WHAT JAPAN INTENDS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 51, 14 October 1911, Page 4

WHAT JAPAN INTENDS.

Two Sydney residents, who recently returned from a visit to Japan, have expressed their views as to what that country’s intentions and policy, and they do not hy any means agree. Mr. M. Sandy, an oil and colour merchant, who has been to Japan in the interests of his business, speaks very highly of the Japanese. He says they have a favourable opinion of Australians, and everywhere ho went he

received a warm welcome. He laughs at the fears of those timid Australians who imagine that the Japanese may descend upon their coasts at any moment. “There is no fear of Japan interfering with Australia,” he said to i reporter in Sydney. “They have quite enough to absorb their attention in their iternal affairs and in the development of Korea and Manchuria-. There is plenty of scope for all their superflous energy in those regions. Their aim is to bo to Asia what Great Britain is to Europe.” Mr. Robert M’Millan, who has been to America and Europe, has formed a very different opinion of the aim of the Japanese. He was surprised to learn that

hero are 79,000 Japanese in the Hawaiian Islands, and his inquiries convinced him that “this great accre- ■ ion to tho number of Japanese in the stands is simply a practical expression of a definite policy of the Japanese Government.” Mr M’Millan told in interviewer that Japan had been the only nation to protest against the annexation of Hawaii hy the United States, and as the protest had been ilioregarded tho Japanese had “set to work quietly to take posssion of the islands in a peaceful and unohstrusivo manner.” “I am convinced,” he added, “that when her opportunity comes Japan fully intends to make herself mistress of the Pacific, which she is actually doing in Hawaii to-day. Not very long ago Japan withdrew a largo portion of her population from the islands and replaced them with veterans. They drill quietly at night. It is safe to say that the entire ablebodied Japanese population is made up of trained men. They are, it should be remembered, only fifteen days’ sail from Australia.” Let us hope Mr Sandy’s views are the correct ones.