Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01
Foolish War Talk.

All this talk about war with Japan Is
based upon a total misconception OF ia
pans financial position. The mikado 8
country is totally unfit today to enter the
lists against any first-class power. The
war with Russia seriously depleted the
resources of the empire and left Japan In
a state of exhaustion, from which II Will
require some years to recover. 1t must
recoup its treasury and win the worlds
trade, and to do this needs years OF
peace. Even accepting the theory that a
warlike spirit animates the Japanese peo-
pie in consequence of the action of the Cali
fornians, the likelihood of a conflict Is ex-
tremely remote.
The Japanese are shrewd people, who look
carefully at every situation. They are in
tensely patriotic, but their patriotism Is
long-sighted They do not rush heedlessly
into war on the impulse of passion. Their
painstaking preparations for the war with
Russia may be instanced as showing how
deliberately their plans are laid When
they are ready they strike, and strike hard
They are not ready to strike the United
States today and they cannot be ready
for years. If ever the occasion should arise.
To contemplate Japan as a possible enemy
in open warfare within the immediate pres
ent is to mistake the japanese character
1t is true that there are elamors for war
in Japan, If the dispatches are to be be-
lieved but these clamors come from the
unthinkng. irresponsible mob, unofficial in
character and needless OF consequences.
Every nation includes a certain percentage
of 'aiingoes" japan has its share Whether
they are more or less numerous in proper
ton TO the population may be left to the
statisticians The fact remains that they
have probably less influence upon the gov
ernments policies than In most other coun-
tries They were clamorous for war with
Russia long before the government was
ready. They were holly indignant when
the treaty of peace was signed, and dem
onstrated' even against their best friend,
the United States. for the part this coun-
try took in the settlement of the war is
sues mob attacked Americans in the
streets of the capital and damaged Amer
lean property. Yet the government was in
no degree shaken in it's friendliness for the
United States.
The Japanese government doubtless rec
ognizes the absurdity of considering the
California case as a cause for war, and
will probably make an effort to suppress
the excitement of the people who. without
counting the terrible cost, are now demand
ing hostiities. This case offers the least
possible warrant for an outbreak, and even
If Japan were financially ready for long
and costly struggle and had good reason
to expect victory in such contest, there is
no reason to believe that the government at
Toxic would make the first move toward
a menacing tightening of the lines The
United States has up to this time done
everything in it's power to adjust the diff
ficulty. but even if 1t finds itself checked
by the interposition Of the doctrine of
states rights and cannot fully meet the re-
quirements OF the situation there Is no rea-
son to look for a threatening strain in the
relations of the two countries.
The lingo talk, 1t will be noticed, all
comes from Japan. And much of it may
be manufactured by interests, not Japan
ese. that would profit from war. Fortu-
nately neither government Is so blind to its
own interests to permit these malevolent
forces to lead 1t into dangerous situation.