The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-12-24
IS There ANYTHING IN YELLOW PERIL?
Uncle Sam Has Naught
TO Fear if He Is
Vsilant.

hONGkONG.-Stu of Oriental
politics are busy forecasting the re-
suits of the japanese war The
yellow Peril advocates believe that
the success of Japanese arms is GER
tain to cause an alignment Of the
Asiatic races for the purpose of resist
ing the white mans influence Japan
is claimed to have designs upon the
whole east. While l was in Manila an
American army officer told me that the
Japanese had spies all over the Philip
pines, and that the authorities in To-
kio knew more about the islands than
the officials in Washington. The same
system of espionage is reported from
the French possessions in Indo-China,
and even as far south as Australia.
The agents of the Mikado are mas
Querading as fishermen, cooks, clerks
and travelers-all quietly gathering
data for maps ana reference. During
the Chinese war, and later in Man
churia, the japanese knew every foot
Of ground they had to traverse, and it
is undoubtedly true that the archives
in Toxic are being filed with infor-
nation about the entire Orient. Much
of this intelligence may be intended
for commercial purposes, but even if
Japan really intends to put it to fur
Their account, let US see how far she
may be expected to go in her ambition
for expansion.
OUR OPINION Is BIASED.
While I think I can show conclu-
sively that the yellow Peril' sup
porters are sounding a false alarm,
and that Japan's ambition is not likely
to interfere with American interests for
many years, it is nevertheless well to
examine every phase of such an i'm
portant subject There is no denying
the fact that the wave of admiration
for Japanese valor which has swept
over America has in a measure blind
ed our people to any faults the little
warriors might possess. While they
have undoubtedly given the world a
wonderful example of military genius
it does not follow that their future
course will be faultless. Two influences
which have caused Americans to be I'M
mindful of any remissness in Japanese
character are, first, strict repression
of every unfavorable feature of news
by the Japanese themselves. and sec
ondly, the coloring of all accounts by
friendly correspondents.
American sympathies were freely
given to the japanese because our in
terests were directly in line with their
cause, namely, the maintenance of the
open door policy in the territory un-
der dispute. Japan plainly asserted
that she was not fighting for the ac-
quirement of territory, and guaranteed
the independence of Korea, yet she is
already accused of not being as honest
in this declaration as we were led to
believe. During the first stage of their
occupation the japanese are charged
with not recognizing the personal and
property rights of the individual kore- |
an. The press agencies favorable TO
the japanese cause have reported that
the latter are paying literally for
everything" but from other sources II |
is claimed that the japanese are ap-
rropriating peoples houses and fields,
ostensibly for military purposes, ana
only paying a fraction of the current
market price. Their scale of wages for
cooIie labor is said to be less than that
which prevailed in the peninsula dur
ing the old regime These complaints
are so numerous and come from such
reliable sources that they cannot pass
unnoticed
WILL JAPAN BE FAIR?
The prevailing impression in Amer
ica is that Japan was robbed of her
rights in Manchuria and Korea at the
close of the Chinese war. but in reahty
1T was only her interests which We're
checkmated. Japan has no more legai
right to Korea or Manchuria than
Observation-Disclosures belongs to emma
and Korea to the Koreans. A fair
protectorate over both these countrlesl