PACIFIC MENACE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 265, 6 October 1933, Page 2

PACIFIC MENACE

INDUSTRIALISM OF JAPAN

AVARNING NOTE SOUNDED.

“Most people think that Japan is suffering from megalomania. it is nothing of the sort. They are only conscious of their strength. General Aralci, the Japanese Minister of AVar, says that Japan’s policy of idealism and internationalism lias led nowhere. They have turned Jfiieir backs on an unfruitful and barren period, and are now embarking on forceful realism.” This statement was made by Mr F. Milner, C.M.G., in an address at Palmerston North, last evening, when he voiced an urgent appeal lor the realisation of dealing, by suitable, international action, with Japan’s military ambitions and need for economic expansion, as he envisaged a menace to the peace of the Pacific. New light on the horrible impasse in the East had, said Mr Milner, been shed at the Pan-Pacific Conference in Banff, which lie had attended as a delegate. He spoke under a certain amount of restraint as a Rotarian, but for many years lie had persistently striven to educate both boys and teachers in New Zealand to a more generous and charitable estimation of Japanese nationalism and ideals. From 1918 to 1931 Japan had discharged impeccably all her international obligations. She was entitled to admiration for the rapid manner in which she had stripped herself of feudalism and adopted modern methods. “L maintain that I am justified in all I have said,” added Mr Milner, “and I would not retract a word of it, but since 1928 there has been a vicious break in Japanese policy. She is stated to have trampled on the League of Nations and flouted America in the Stimson pronouncement. AVe have laid the flattering unction to ourselves that all Japan intended was the exploitation of Manchukuo. AVe had no idea of the ominous and sinister aspect which the matter actually has. It is, I am informed, quite a mistake to suppose that Manchuria has raw materials. That important statement comes from an unimpeachable and unchallengeable source.

THE NAVAL RACE

“There is now a race in naval shipbuilding on both sides of the Pacific. Japan is spending 33 per cent, more in this direction than she did in 1918-20, when the position became so acute as to cause Britain and America to bring Japan into the AVasliington Pact. Now the Japanese army and navy are under irresponsible heads, who answer to the Mikado alone, and that means absolute authority. This is a vicious break, and it is reported that Japan will demand full naval parity in 1935 witli America and Britain. Japan now claims that she lias her own Monroe Doctrine and if anyone wishes to dispute that, they can take the consequences.” The most sinister aspect of the situation, said Mr Milner, lay in a factor over which Japan had no control, and that was the population question, which was becoming very acute. Birth control was no solution whatever as the children were already born, and Japan was faced with the problem of finding in the next 15 or 20 years employment for 10,000,000 workers. That could only bo done by extensive industrialism which meant extended access to raw materials and the world’s markets. Confronted everywhere by embargoes, Japan had said she would secure those raw materials and markets, if necessary by force. Last year her surplus of births over deaths was 1,000,000. The urge of the born and the unborn millions was terrific. The Japanese had a. philanthropic fatalism which made them prefer to die that their children might not starve. “There is a spirit of fatalism and fetishistic internationalism,” said Mr Milner. “Do not think that the Japanese are merely shoddy copyists of the Western world. They are technicians of rare skill. Even British factories are adopting Japanese machinery, and I am informed that they are building better ships for the mercantile marine than anv other nation. SOLUTION OFFERED.

“I have a solution to offer, and it seems to be the only practicable one. That is for the United States and Britain to get together in conference with Japan as a substitute for an internecine struggle which threatens to encrimson the Pacific. President Roosevelt could do it to-day. I do hope that the combined resources of British aud American statesmanship will be sufficient to bring Japan into conference. Her ulterior motives can be ascertained. The modus operandi may mean sacrifice, but anything is better than going on with supine indifference. It will avert a tremendous explosion. “The British Navy could not coerce the situation,” the speaker contended. “Its nearest base is Malta and it could not operate against Japan. The Singapore base is only half finished and if they desire, the Japanese will not let it be completed. AVhether the American fleet could fight from Pearl Harbour is very doubtful. You are seeing the inevitable signs. There is no smoke like this without fire. I do not want to be an alarmist, but Japan is now industrialised on a scale which is absolutely staggering. She is competing for the woxTd’s steel and chemical trades as well as that for textiles. She wants coal, and that is the reason for her mineral surveys in the southern areas, as well as her investments in the Malay States and Bengal.”

“A DISTINCT MENACE.”

CHAMBER OE COMMERCE VIEAV. The matter of Japanese importations was also referred to at the annual meeting of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon, when the subject was introduced by Mr M. N. AV allace,, who characterised the imports as “a distinct menace.” He believed that the public were really in ignorance of the position that obtained. Pointing out the seriousness of the case, Mr 'AVallace cited an example of the experience of a city hardware merchant. He had in stock a 21-piece tea-set which was made for only 2s 8d in Japan. It cost 150 per cent, to land. - Cups and saucers cost only 15s a gross for both. “It is criminal and a distinct menace, and we must grapple with it,” observed Mr AVallace. Mr A. J. Graham, who presided, agreed that “the sooner the matter was dealt with the better it would be for all concerned.” It was suggested that the matter be referred toi the annual conference of tlie Associated Chambers of but tlie meeting decided to have it discussed at the annual dinner of the chamber,;when Dr. Guy H. Scliolefield; of Wellington, will deliver an address on the subject.. Mr Graham attributed much of the success of the Japanese campaign to their cheap labour and to tlie fact of their being an extraordinarily clever people. They could copy anything—even to tlie “Made in New Zealand” or “Made in England” mark on an article.