The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15
as 4 cHIxAaIAx SEES Us.
Ii Hung Changes Opinion With Re-
gard 10 Our Defenses.
From the Chicago Record.

From the Chicago Record.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 5.-Senator
Squire's remarks about the defenseless
condition Of cur coast reminds me Of what
Ii Hung Chang said last summer on the
same subject. In my several CONVERSE
tons with him he repeatedly intimated
that the government of the United States
would have interviewed in behalf Of China
during the late war but for the fact that
we were afraid of Japan. He made this
remark so often that / became irTitated
and asked him if he was serious or merely
spoke in Jest. He replied that he was en-
trely serious; that he sincerely believed
that President CleVeland's policy concern
ing the Hawaiian islands and his attitude
toward Japan was due to fear lest the
japanese government might declare war
against the United States. I told him
that he suggestion was prepos ferrous; that
no such idea had ever entered the Presi-
dents mind, and did not think that any
single member of the 65oQ0.OOO that make
up the population Of this country had
ever dreamed of fear of Japan or any
other Of the Asiatic nations. l asked
him how such thought entered his mind.
Your government and your people are
very unwise," he responded, ii they are
not thinking of such things, particular
ly since the events that have occurred in
China during the last year. The Japan
csc are very aggressive people. They
are warlike people. They like to fight,
ana Nucy are PROUD anu arrogant. Iney
do not care for the United States except
as a market for their silk and tea, and If
your government ever interfereS with their
plans either at home or in the Sandwich
islands you will find that their friendship
Is only a pretense they keep up to en-
courage your trade. If President Cleve-
land had responded to my appeal for in
terYention during the late war Japan
would have sent her army and her ships
from our harbors to your country and
WOULD have taken possession of your Pa
c1hc states. President Cleveland knew
that, because he is a far-sighted man, and
therefore would not show himself the
friend to either Japan or China"
l. tried to explain to Ii the traditional
policy of the United States in foreign af-
fairs, and quoted for his benefit George
:, Washingtons warming against entang-
ing alliances. l told him that the United
States was afraid of no nation on earth
and was willing at any time TO fight Japan
or England or Germany or any other of
the great powers If it were necessary to
defend our honor or our dignity. But
our people did not believe in war; the pub
lie sentiment OF the United States was in
disputes BY arbitration, and that we al
ways endeavored to mind our own busi-
ness. When friendly nation called upon
us for assistance, or when two friendly
nations got into row we usually offered
her good offices to arrange a reconcilia-
item, but the people would not approve
armed Interference IN foreign affairs:
as an arbitrator in the settlement of the
differences between China and Japan, but
he would not take sides with either nation,
not from fear OF Japan, but because il
would be a violation OF the traditions and
the policy pr the United States govern
The viceroy sneered in a contemptuous
manner and said: Japan has an army Of
over 20, 900 soldiers, and the best guns in
the world. She has larger and better
fleet OF warahipS than the United States.
She has ten times as many torpedo-boats
as your government and her sailors know
how to use them, while your sailors do not.
You have only Ave ships on the Pacific
coast, with a coast line of 5000 miles to
protect, and several pQpulous and wealthy
cities that have no defense whatever. You
have no forts at SAN Francisco that could
Keep out the weakest gunboat in the navy
of japan and a single ship of the Japanese
navy could destroy every city on Puget
sound without the slightest difficulty in a
week. have studied the map and have
talked with people from your country and
l know all about 1t. 1t would take you six
months TO get any kind of fleet around
could not load them with coal enough to
keep their fires going during tho voyage
from New York to San F'raneiseo. Your
whole Passnc coast Is entirely defenseless.
declining to be mixed UP In a row with
Japan. II japan should declare war against
the United States she could have every
soldier in her army and every ship In her
navy on your coast within a month. She
would take possession of all your cities
ana your railroads and your gold and sill
yer mines and your manufactures and
would hold them until you paid her any
amount of indemnity she might ask. Pres
ident Cleveland knows that as we'll as dc
and for that reason he did not Interfere in
our war"
I told the viceroy that while his de-
scription of the defenseless condition of
eur coast was undoubtedly true, there
would be 1000, 900 men on the Pacific coast
to meet the japanese army and fleet
when 1t arrived there.
That may be So" he interrupted, with
some Impotence, but what could they
do without guns or Qualifications or any
other means of defense3 You might throw
sticks and stones at the Japanese, like
a lot of old women, but any one of their
vessels could lombard San Francisco and
destroy the entire city before you could
get cannon there to defend 1t. And, what
could your cannon do against the long
vessels could stand out ten miles at sea
and throw shells of dynamite into San
Francisco until the city was entirely de-
stroyed, Their vessels could 90 up into
Puget Sound and burn Tacoma and Sc
attic and other cities, and they could send
torpedo boats up the Columbia river to
Portland and set that city on fire before
you could do anything to protect. You
cannot get a big cannon made in a few
days, and you cannot build fort in a
month"
This is the way our national defenses
look to a Chinaman. The Yioeroy spoke
earnestly, and while his conclusions are
amusing, the premises from which he
derived them are worthy the serious con-
sfderation Of congress.