It would be a good idea to become acquainted with the capitalistic side of the story. He began a round of calls on the money kings, captains of industry, the owners of names which recurred4 constantly in the news of economic events. For days he wandered about in the lairs5 of plutocracy6, sent his card in to dozens of men, wasted hours in bleak7 waiting rooms with their scant8 furnishing of variegated9 chairs and tables, dusty curtains and innumerable ash trays, smoked idly while hundreds of clerks ran about, like bees in huge hives, or sat smoking and drinking tea. But the great men were always out of the city, or sick, or attending funerals of relatives. There was courtesy everywhere. Would he not see such and such a secretary or third vice-president instead? When he insisted, they shook their heads, a bit surprised at the effrontery10 of this stranger who thought that he might thus easily gain speech with the great ones. They were amusingly absurd, these foreigners, seemed to be their thought. It was as if he had marched into Buckingham Palace and demanded an interview with King George. He[Pg 134] knew that he could probably make his way into even these hallowed sanctums, should he obtain letters of introduction from the Foreign Office, which was always most obliging in such matters. He know that letters of introduction held an exaggerated value, were regarded as almost indispensable by the Japanese themselves. But they aroused his resentment11, these haughty12, purse-proud plutocrats. Evidently talking to the press was the last thing they desired. Well, let them go to blazes then; if they did not want him to have their side of the story. He'd get it elsewhere.
But Kent's peregrinations into the labyrinth13 of Japanese economics were interrupted by a letter from Hopkinson, his editor, brought by hand by a tourist friend who happened to pass through Japan. Kent was glad to be certain that it had not passed through the uncertainties14 of the Japanese post office or the more insidious15 danger of the ever prying16 unseen hands.
"I want you to see what information you can get with respect to Japan's submarine plans," wrote Hopkinson. "Of course, the old exaggerated feeling of distrust against Japan in America has, since the Conference, been replaced by a possibly just as exaggerated feeling of confidence in her will to disarm17. You will get what I am driving at by reading the Bywater article which I enclose, particularly the part where he says about Japan: 'With the possible exception of France, she is the only signatory which has laid the keels of new cruisers, destroyers and submarines since the limitation program was negotiated, and she is the only one who is now at work on a large program of these vessels18.—The Japanese submarine flotilla is very much stronger both in numbers and individual power than is generally known, and no other navy in the world is building so many sea-going boats.—During the past three years no coastal19 submarines have been[Pg 135] built in Japan, every boat being laid down within that period having been designed for long-range cruising.' Take this in connection with the speech of the Japanese War Minister, which you recently sent us, in which he declares that 'if a nation has large wealth, small standing20 armaments will suffice, for such a nation will be able to expand fully21 its armaments in case of emergency. On the contrary, a poor nation is necessarily compelled to develop its armaments gradually, for it would be unable to expand them rapidly.'
"We don't want sensational22 stuff, as you know, for we intend to carry on our policy of fostering friendship as long as possible, but we want you to get as much dope as you can, if for nothing else, at least for our own guidance and future reference——"
Damn it! Just as he was getting well started with the economic matter, he would have to devote his main energies to this distasteful task. He liked the Japanese and took far more pleasure in his stories which were to Japan's credit than in those which were not. However, there was some satisfaction in knowing that the Chronicle would pursue its usual conservative policy. As he thought the matter over, he became more interested. Of course, the situation should be covered. Heretofore he had followed it only in a general way, but had been inclined to overlook its importance because of his interest in the economic and social unrest.
"It's going to be the devil's own job," he said to Karsten, as they were smoking their pipes after dinner. "If there's one thing the Japanese keep quiet about, it's their submarines; and, of course, nothing in the Conference agreement prevents them from building as many as they like. And, besides, they are the obvious weapon of defense23 against America. Japan has an ideal situation with a long barrier of islands running from Saghalien as far as the Equator, if you include[Pg 136] the Mandate24 Islands. Yes, I know that under the Mandate terms, she can't fortify25 them, but the Germans showed that any little place with a few barrels of oil on it can make a submarine base. They can place the oil there in a jiffy, if they expect trouble. Maybe it is already there; oil can be used for lots of things besides war. There's nothing to prevent it. With a chain of island supply stations and a great fleet of submarines Japan can put up a wonderful defense and commerce destruction. That's all self-evident. The job is going to be to find out what they are doing in that line and what they intend to do. It's a regular Oppenheim job. What do you think of it?"
