POSSIBLE POWERFUL ALLIANCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16895, 18 November 1920, Page 4

POSSIBLE POWERFUL ALLIANCE.

RUSSIA, GERMAN? AND JAPAN.

(By Erskine Stone, Tokio.)

Japan is fighting in Russia, yet there is a better feeling- in Japan towards “Russians” than toward Americans. Englishmen, or any other white men save the Germans, whom the Japanese have always admired, although they were technically allied against them during tho war. The rather strong race feeling in Japan against all whites is probably a bit intensified where Englishmen are concerned, an-effect of tho anti-Japan-ese prejudice in Australia, New Zealand and British, Columbia ; and ic is very much intensified agains* Americans because of tho anti-Japanese real estate and school laws cn the American Pacino coast and' a long existent propaganda of disliko quite possibly of Gorman origin, certainly largely con ducted by ' Russians (most of them trained by Germans) during the last two years and pressed by certain native influences.. It is not riotous, however, nor hitter among tho masses, although it might very quickly intensify behind leadership. Will that leadership arise? Who knows? It is a long story and one I may toll later. Its foundations are not political hut economic I can do no more- than hint at it to-day.

Speaking generally, the Japanese are a docile people, easily subject to leadership. Now and then they riot, as is reported in the British and American press, but of the importance of riots in any country outsiders are unable to judge. There are no real signs of revolution hero.- In the main and in a way the Japanese are well governed, even though it be along imperialistic lines, and they know it. "What does a Japan well governed along imperialistic lines mean to the balance of tho world? That is a tremendous question. Here is a capsule of highly condensed fact: First, Japan became very rich through munitions manufacture for the Allies; second, she is intensely proud and ambitious; third, by a birth rate higher than that of any white nation in tho world she is inexorably driven to -seek new space for a swelling population. Her vacant spaces in Manchuria and Formosa are not attractive to Japanese settlers. Temperamentally they arc not pioneers. WiU Japan, sometime decide to go out and get that which is suited to them, country which others have developed ? The antagonism toward America and. Great Britain is not based entirely on tho anti-Japanese laws existing in California, British Columbia, Australia, and New Zealand. It is human that they should be resented, but deeper lie this lack of territory and perfectly natural human" ■covetousness. If Japan had land of her own (to which Japanese settlors would go) sho probably would not worry.’ But she has not and she feels that she must worry. That is what is causing Japanese unrest. Remember Germany's demand?, Sho wanted her “place in the sun”— more land for her population, more ports tor her shipping. That caused the war. Germany wanted things sho didn't have; she thought other nations had more than their share of those comfortable sun-rays—rays of opportunity, rays of prosperity, above all, rays of pone'-. Why should not an Asiatic nation feel similar dissatisfaction and covetousness?

This is deeper than race-antagonism, than dissatisfaction with existing Government. The dissolution of tho Parliament did not mean especially dissatisfaction with Japanese political and Parliamentary leaders. It meant a demand for greater freedom, and, in the last analysis, not so much political freedom ns that economic freedom which call come only through a change for the hotter in economic conditions. That is impossible, many Japanese think, without more laud, more land—land ready for and suited to the Japanese. Tho, riding classes of Japan are too conservative, no doubt, to suit the masses, and • that might conceivably start o revolution, bloody and intensely dreadful. But the force behind it will be rather economical than political —that need for land.

Arid there are things other than revolutions to be started. Why not economic pentratious of Siberia, an opening of trade in advance of the Allies? And trade is the right hand of friendship and friendship builds political alliances. And .Russia and Germany, with tho fellow feeling of pariahs, certainly, are coming psychologically close to what may be a tremendous combination. Would it bo invincible if Japan, backed by soldiers sho has trained in China, joined it? Even a revolution in Japan would have a vast world significance, 'and who knows what they would bo? There is that talk of combination of other races against tho whites of the world. Suppose the indicated whites should join it. Germany undoubtedly has worked toward linking, across Russia, with Japan for the exploitation of Chin i, and secretly has urged the military training of the non-white peoples (vast propaganda has been conducted in India, Egypt, and elsewhere) toward The end of preserving for herself exclusively among the white, their friendship end military aid. Hero in Japan this seems more plausible than it may in the United States or Europe. There is a general pro-Germanism here. Japan does not feel that Germany was effectively defeated, thinks her the one friend of Japan in Europe and, because sho first disrupted and then p-r-etrated Russia, docs not credit her with having' met a total war loss.

Japan never has believed much ;n tho real friendship of the Allies. ■ Some Japanese hold tho Shantung decision of the Peace Conference to have shown Japan as unpopular as Germany with the Allies. Thus a psychological link has boon established. Of course all this refers to the political Japan which might follow that sometimes:predicted but most, improbable revolution. Therefore it is tho belief of sonic who have been here longer and 1-now the situation better that the only thing which can preserve the world from another and a greater war will bo such apparent political catastrophies as the final breakdown of tho Gcrman-Hussian schemes so that the latter nation can make no alliance whatever fur the next (|uartor of a century; that and a change in Japan. A Republican Germany, alone, would bring that about, but a democratic Germany would mean Socialism, Socialism would mean radicalism, radicalism inevitably would lead to reaction toward the old. bad forms and

eventually a recrudescence of militarism for a last gasp which again would involve the world m war. If it eventuated in the German-Russian-Japan-ese alliance it would be a bad war. That war quickly would become an alliance of Germany and Russia with tho yellow peoples wherever they may be and their battle against all tho other whites in all the world. I hope I am not writing too sensational things. I believe, however, that I am writing truth.