over which he tiayelled two years ago in the course of his inspection, showed signs of breaking up. The old moral restraints had o;one. While there he saw a modernised Chinaman scratching with a nail his name upon *,he wall of the Temple of Heaven — a temple until recently so sacred that the Emperor alone might approach it, and that only once in a year. This was but an illustration to show the change out of which was evolving a chaos and weltering confusion such as existed at the time of the French Revolution, from which Napoleon arose. DANGER IN OUR OWN EMPIRE. Lastly, there were signs of a danger in bur own Empire to the white race from the existence of this materialistic factor. In Ladysmith, when he first knew that town, the main street was a street of prosperous business places run by European shopkeepers. What a change had been wrought ! When he went there two years ago he had taken Sir George White's place as president of tho Ladysmith organisation, and he bad kept coustantly and closely in touch with the place. Where the European shopkeeper had prospered the monopoly of business was now held by bunyahs and coolies, who existed on a couple of meals of rice per day. They had no constructive or progressive talent, but they could handle coins of the realm with extreme nicety. POINT OF HIS STORY. This, then, was the point of his story. This was why, instinctively, in time of progress and prosperity, Australia and New Zealand did not lose sight of the necessity for preparing for defence. If people with high ideals ,and high standards were forced to live cheek by jowl with people of low standards and low idonls, they must either become slavedriver? or sink to the level of those by whom they were surrounded, in which case they would be beaten. Of course, added tho General, New ' Zealand was a long way off, but Australia was very close to the danger zone ; and when ho looked at the map it seemed to him that New Zealand occupied the position of a little sister, small by comparison in size, but no less eager if danger threatened Australia. He had not tho slightest doubt that New Zealand would bo ready and willing to lend a, hand to her sister in tho Antipodes, (Loud and prolonged applause.)