New-York tribune., 1906-12-16
JAFAN.

The effort to create war scare between
America and Japan would be cOmical if it were
not either malicious or potentially mschievous.
We are told that the Japanese are exceptionally
astute and farseeing, and yet at the same time
are asked to believe that they are deliberately
seeking a conflict which every intelligent man
knows would certainly be disastrous to them.
AS for the tale Of the two travellers and the
eternal friendship which they swore at a chance
meeting it is quite eclipsed, in the reverse. For,
while it undisputed a year ago that Japan
had nothing but the most grateful and affection
ate feelings toward this country, we are now
assured that she has for us an Unsuitable and
deadly hatred. There has, of course. been abso-
lutey nothing TO cause such a change. few
people OH the Pacific Coast have acted unwisely
and dscourteously, as we think, toward the
Japanese but in so doing they have commanded
no sympathy from the nation at large; rather
have they incurred its earnest disapproval And
yet we are invited TO believe that one Of these
old friends, after their unbroken intimacy and
confidence for fifty years, is suddenly converted
into determined enemy
Nor is there any more reason or justice in
the contention that the arrogance, preten-
siOns and aggressions of Japan must be
checked for the good of the world and that
Europe and America must unite to crush this
troubler of the race. For in what do Japan'S
arrogance pretensions and aggressons consist?
Merely in claiming to be the peer In natural
right OF any other nation and In proving prac-
tcally that she is. Is it arrogance for the Jap
anese to practise In their military campaigns
such perfect sanitation as no other country has
ever approXmated TOT Is ii pretensiOn for
Japan TO have 9716 per cent of her boys and
91.16 per cent of her girls in school? Is it an
intolerable aggression for Japan to open freely
to all the world the doors of Eastern commerce
as America and England strove to do. but
strove in vain? What is this dreadful wrong
which Japan is perpetrating against the civil
lied world? What is the terrible menace which
she offers t. 'e welfare of the human race?
So far as "" can ascertain, the root of Japan's
offending lies in this, that she Is making prog
ress-moral, intellectual and materlal--more
rapidly than some other nations and that she Is
vindicating her title to equality with others by
showing herself TO be, in fact, their equal. That
is all. And the outcry against her amounts
practically to a determination not to let her
become our equal-nOt, be it observed. by our
selves rising to a standard which she cannot
reach, but by. forcibly holding her back from
standard which she can reach. A few genera
tions ago in this country the education Of Negro
slaves was forbidden, lest 1t should be impossi-
bic longer to hold them in bondage. 1t Is
similar spirit which would now seek forcibly to
hold Japan back from the heights she is attain
ing, lest 1t should be impossible longer to treat
her an inferior. There is nothing In Japan's
advance the clements which have marked
the advance of other nations. Japan is simply
doing what other nations have done: and If she
is doing it a little better and little more sue
cessfully than they, that may be cause for their
humiliation, but 1t surely is not just cause for
condemning her.
We confess for ourselves strong prediction
for the Caucasian race, as also for the English
language, and for the American system of gov
ernment. But there are other languages with
virtues and with claims to respect comparable
with those Of the English. There are other gov
ernments just as valid as our own and as
worthy of respect. So there may be other races
as good as the Caucasian. At any rate every
race and every tribe has right to try to prove
that lt is as good, and If it succeeds its
should be ungrudgngly recognized. We would
give Japan fair field and no favor In which
to show. If she can, her equality with Europe
and America; and In all these competitions-of
governments, tongues or races-we would seek
to maintain our own supremacy, not by prevent
Ing others from rising, but by ourselves rising
higher.