Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-12-21
DANGER SIGNALS IN THE PACIFIC

That this paper has not been simply
al alarmist in forecasting the trend of
feeling towards our government OF the
Asiatic powers, is shown by many
straws that are beginning to be cast
about by the occurrences of the pass.
ing current of Time. Here is an article
from no less able journal than COL
lier's Weekly, which fully justities all
that we have said on that topic for
many months past?
1t will be remembered that Japan
made formal protest against the exclu'
sion or segregation OF Japanese by the
San Francisco school board, and made
it in such terms that the administra.
tiOn deemed it necessary tu lake the ex.
traordinary course Of sending q Cabi-
net Minister to California to inquire
into a purely local affair.
The protest to Japan was based on
the most literal construction Of the
existing treaty, and was made in disre-
gard of three we'll known facts; Q)
That our public schools are not meant
for adults; (2) that they are strictly
local concerns. over which tho national
government has no Jurisdiction; (3)
that japanese policy is quite "exclu-
sive" with respect to foreigners as is
our own with respect to the Chinese.
The plain truth is that japan sue.
ceeded in putting our national govern
ment in state of alarm. Having 80
succeeded ON the first attempt, Japan
will naturally be encouraged to try ii
again, when the prizs may bs greater
than an opportunity for Japanese to
learn English at American expense
may be SD great and the occasion so ia.
vorable that it will be worth fighting
for.
Suppose the japanese government
should decide that Japan's interests
would be advanced by war with the
United States and that q situation fa'
vorahle to Japan should arise. The
San Fsncisco school incident, which is
merely one Of the symptoms OF the
growing unrest of the Pacific coast
under the encr0achments Of Japanese
labor, shows how easily an excuse could
be found or made. How would the
two combatants stand if war Gamer
II would be, of course. at the outset
a naval war. And Japan has in th'
Pacific, as Mr.. Palmer shows, tifteer
battle ships, nine armored cruisers
seventeen protected cruisers, sixty
nine torpedo.boats and des,royers, ant
five submarines, as against our foul
armored cruisers, five protected cruis
ers, and five torpedo.boats. OF course
our navy as whole is slightly superior
iu material to the japanese and decid
edly superior, we are confident, 10 per
sonnel.
But Manila is only six days from
Yokohama, while twen,y.six days from
San Francisco, and Manila is prac
tically undefended by Notifications
while Guam and Honolulu are who'll!
so. Japan could seize the Philippine
and put $4,000 troops into then
while We were sending 10000. AM
when our Atlantic fleet got round Cap
Horn it would fnd our Pacific coalinI
stations in possession OF Japan.
1t is true that japan, with one-tentl
our national wealth, one third our ma
tional revenue. aud three-fourths Q
our national debt, could not endure
prolonged war as we could. But wit
respect TO the control of the Pacific
Japan has all the advantage Of position
and preparedness. Furthermore, tn
war which would take from US tn
Philippines-until we had won theI
back-would be naval war, which
when the materials are once provided
is not one.tenth so expensive to carr
on as land warfare.
II the people of the Pacific coat
feel that they must get rid OF the Js
panese burden as they did OF the Cb
nese they should make the first articl
of their programme the immediai
building of at least ten battleship
The evident aud enormous imitation {
Japanese conceit, the manifest mater
ial interests of Japan, and the read
ness OF the Japanese government
sickle over extremely small points 81
danger signals in the Pacific whic
J cannot be safely ignored.
WITH his hair cut short and wearin
the striped uniform OF a United State
prisoner, George Edward Adam
former cashier OF the government ASA
Office in Seattle, clubman and ger
eral good fellow" until the sourc
from which he occurred his ampl
funds was discovered, is now occupy
ing cell No. l6, second tier. in th
Federal prison on McNeil's ISLAM
That is he occupies the cell at nigh
, but at 7 o'clock in the morning
taken out with the remainder of ii
. prisoners, frat to cat breakfast at I'll
cororal mess and then to be nut