PALTEY MILLION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18443, 3 January 1922, Page 4

PALTEY MILLION

TO HOLD NEW ZEALAND.

PLAIN WARNING FROM EAST.

“If you people of New Zealand only realised what it meant you would remember what Lord Northcliffo told you about Japan. People down here don’t seem to have any conception of the strides that Japan has made during the past five years alone.” This was tho warning uttered to an Auckland Star reporter by a widely-, travelled Britisher, who lives in. the East, and has made a deep study of Eastern problems. He is anything but a scaremonger, and nothing is further from his desire than to stir up strife, but ho realises that we must look matters squarely in the face. “You have in New the richest country in the world, and it is simply suicidal to continue in your present policy of keeping it empty.” _ Speaking of Japan, ho said that Country little more thart GO years ago was very much in the same state aa that in which the early colonists found the Maoris when settlement started in Now Zealand. The Americans and British who landed; in Japan at tho time of which he was talking forced a trade treaty on the Japanese, who were very loath to enter into such an agreement, but their barons—damios, as they Were then called—saw that it was the only policy to pursue. 'lmmediately after that treaty was entered into Japan began sending her emissaries—tho beet men she> could find—to all the leading countries of the world with instructions to find out all about those countries and report bock to Tokyo. That information was carefully sifted and the best of each country was picked, out as the model for the new Japan. If anything did not suit the country or the people it was carefully omitted. WHAT MADE JAPAN. The religion of the Japanese is Shintoism, and to a certain extent Buddhism, and to-day an attempt is being made to supplant that Buddhism with Shintoism, and the first tenet of the last mentioned being that the laws of tho country must be obeyed. Up ,to five years ago there were only an upper class and a lower class *in Japan, with practically no middle Glass. The consequence was that the upper classes made the laws and the lower classes obeyed them and without question. “That is how it has' come about,” said Now Zealand's well-wisher, "that Japan’s naiy is modelled on the British ‘navy; cational system mainly on that of Gerber army on that of Germany; and iher odumany. These ore the three- principal departments of government that have made the country what it is to-day. Another thing is that Japan lias had the faculty of noting the disputes and weaknesses of the white nations and getting the greatest advantage possible out of the circumstances which arise as a result. At the crucial moment Japan made war on China and at the crucial moment she made war on Russia. Tho result is that from.being a mere nobody among tho nations Japan is to-day one of tho_ Great Powers, on an absolute equality with those Powers. From her geographical position she is the' leading Power in the East—the Power that must bo reckoned with, A VITAL QUESTION. The immigration laws of America, Canada, and Australasia are such that it prevents the Japanese spreading in the countries named Japan’s population is increasing by 10,000,000 every 10 years, and a child can see that such a country must seek outlets for its surplus people. Japan itself is crowded; she is a small country with a, population of 70,000,000. What is she going to do with her surplus people? Tins question is vital, and must vitaJly affect New Zealand and Australia. You must never forget that the distance from Japan to Australasia is only half that between Australasia and the Old Country. You must never lose sight of that point, and if trouble should ever unfortunately arise you could soon have on your coasts a hostile fleet against which it Is very problematical whether you could do anything. And there won’t be any notice given. It will bo remembered that Japan sank part of' the .Russian fleet and bottled pp Vladivostok before over she declared war against Russia, and it would .be the same thing oveiragoan if trouble come tomorrow.

■New Zealand must extend. She must not listen to those who say there is no more room; she must make room. She must take a lesson from America, which to-day had a population rising 110.000 000 airnm.f the 6,000,000 or 7,000,000 Zealand must attract more population. It u 9 Labour party won’t allow it IW f tb ® re )S , t . roublo to-morrow and Japan be victonous, then good-bye to the kC party and its aims.” '

. LESSON WELL LEARNED. Incidentally lie Star’s informant said there was hardly a merchant steamer that sailed under the Japanese flag that couldn’t be turned into a transport. Japan was a country of wood, and stored at convenient ports was tho necessary timber to enable each steamer to be turned into a transport. “And,” ho said, “you must remember that tho people in. Japan are like flies, and, moreover, they have 11,000,000 trained men. The military spirit is remarkable, I remember once seeing what I thought was a regiment of soldiers on manoeuvres, but I was told (and saw for myselfl that- it was simply a huge crowd of schoolboys ‘playing at being soldiers.’ Each lad had a rtnp on one shoulder, a shovel on the otheiV and full pack up, and for a month they l had been ‘digging themselves in,' just as the Allies and the Germans were doing at that moment in Europe. No, you rain have no conception how well Japan has learned the military lesson.” / .. Asked what he thought of the immediate future, the Star’s informant said it was quite impossible to say. _ The most important factor in Kis- opinion was that at present Japan was not a steelproducing country. That was why she was so anxious to get control of the iron-ore country in North China, However, no matter what the future held, New Zealand and Australia’s duty was dear. They must fill up their empty spaces or be prepared to have to dispute their homes with some alien race.