Banzai!

Plan to Penetrate South Seas

On Japan’S Behalf

AN article, urging that the time has come when Japan should commence the commercial pene tration of the South Sea Islands, with a view to paving the way to the settlement in the Pacific Groups and Territories of her large surplus popu lation, is published in a newspaper called The New Freedom, a copy of which has been kindly sent to us by a Sydney merchant.

This is a weekly journal published in Honolulu. It is written in aggres sive fashion, and its main purpose seems to be to attack American and British interests.

The writer, in fantastic fashion, urges Japan immediately to set about the establishment of a chain of stores throughout the Pacific groups, de voted mainly to the purchase of copra. It is suggested that, at the same time, factories might be estab lished in Japan for the purpose of making soap and otherwise dispos ing of the copra from the South Seas.

It is suggested that Japan should, commence operations at Suva, and at that point purchase all the copra and trochus available in the Fijian Group. Says the writer: “In order to save both time and loss, it would be advisable to take advantage of the experience of white firms on the spot and, wherever they maintain a branch store, to follow suit.”

The writer then expresses his be lief that Japan should give similar attention to Papua, New Guinea, Sol omon Islands, New Britain and the adjacent groups. All, he says, offer good fields for Japanese enterprise; but every group should be occupied by Japan.

The article says that Japan, in order to properly control the South Sea Islands trade, should establish a special bureau, to function as a South Pacific Trade Board. Its main function would be, to assist all regis tered Japanese stores with a subsidy on all copra purchased by them. It would also attend to the adequate stocking of such stores.

An inter-islands fleet of at least 20 vessels, with a cruising speed of from 9 to 10 knots, fitted with Diesel engines, would also be necessary.

There would be a certain number of vessels allotted to each group to maintain communication with the various branch stores; and it is sug gested that three of the main ports, where vessels could tie up in hurricane seasons, would be Suva, Vavau and Port Vila. It would be necessary says this ingenious writer, to set up fuel stations at these ports, and three or four tankers of moderate size would be required to supply the storage tanks of benzine and kerosene.

The article deals with the plan in detail. It is explained that each store must be managed by a well-educated Japanese, with a knowledge of the English language, and that each sta tion must be equipped with wireless, capable of maintaining communica tion with Japan.

The writer concludes; —“Should the project be taken up in the usual thorough-going Japanese manner, there can be but little doubt that the white trading firms now operating in the South Seas would in a few years have to retire from business and leave a fair field, for the hardy sons and daughters of Nippon. Banzai!”

There is not much doubt that the article was written by a semi-lunatic, profoundly ignorant of conditions in the South Seas. It is amusing—and it is also interesting as an example of the kind of rubbish that may find its way into print, even in a place so closelv connected with the South Sea Islands as is Plonolulu.