The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-11-28

zion. should amy mIfundorstandine .
now occur of n nature calculated to /
Impede tho contamination of Che state s. /
Interests 30 would ho % matter of unit /
Norsal regret Therefore ] have put /
YOU To- the trouble of attending. With /
with reference Co the state of the /
situation. ] regret that ] ann unable 60 /
onor any specific explanation such as
! YOU would find satisfactory, but In that |
matter ] must observe the limitations
! imposed by my official position. and !
trust you win fully appreciate the fact
! There has been some talk OF want OF
| nnanimity between the elder states
| men and the ministers OF the crown l
assure you that nothing of the kind is
! the case. Both are advancing together
/ i'm absolute union. and / undertake to
! affirm that in the future also there Will
| be no want of unanimity. ! trust there
! fore that in the interests Of the coun-
I try you will maintain circumspcct
] demeanor. and that you viii have con-
| fdence in the earnest desire of the Off
| cials concerned to carry to success the
national policy. / am well aware of
/ the responsibility that devolves upon
/ me in connection with the situation,
and ! hope that you also give me credit
for that knowledge. 1t could not fail
to be Immediately detrimental to the
/ interests of the State IT, in consequence
/ of mutual misapprehensiOns, difficulties
/ were placed in the path Of the coun-
| try's progress, and 1 therefore hope
that YOU will communicate to all the
members of your Association the re-
| marks / have now made
| This address seems to US to meet the
occasion fully. There is no unstates-
manlike hurting out of diplomatic Sc
| crets. such as the probable duration of
| the negotiations, much less their trend
| which might certainly prove detrimen-
| tai to the negotiations themselves. But
there is a calm assertion of authority
delegated by the Emperor of Japan
himself, to conduct these negotiations
for the best interests of Japan, and the
further assertion, prominently accen-
tuated that the Government Of Japan
comprising the Emperor, His Majesty's
cabinet and His Majesty's Councillors,
| including the Genro, are in perfect ac-
cord in the policy now being pursued by
the ministers of the crown. This ought
to be sufficient to satisfy all discomfort
that is not prompted or stimulated by
disloyalty. The issues at stake are
not such paltry, ephemeral issues as
the political complexion of ministry
or the elevation or degradation of poll
teal champions. The issues are world
!. issues. and involve the very existence
of Japan. Under such circumstances,
| when we have the authoritative dlctum
| Of the Premier of the country that he
is in absolute harmony with all the
| elements cooperating with the EN-
peror himself for the benefit of Japan,
it should certainly be enough to disarm
partisan suspicion and create public
opinion in favor of complete faith in
the government We applaud this
/ statement by the Premier and trust
that it will form precedent for similar
r guarded statements that may mann
tain public confidence without violat-
/ ing diplomatic limits; in fact, it may
naturally be due to the extraordinary
reticence of the Government heretofore
that many such rumors and wrong i'm
pressions as have been rife, have real
~ gained ground. whereas such a wise
. speech as that of Count Katsura s.,
here quoted. is likely if not too late, to
. clear the atmosphere in the most salu-
tary way The East has yet some
thing to learn from the West in the
, way of a wise publicity. Official re-
. ticence is well enough when the pubic
= knows nothing of pending negotiations,
. as i'm the case of the conclusion of the
> Anglo-Japanese Alliance. But it is
different thing when it is known that
vital negotiations are being carried on
| when the press of the world is suggest
\ ing all kinds of wild rumors and the
] hostile press is insinuating all kinds OF
! fatal antsgonisms proceeding even 10
the Government itself. Such conditions
L that may be continued, call for some
means of periodical assurance to the
= mass of the people that AIS Well!
and it is to help to extend the present
assurance and in order to suggest a
continuance of such assurances thai
s We consider it well to lay particular
# stress on Count Katsura's declaration
e of complete harmony between all the
= members of the japanese Government
n in regard to the Empires foreign
= policy.-Japan Gazette.