HECTORING JAPAN

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 4, 30 September 1907, Page 5

HECTORING JAPAN

IS IT A SCARE? ALARMIST STATEMENT OF A PRESSMAN: DIPLOMACY "PRACTICALLY EXHAUSTED.", A PROVOCATIVE PRESS. By Telegraph—Association-Copyright. (Received September 29, 4.35 p.m.) Nov York, September 28. Tho Washington correspondent of tho New York. " Times," after an interview with President Roosevelt, declares that the cruise in the Pacific of tho United States Fleet is duo tc Japan's constant diplomatic hectoring of America. The correspondent adds that tho, resources of friendly diplomacy are ; practically oxhaustcd in .trying to meet the demands of the captious Japanese. • • .' , ' London,' September 28. . The New York correspondent it Tho Times says that the attitude of the American Press is distinctly provocative. The newspapers have made many sneering references to Japan's quiescence sinco the Pacific cruiso of tho American fleet was aecided upon. PROTESTING TOO MUCH.' '■ POLITICAL FACTORS. It will bp noted that though . President Roosevelt's name figures, in the first cablegram, the statement is tlmt of the Press correspondent,' made"after an interview with" the President. A' tli9 same time, the. correspouUcnt of "The Times" (London) declares thai tho American Press has adopted a provocative tone. In June, ll.r. Taft, United States Secretary for War, exclaimed: "War with Japan? Don't you believt it. Rest, assured we'will have no ;war :with Japan," Sinco -then, however, events have marched,. and American newspapers, which . formerly ridicule, 'the idea of war, are now giving it much more attention. Here is an American view of the situation as voiced by our own correspondent,; writing;- from San Francisco: ■ i Warlike Precautions; '"The. United States does not want war. Wo are a commercial, not a military ocople. At. the same time the Government is taking a few common-sens: precautions in tho event of The bureaux of intelligence of the army and of the navy have, representatives at Tokio, and tho Government is kept informed of every movement made Japan. It is now announced definitely that the entire hattleship fleet of sisteen vessels is to come to the Pacific. Japan may take, offence, but better thai tlian leave the, Pacific coast defenceless The attitude of the Government is thai this move is,not aimed at Japan butal .the general protection of American influence in conserving Chinese integrity. Honolulu will be The chief base for th'. iieet while in the Pacific. Fortificatic:' for Hawaii harbour aro being ercctir Japan may. take 'offence, but better th. r . : Coal is being "shipped to the Pacifi . in large quantities and dockyan." are being ' enlarged.". The patr: fleet of revenue cutters in the Behrh:> Sea is the largest. the'. Government h-v ever had in those waters, the 'obje." being to prevent clash with Japanrpoachers in. tho seal .fields.': For (1;... •present no .effort will be made to gum the' EJhiiipjinrs, but it is now recof nised that si.; blunder. was made whc. the battleships were withdrawn fron ttios:- seas som'e years ago. So grade, ally the players »Yu.tf>king tlieir plac; for (he th-rt.act..in the great drama o the-Pacific. • ! . Exags-rrfftflii incidents. "It is true that no one in Hie Slats* wishes war with Japan or China. Tin war talk comes from across the Orient' ,r-ea. But it is also true that, the Orie.iitals are not greatly'desired' on vh' Pacific coast. They are aliens and can never, lie other than aliens. . There i* a perfectly justiliabJc 'race-prejudice,'' and peoples hot kin in blood, ideas, or sentiments should hot be'surprised i! they meet Ht. Friction with the Japanese in the Coast S'.aies is bound to develop, and of late the antagonism has. been particularly strong. First, ther 1 . 1 was the school quesfioii. ITnrdly liiii i)ie agitation in collection with thai subsided w.lien a Japanese restaurant in San Francisco was p'aTily destroyed b> a mob of Jioodlmns at the time of the street-car strike) Later somo boys r,toned a greenhouse owned by a Japanese gardener at Berkeley. These and other incidents have confirmed in Japan • the popular belief that violence of thif kind is the result of a deeply-rooted feeling against the Japanese. . Each incident was tho pretext for much diplomatic correspondence between the Japanesa and American Governments. It has seemed to the Japanese Government that unjust discrimination was shown to the Japanese residents in. the United States, contrary to both common and treaty rights. It is hard to explain matters of 'race-prejudice,' and it is'vjust possible that tho.Government at Tokio has protested too ( much. The Progressives. ... "Apparently for political reasonsreasons that America, of all nations, finds' it easiest .to understand and discount—the Progressive party in Japan is keeping up the agitation.against the 'United States. It'thrives.best on this feeling of hostility. Japan ho? been quick •to imitate western political methods, and we understand that, this-sort of jingoism is largely' for 'home consumption. 1 However, if the. Progressives succeed in convincing the people of the necessity for aggressive action there is much danger in the situation. The Progressives conspire to overthrow the present Ministry; to recall Count ..Aoki, the • apaneso Ambassador,'' from Washington ; to annul tho immigration clause, in tho present treaty by which Japanese coolies are excluded from the continental United States, and to demand indemnity or at least apology for the treatment of Japanese in California, it Is likelj - that tho United States question will yield the most popular platform for tho Progressives and other opposition parties that aro preparing for a general election next spring."