Page:The Truth about China and Japan - Weale - 1919.djvu/168

 Cabinet, directly responsible to the Diet under the Constitution, is absolutely essential to the peace and happiness of the Far East; unless that, as well as a proper extension of the franchise, can be acquired by constitutional means, it is essential to oppose Japanese intimidation of China by methods other than these adopted during the war.

For it is force that is behind the Japanese programme—not equity or justice, but force, mixed with corruption. This force is to-day semi-antiquated; for Japanese armaments are still much where they were after the Russo-Japanese War, and are totally unequal to the challenge offered to first-class maritime Powers with great interests to protect in the Far East. Indeed, it is obvious to observers on the spot that the asset of geographical isolation has been exhausted and if the League of Nations is to have meaning and reality in the East as in the West there is a method available which would instantly change the situation.

Grey battleships on the horizon-line would bring home to Japanese leaders what all the butchery of the war has failed to teach: too long have the waters of the Yellow Sea been without adequate protection.

Japan indeed stands at the cross-roads. It