The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1923. JAPAN AND CHINA.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1923, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1923. JAPAN AND CHINA.

There is probably more deliberate intent than coincidence in the apt pearance of a series of articles, concerning Japan and her expansion aims, at a time when arrangements are being made for an Empire Conference, at which the questions of the security of the British Empire and the fostering of Empire trade will probably be in the forefront of the deliberations. In sounding a note of alarm at Japan’s “peaceful penetration” of China, the writer of the articles in question adopts at least a semblance of impartiality, but his object is none the less plain, as may be gathered from his' assertion that “Chinese opinion is confident of its own power of absorption of all races, and she is not averse to the idea of looking to Japan for assistance against the trade domination of the white ones.” This 1 can mean nothing else than that i China is willing to receive all the ‘help she can get from Japan—up to a point—to prevent the white races from absorbing China’s trade, and yet looks to those races to protect her from Japanese domination, a thoroughly characteristic specimen of Chinese methods. Space does not permit of detailed reference to matters concerning the “open door” policy for China or the spheres of influence created by foreign nations. The main point at issue is the attitude and policy of Japan, a nation whose rise to the rank of a Great Power has been phenomenal, and whose aims are the subject of much speculation. It must be remembered that although Japan commands the gateway of th,e Far East, yet it is a country consisting of four large and over 4000 small islands, comprising a total area of 235,886 square miles, of which not more than one-sixth is available for cultivation, so that practically there are only 39,314 square miles of land to support a population of oyer 77 millions, while Queensland, with an area of 670,500 square miles, has a population of about three-quarters of a million white people. The intensity of Japan’s problem of finding an outlet for her surplus population is self-evident, all the more so in view of the fact that the annual increase of the population is remarkably large, so that it is only a matter of a short while when the Japanese must overflow into the nearest available territory, which happens to be China. Without doubt, although China (including Manchuria, Mongolia, Inner Tibet and Turkestan) contains a population approaching 350 millions, yet there is room in plenty for several more millions. The question is whether it is politic to allow the Japanese to dominate China in the near future. The Japanese are so intensely patriotic that they do not recognise naturalisation by any country as denationalising any Japanese. A Japanese, no matter what he does, cannot divest himself of his nationality, and therein is to be found the key to the antagonism directed towards Japanese expansion. Important facts to be borne in mind are that Japan itself is practically impregnable, her harbors are among the best in the world, her navy is in the front rank, as to power, her mercantile marine is the third largest in the world, and her methods of peaceful penetration have been very successful, while her ambition is unbounded. Given opportunities to develop on Chinese soil—or any other suitable territory— it would not take the Jap- . anese many years to become a , Power which could materially 1 alter the map of the world if occasion arose. It would be as futile to check Japanese expan-

sion as it would be to prevent boiling water overflowing by merely placing a lid on the kettle. Japan has already made great strides towards obtaining a hold on China, and the question is whether the process is to continue under the open-door policy, or some attempt at interference is to be made by the Western Powers. In the latter case there is the risk of driving China and Japan into an alliance, and possibly the creation of a great Eastern Empire that would be a world menace. The alternative is to treat Japan in a friendly spirit and on terms of equality. The solution of the problem will severely tax the ingenuity of statesmen, and their difficulties will be considerably increased by the use of injudicious propaganda that may cause resentment in Japan, a course that should be absolutely avoided. Far better to have Japan with us (as in the Great War) than against us.