FRIENDLY WITH JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1924, Page 7

FRIENDLY WITH JAPAN.

ATTITUDE OF AMERICA. JINGOISM DENOUNCED. CONFERENCE OF WHITES. ‘‘A TACTLESS PROPOSXL.’’ By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 21, 5.5 p.m. New York, Dec. 19. ’Government House. whose officials have heen puzzled and somewhat disturbed by agitation over the United States and Japanese relations, took occasion to bespeak an era of most cordial relations between the two countries. ( <• Mr. C. E. Hughes (Secretary of State), departing from precedent, issued a formal statement taking notice of the appointment of Mr. Matsudaira as ambassador here, and welcoming him as a step toward further cementing the friendship between Tokio and Washington. The newspapers with one voice praise Mr. Hughes’s unprecedented appreciation of Mr. Matsudaira. They practically unite in denouncing the jingoism of Mr. Britten, a member of the Naval Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives.

The Herald-Tribune pointe out that "before the Washington conference an alarming situation did exist. which, however, wae cleared up by the friendly eo-operation of the two Powers. Americans will welcome Mr. Matsudaira's appointment to the ambassadorship of the United States. They consider a Pacific compact highly desirable with an international agreement, in the maintenance of which both Japanese and American in tercet s converge. Therefore, no time could have been less fitting for Mr. Britten's tactless and hysterical proposal for a conference of the white racee of the Parific to guard against the menace of Japan.'’ The World declares: “The theory underlying Mr. Britten’s white men’s conference is that the Pacific Ocean is a white man’s lake, and that the millions of yellow races are outsiders. Fortunately Mr. Britten is quite alone in his efforts to bait the other side of the Pacific.” Even other Pacific Coast Congressmen are condemning Mr. Britten's attitude.

MONEY FOR PACIFIC CRUISE. MANOEUVRES CRITICISED. Received Dec. 21, 5.5 p.m. Washington. Dec. 19. The House passed the Naval Appropriation Bill, carrying nearly 300,000.000 dollars. The plan for the American Fleet to manoeuvre off Hawaii next year was attacked by Representative George Huddleston, of Alabama, as tactless and inadvisable in view of the state of public opinion in the .United States and Japan. RAGING TOPIC OF DISPUTE. UPROAR IN THE HOUSE. THE PRESIDENT AROUSED. Received Dee. 21, 11.5 p.m. Washington, Dee. 20. Gradually working through the various phases of the discussion, the question of the preparedness and modernity of the American navy, including the advisablencss of the Hawaiian manoeuvres and the Australian visit, has become the outstanding problem facing the United States Government. It has become the raging topic of dispute in Washington, and has assumed the most prominent news proportions of any question since the Japanese exelusion law, ■the echo of which still reverberates in the present clash over the navy. Mr. Britten for three days has kept Congress in a continuous uproar with his agitation, over which he quickly mustered opponents and proponents, who came nearly to open blows in the Hou*e of Representatives to-day and yesterday. They fought bitterly over the advisableness of approaching the navy question in any manner, in,which Japanese feeling might be elighted. Messrs Wingo and Rathbone took sides, while Mr. Huddleston led the opponents, bitterly assailing the manoeuvres. Mr. -Huddleston reiterated: “The Japanese know the only imaginary enemy ■we could possibly have would be the Japanese fleet and Japan, and Japan is the imaginary enemy against which we are defending Hawaii. It see me strange that anyone who. knows enough to have produced a decision to hold the manoeuvres there did not knowenough of international affairs to recognise the impropriety of it.” ATTITUDE OF PRESIDENT. Mr. Rathbone’s rejoinder was that Japan had been holding recent manoeuvres. while Mr. Wingo abruptly ordered the newspapers and Congress to keep their mouths chut and permit Mr. Hughes and President Coolidge to conduct the foreign relations of the country. Mr. Britten, after reiterating America's right to manoeuvre where she wished, introduced various resolutions aside from that proposing a conference of the white racus of the Pacific. One wa€ for an inquiry to determine whether the na\y had fallen below the 5—5—3 ratio, and another providing extra appropriations of 101.000,009 dollar* for special modernisation, including more aircraft carriers. gun elevation, new boilers, scout cruisers, etc. Meant im,? the Senate’s action upon the 300.000.000 dollar supply Bill, which include* the outlay for the manoeuvres and the fleet visit, is eagerly awaited. President Coolidge ie apparently extremely disturbed over the navy agitation. He has taken several important steps, including the admonition of naval officers against agitation increasing American naval inferiority, and a public assurance that the American navy is competent and not inferior. A gesture of friendliness was - ordered to offset Mr. Britten’s move, namely an official welcome by the State Department to the new Japanese ambassador (Mr. Matsudaira) and an invitation to Japan to send a visiting fleet to American ports, which apparently Japan has accepted. The arrival of a Note from Britain tie American project to inthe gun elevation has further complicated the situation, Mr. Britten again introducing a resolution request-