The perils imputed to-a direct offensive and defensive alliance are mainly two—the danger that one party may, i by taking a hostile initiative inadvisedly, drag its ally into an'unjust war and the danger that such a combination may act as a direct challenge to other Powers to form combinations similar in form but aggressive in fact. These perils exist undoubtedly, but an examination of the terms of the new Alliance and of the circumstances of the case show that these risks, in this instance, have been reduced as far as possible toa minimum. In the now agreement, as in the old one, ther is an mutual engagement of frank ce fidence and communication in all matters touching or likely to touch mutual interests. It has been opined that Japan would not have gone to war but for her alliance with England. But if this clause of mutual confidence be considered, it quite evident that England regarded the war as necessary and unavoidable for the honour of her ally, What Japan and England wanted, as is the case with other civilised nations, was not temper ing pence. In fact it was probably British influence that favoured the proliminar. Japanese deliberateness, but only Russian blindness created the final outbreak. If such an alliance as the Anglo-Japanese Alliance i red rag to a bull" to other nations, it might be pointed out that such "bull" nations must be very ausious to find some pretext for a fight, or very set upon an aggressive policy if they can find any menace in a defensive alliance of this kind; and, further, that such apprehensive nations would do well to remoiber the necessary restraining force of these " mutual confidence" stipulations, before condemning the us being a challenge to other nations to break the peace.
8rd October.
America and Japan, It is stated in well-informed circles that the recent visit of U. 8. Secretary Taft to Tokio was incidentally accompanied by an important understanding in regard to the Philippines as the result of the complete disavowal by Japan of ay design w over in the new American territory. It is reported on high authority that the United States has signified her unequivocal support vis-a-vis Japan's protectorate over Corea, thereby facilitating the exeoution of the Japanese arrangements in the Peninsula,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.