"You know I don't take much interest in that sort of thing," Karsten rubbed his chin thoughtfully, stood up and began pacing the floor. "Still, of course, one hears a lot of talk, and I think that most foreigners here have about the same idea on the matter. The submarine is Japan's natural weapon to-day. A few years ago, before America entered the war, Japan thought she could lick the United States and her strategy was based on offensive lines. When she found to her bitter disappointment that America really could fight, she began to revise her opinion, and when America's program of bigger fortifications in Hawaii and elsewhere was brewing26, she felt that she had no choice but to continue feverishly27 with the Eight-and-Eight battle fleet program which she had originated when the idea was to lick America. But she could never have kept it up. She couldn't have afforded it. Of course, the militarists are professionals who don't care about anything but the army and navy. They would have insisted, even if the country had been bled white. But even then, even if she had managed to build the fleet, she couldn't have kept it up. Her war savings28 are decreasing at an alarming rate, her[Pg 137] national wealth, commerce, industry, the whole thing is decreasing. The Washington Conference was the biggest bit of luck that ever happened to Japan. It enabled her to save her face, and to make a big play to gain international confidence—which I'm glad she got—and at the same time to save her from the necessity of building a vast fleet of battleships, which she couldn't afford, and do it with the assurance that America wouldn't outstrip29 her in a naval30 race either.
"So as Japan had, reluctantly, made up her mind that she must change to a defensive31 strategy anyway, she is just as well off with a fleet of submarines, which won't cost her nearly so much. Then, when I said that the submarine was Japan's natural weapon, I meant it in a psychological sense also. Remember, it has always been Japan's cue to watch wars and take lessons from them. Nothing probably impressed her quite so much as the fact that Germany almost beat England, in spite of her great battleships, with her unterseeboten. The general horror of the 'frightfulness32' involved never touched Japan. She simply couldn't see the idea. It was virtually successful—would have been entirely33 so had Germany had the advantages that Japan has—and, personally, I don't believe that the militarists have one ethic34 to rub on another, so to speak. They'd cheerfully adopt German frightfulness, with such improvements as they might devise, and never even be able to see that it was morally wrong, so long as they thought that it would work and that they could get away with it. You know that the German methods never aroused the slightest feeling of disgust or horror in the people of Japan. They honestly wondered what the devil we were making such a fuss about. The militarists saw, sadly, that the German war machine, which they had used as a model, went to smash, that they'd have to remodel35. There was never, with the[Pg 138] whole people, any enmity against Germany. At one time, during the spring of 1917 I think it was, when some British ship had stopped a Japanese boat to search for Germans, the feeling against England was far stronger than it ever was against Germany. At the time of the Paris Conference, when the rest of the world was yelling to hang the Kaiser, his picture, mustaches, eagle helmet and all, was offered for sale in windows not a block from Hibiya—though at reduced prices, it's fair to add. That's why I say that the submarine is Japan's natural weapon. It suits her geographically36, financially and ethically37. Go to it, old man, there's a story there, all right—but I don't think you'll get it."
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1
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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3
tumults
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| 吵闹( tumult的名词复数 )； 喧哗； 激动的吵闹声； 心烦意乱 | |
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recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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lairs
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| n.（野兽的）巢穴，窝( lair的名词复数 )；（人的）藏身处 | |
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plutocracy
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| n.富豪统治 | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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uncertainties
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| 无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物 | |
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15
insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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16
prying
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| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
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17
disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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18
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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coastal
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| adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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mandate
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| n.托管地；命令，指示 | |
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25
fortify
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| v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化 | |
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brewing
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| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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outstrip
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| v.超过，跑过 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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frightfulness
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| 可怕； 丑恶； 讨厌； 恐怖政策 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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ethic
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| n.道德标准，行为准则 | |
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35
remodel
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| v.改造，改型，改变 | |
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36
geographically
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| adv.地理学上，在地理上，地理方面 | |
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ethically
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| adv.在伦理上，道德上 | |
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