JAPAN'S HELP

Evening Star, Issue 16625, 7 January 1918, Page 6

JAPAN'S HELP

YVIU. SHE SENT) TROOPS TO EUROPE?

Under date Tokio, November 12, l)r J. Ingram Bryan writes to tho ' Sydney Morning Herald':—

Tho question as to whether Japan will yet decide to throw her military forces into the European battle line is occupying the increasing attention of the nation. Since the conclusion of the new agreement with America, the subject of Japan's assistance to Russia has been assuming a move prominent aspect. Thus .far the prevailing opinion in Japan his been against the despatch of an army to Eiirope ; but some of the more far-seeing of the national leaders aro beginning to opine that possibly the winding of troops to Europe may be the logical result of Japan's position as an Ally. The duty of hastening the conclusion of the. war for the sake of humanity and economy must needs impress itself more and more on the mind of a, generous people like the Japanese. Up to the present time the great argument against the proposal has been the expense and the lack of transportation facilities. The loss enthusiastic and more-narrou--settled, however, have lieen urging that as an Ally Japan has done all thai can be reasonably expected of her. and is certainly not bound to send troops outside of Asia* These aver that distance and strange environment would place the Japanese soldier at a great disadvantage as compared with, the European soldier. This argument, however, can hardly bo taken seriously, ,for no one can imagine a. Japanese officer believing that surroundings make his men any the less soldiers, as a soldier who was likely to be defeated by sentimental considerations of environment could hardly be called a soldier. "When, the Allies fought in China at the time of the. Boxer uprising, British and. American troorw fought as bravely as if at home, and *5 did the Japanese. Nor are the other objections urged, any more well taken. If it were possible to transport more than a quarter of a million men from Australia to Europe, and have them face the foe on strange soil with unexampled heroism, it is not impossible to carry half a million Japanese to Europe and have them display equal valor. It would, in fact, be a much easier proposition to realise, since Japanese troops coidd be conveyed by railway through Russia, without enemy menace. As to expense, the Allies would see to that, as they are doing toward all other necessary outlay. It is -undoubtedly anomalous that one of the Allies, .with one of the most efficient armies in the world, should have that, army look on inactively, while the other Allies are fighting a, life-and-death battle. There is another aspect of the question that cannot be ignored. According to the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, Britain would bo bound to send soldiers for the defence of Japan should she be seriously threatened, and no argument on the score of sentimentality or economy would cause her to hesitate if necessity demanded aid. Even for the little war in Tsingtao Britain sent her quota of troops to participate. Wo do not ssy that Japan is hesitating to send troops to Europe, but. we do say that other Allies should not hesitate to accept her offer of such assistance. If half a million or more of Japan's veterans were now thrown into the fighting front, an achievement that could be accomplished i T i two or three months, the result could only he stimulating to the Allies, as well as the reverse to the enemy.

One cannot believe that this is a time when Japan could afford to be guided by selfish pessimism, or that -they represent Japan «who keep on asking what she is to get out of the war, should she send troops to Europe. Every nation participating m this war for freedom will get its due. In any case, the best friend is not he who asks how much he can get, but how much he can give. - If the Samurai portion of Japan be consulted there is but one answer the Allies would receive were they to suggest her appearance among the military forces in Europe. Already the Imperial Navy of Japan lias done well both on the Pacific and in the Mediterranean, and now Japan is undertaking- the policing of the Pacific while American shins concentrate on the Atlantic. Let lis be bold enough to say that it is only want of tactics on the part of someone xjant is depriving the allied cause of Japan's magnificent hero army, whose force could not fail to hasten the <Llv of victory.