The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1914. JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11093, 2 June 1914, Page 4

The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1914. JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA.

* "Japanese agitation over Sir lan Hamilton's recant speech in Auckland has a theme for further disoustjJQn in Australia. The Sydney " Daily relegraj>h," in discussing the question, says there is not the least doubt that the vigorous defensive measures now uelng adopted by Now Zealancj nrid Ausare prompted in tho first instance hy> the recent astonishing uprise of Jj»pan, and tho possibility of other Asiatic nations following that country's load. Recont space-annihilating inventions bavo converted tho stretch of water between Souiheirn Asia and Ndrthern Australia into what is not much wider, considering the case and .rapidity with- which it may be .crossed, than a frontier line. And with the enormous, masses of coloured, men on flhe other side of it possessing the flieans of crossing at any moment out position has quit© changed from what ifrwas when all Asia slept and no coloured' nation had a sea-going navy. It is ho usd bHnking these facts or pretending that we ignore their significance. But, as it happens, while we recognise th© exclusion of Asiatic immigrants as vital to our national existence, the Alt liance between Great Britain and Japan, on the strength of which tho British fleet has deemed it safe to largely leave tho Pacific, wo are supposed to enjoy tho benefit of that Alliance for keeping our shores inviolate. Such a position is vividly anomalous, and that is why the undiplomatically blurted out truth of Sir lan Hamilton's remarks has exposed him to the fire of criticism. But it is not to be supposed that the Japanese critics who havet taken umbrage at them were unaware of the roasons why Australia and New Zealand have lately grown so interested in the question of naval defence, or ever thought of attributing it to any other cause than the real one. Preparing to defend our own house, however, involves no menace to anybody else's, ; And the couimonsense of our Asiatic must enable them to realise that with equal clearness. The -only thing is that they object to be so pointedly reminded of the position at a time when thero was no particular necessity for referring to what between allies is not a pleasant subject to discuss. That was the trouble; not the "spice" in the report of Sir lan Hamilton's speech.

;. The " Sydney Morning Herald" is more cautious, bnt equally firm. There i«, says our contemporary, one type of 'wind to whioh Japan is a positive obsession- The most innocent actions of. 'Japanese subjects, are supposed to 'cloak some deep-laid scheme of invasion, and this blind Japahopbobia, ,'ihrOHgn some strange perversity of logic, leads its victims to adopt tc- ; wards the Japanese nation an insulting and provocative attitude, calculated to .bring the disaster they fear appreciably .'nearer. There iA another type of mind which goes to' the other extreme and Jrefuses even to consider the possibility ipf a conflict sooner or later. Japan, It Says, is Britain's ally, and her interests will always be those of Britnin. She can achieve her national destinies without encroaching upon the sphere which Australia will presently fill in the Pacific, and in time to come we shall see ♦Ji© glorious spectacle Of two great nations side by side, almost hand in hand indeed, controlling this side of the world in perfect harmony. This achoOl of thought scofiVnt the idea of §n invasion by Japan. She is too poor; •lie has too much*to do in sotting her >l>wn house in order and exploiting her 'Bow Asiatic possessions, to cast an env'rlous eye at oar empty spaces. We confess that the arguments of neither . party appear to m to be vary con-i-*4noin&. The truth lies somewhere, in "hjj[fcwe<bi. Obviously in the immediate we have no reason to inspect tne Intentions of Japan- As obviously 116 ima-Vf 6an prophesy what the more refutuffc may bring forth. One can I'iinly estimate the probabilities which it|f&ograph.ical, economic and military Nrt'gutoonta suggest, and all of these spioint to ultimate Japanese expansion \ tdnra-rda tbo 9011 th. Tliis is not a matter

of racial prejudice or rancour, it is the logical outcome of ascertained faots, and it follows the inevitable laws of national development.

Many observers now recognise that soner or later Australia will become the natural outlet for Japan's surplus population; unless Australia can prevent it.' A few years ago this idea would have been seoutedj but the concentration of armaments in European waters lias mado oven the most iuoredulous admit the possibility. Recently .an article by Mojor Stewart Murray on this very subject caught the attention of the whole-world, and, as if to reinforoo his argument, a Oertoan officer attached to the embassy in Japan has publfehed a book which teaches tho same lesson. Major Haushofer is an impartial witness. Tho prdspenfc of the absorption of Australia by Japan does not affect hini or his country one way or another. He points out that the Japanese aro essentially a southern folk, and that tho rigour of a northern climate is more fatal to them than a war. This disposes of Korea as a field for emigration, so where are they to turnp There are the Dutch Tndies, already densely populated, and tho Philippines, already well guarded, and soon to bo better guarded when the Panama Canal is opened. But a little further south lies a hngo empty continent, garrisoned by less than five million souls,, and tho vast; majority of those far away from 'the northern shores, which invite occupation.

Tu the .view of tho "Herald" the moral is so obvious that it need not be pursued. A time may come, says the writer, when Britain is fighting for her life at the other end of the world, and!then Japan may very politely request us to repeal our Exclusion Act. j(f we refuse, we must fight. If we agree, we shall be conquered by the methods of peace. Hosts of Japanese will •undersell, underwork and underlive us until eventually we are driven off the face of the map, and Australia will become, in fact if not in name, a territory of tho Mikado. That is why we should strain every nerve to fill our empty land so that wo can face such a possibility with sonio degroe of confidence. If there is ultimately to be a conflict between Australia and Japan, let us be ready for it. At tho same time, it is neither good manners nor good policy to insult Japan simply because she may one day be our enemy.