The Washington herald., 1906-12-02

1
Of war with Japan. which was so much
in evidence yesterday.
/ Il is pretty generally understood that
! the Presidents message VIII be very
/ favorable to the japanese in its reference
/ TO the friction at San Francisco growing
/ out Of the segregation Of japanese pupils
/ in the public schools.
/ It VIII contain assurances Of anity and
/ good viii to the japanese nation, and the
/ administration is naturally dcsirous that
/ the logical effect Of this be not inter-
/ fered with by war talk such as was In
/ dulged in by several members Of Con-
/ gress yesterday, reports Of which may
reach Japan before the publication Of the
/ message.
| The opinion in administration circles is
that declarations concerning the proba-
bility or the inevitabflity Of hOstilities
with Japan are nonsense, pure and SIM
/ pie. They would be unworthy OF notice if
/ ii were not for the realization that con-
tinued agitation Of the subject by poIiti-
I cal orators and newspapers may serve
! to accentuate the undeniabIe feeling that
/ does exist until both parties TO the con-
/ tr0versy will forget the real causes OF
! difference in the increased bitterness that
much discussion is sure to bring
! The situation from the standpoint OF
sentiment and trade relations is serious
enough as ii is without seeking TO force
/ to swords point two nations whose
! friendship has become more than a mere
/ tradition.
But indiscTeet persons, whose official
] 4-F
by the sensitive japanese, are blowing on
the smoldering flame. some Of them
merely because they like 10 blow and
others for their selfish purposes, and as
! all these more or less hasty utteTances
are supposedly being cabled to Japan for
publication in the newspapers Of that
country, it is apparent to thOughtfsi men
here that trouble may result without
deansse oause
President Has a Plan.
Two California Congressmen-Hayes. OF
San Jose, and Knowland. Of Oakland.
both Republicans-called at the White
House yesterday and talked with Presi-
dent Roosevelt ABOUT the japanese agi-
tation. Afterward Representative Hayes
said that President Roosevelt had a plan
for settling the japanese school question.
which he hoped would avert the present
critical state of feeling toward this coun-
try in Japan
The Presidents plan is. Mr.. Hayes said,
that the exclusion Of japanese pupils
from white schools in san Francisco shall
apply only to those who are more than
eighteen years old. and that japanese less
tnan that age shall be permitted to at
tend the white schools freely. Repre-
sentations have been made TO the Presi-
dent that such an arrangement would
meet the most serious of the local objec-
tions to mixed schools in California.
After he left the White House. Rep
lresentative Hayes made a statement that,
while apparently intended 10 placate pub
lie feeling in Japan, is on Il par with
most Of the talk that is serving TO in
fame the japanese spirit
oh" he said there will be no war
over the school question But I have no
doubt that we shall be at war with
Japan some time during the next twenty
fve years. Japan wants TO dominate the
Pacific. and We have some idea Of do
ing that ourselves. When flint meets
steel there is fire"
President Roosevelt gave Mr.. Hayes
! the tip that there would be no war with
JaDan over the school question. and he
aisc made 1t plain TO Mr.. Hayes that it
would be unpauiOtic us well as indiscTeet
TO introduce a resolution which Mr.. Hayes
had in mind, calling for a new treaty
with Japan that would permit the school
authorities Of any State or city TO ex-
clude japanese students.
Desires Agitation stopped.
The President is determined tc de his
utmost to stop the present anti-Japanese
agitation. At what he considers the
proper time. and that viii rot be long
postponed, he viii make known his views
in such a way as to leave no doubt Of
the fact that the Washington govern
menI has no sympathy whatever with the
measures that have been directed to-
ward the japanese by agitators on the
Pacific Coast. There is a confident feel
ing in administration circles that after
the President has spoken the JAPANESE
government and the japanese people viii
have no room for doubt OF the complete
fTiendliness toward them on the part
Of everybody il this country, except a
comparatively few American citizens.
and that the President and his advisers,
backed by the members of both parties
in Congress, will Go their utm0s: q re-
move all causes Of frictioa that now give
cause for concern.
Secretary Root has already done much
toward removing the III feeling that ex-
lists in Japan by making plain to the
Japanese Ambassador that the sentiment
which controls the san Francisco authori-
ties Is not a reflection Of the feelings Of
thes entire body of the American people
toward Americas friend in the far East.
and that the affair is purely local ard
not in any sense national If the Jap
anese government does not now under
stand the true situation, the administTa-
ton will be greatly surprised. At this
time probably the most serious feature
OF the situation. is the effect the current
agitation may have upon the trade rela-
tiOns between the United States and the
Orient, and it is chiefly for that reason,
rather than through any fear of war, that
officials are concerned.
It is realized here that the great
American trade which has been built up
In Japan and China. and particularly IN
China, can be seriously curtaiied, if not
= altogether brought 10 a standstill by
, action on the part of the japanese. This
action need net necessarily take the form
of official notice Of exclusion. but can be
done through private instructions and in