The Daily News SATURDAY, APRIL 6. JAP WORSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 6 April 1907, Page 2

The Daily News SATURDAY, APRIL 6. JAP WORSHIP.

The Japanese are. our allien. Whatever they know in the matter of naval work oi''.4l'ategv has hem taught them l>v the oilicers have been trained in Britain, their ships are patterned on the host naval lighting machines of I lie Royal Navy. They owe everything to John Hull. John Unit is a peculiar person. As ,i general .hing iiu wallops a nation with a brown, red or black skin, anil then takes him under his wing and teaches him to wallop someone else. The Hindoos tried to. prulil by his kind teaching long ago by smiting' John Hull. When the Japanese licet visited England a while ago, the British tars foil on the, necks of the Japanese and gave them a royal time. When the Jap squadron visited Australia the people shouted "iiauzai," and gave the little brown men who had just emerged from heathenism a loud, stirring welcome. Now the Japs are in New Zealand, New Zcalandcrs in the warm-hearted fashion that is so British, are exalting the iittlc heroes into positions of demigo\ls. People hi the streets of our chief towns do not burst into wild cheers when they see a squad of British sailors coming down teh streets, hut when the squad is Japanese it is different. The Japanese, it is reported, lost no time when they got ashore in Wellington in learning all there was to learn about the topography of the port. They sent out surveying parties, with mathematical instruments, theodolites, and various surveyors' tools, presumably hecause they have the instruments and do not want to let them rust. The fact is that the admiral is now in possession of the height of every -hill in Wellington, lie knows the Wairarapa, the position of coastal forts and the disposition of the mines. This information is, of course, only to be used in case of aggression by any two hostile Powers, when under die treaty of aliianco the Jap licet would naturally have to give New Zealand a hand. We fancy we hear the reader chuckling. There is no need to insult a very gallant nation, and there is no question about the gallantry of the Japs, Hut it will be remembered that, in the Russ-Jap war the commanders of the Jap naval and military forces were exceedingly reticent even to their allies, the British. They were always polite, but firm, a>u we believe that we sliouhl be poiito and linn about this topographical excursion a Jap squadron is now engaged on in New Zealand. There is no fault to Had with the Japs and their social behaviour. They are little gentlemen, simple, almost childlike, ami exceedingly clever. But their attitude is one of honorable patronage, the patronage which a conquering nation must necessarily feel for a colony so infantile in its defensive arrangements as New Zealand. The Japanese show nothing but the very best esteem and gratitude to the British who liave been the chief means of their meteoric success, Jbut friendly nations have quarrelled before to-day, and there is no historical parallel for the Jap-British alliance. It is at least presumable that people of such distinct race, religion, custom, manner, and method may split on some rock of distention. The Jap is aggressive, nuib'rtious, and desirous to colonise for which Ite has already exhibited special aptjtpdc hut quesiioiiabol method. And one never knows.