THE FAR EAST.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14153, 12 March 1910, Page 7

THE FAR EAST.

HI ■ 1 ■■■■■* DANGER BREWING. Genera! Von Der Boeck, one of Germany's most brilliant infantry commanders, contributes a striking article to. the "Doutche Revue" bearing 0.11 ! the alleged critical condition of affairs in the Far East. It is not General Boeclc's opinion that any immediate outbreak of between Russia and Japan 11c ■! 1>» feared, but in view of the persist.-"!, nrejfcirations of both Powers, the fact that they are steadily increasing their land arnaments, and the still graver fact that the political situation is gradually assuming a ' darker rnriv-.'?xiop, he is inclined to i think tint tho Peace of Portsmouth cannot last beyond the close of ID'S. The troops which Russia posses-cd in the Far Efist at the close of the wtr have bc-en largely strengthened, so that at the present time they cannot be short of a peace footing of 200.000 men, a force which, were war to break out could easily and speedily be raised to 300,000 without drawing a sinblc soldier from European Russia. •'Utoth"r important fact noted by Genera] Boek is the strengthening of the defences of Vladivostok, which has been raised to the rank of a first-class fortress. But the weightiest item in; the development of Russian power i.-i the Far Ea.st will be, according to Boeck, the decision to build the Amur railway. The Third Duma, in view of the importance of this railway, has unhesitat-

ingly voted the necessary fupds. The Russian Government's decision to double the track of the Siberian line is a step tlio gravity of which canpot bS overrated. Jai>an freed for the present from mariUur-c oares jis similarly engaged in strengthening her position cn land. The thirteen divisions of her army when war broke out have been raised to jiineteen, so that, at the present moment her artnj; on a war footing would con- '■ sist of 550,000 men and 120,000 horses. Ajid as there is no lack of men in the I Mikado's empire General Boek believes that were there war now to be declared a million Japanese soldiers could take the field within a few weeks. A most important factor in the altering circumstances is the renaissance of the Chinese Military power. Japanese instructors swarm in China, and are swiftly building up a mighty milii tary engine ar- their ally. The original plan of the Chinese Government was to form thirty-six divisions, each of 10,000 men, and to have the entire iao°o , rei,d y take the field before 19-2, but it is perfectly evident from the reports that have filtered through J to Europe that this hug© arn)y will Le ready by 1912. or teii years earlier | than it was originally intended. Genei ral Rock is inclined to believe from the | reports of German officers who have i recently visited Clrna that in 1912 -the j Chinese will possess a well-equipped ariny of half a million men, the greater part armed with modern weapons, and with a discipline and organisation irely superior to anything that I'hina lias hitherto produced. .Bnr>.\k thinks that Japan's noliev of'.Asia for the Asiatics, with Japan at the head I of a coalition of the yellow races, will ! then be within measurable distance of I realisation. He regards the situation : «s one of --->rin Usl ,oss. «n:l nsPerts_that ]\r Stolymn. the Russian Piemier and General Snc'homlinofF the I Ml "!ster of War. view it with a most j pessimistic light.