The sun., 1906-10-23

cation Of Oriental children in Be San
Francisco school system is a purely local
incident. Equally ridiculous is it to
attribute the murder Of a Japanese bank
president in the same city to racial
enmity. The bank president was killed,
not because he was q Japanese, but
because his aAeailants wanted to rob his
bank. The murder was the outcome Of
q wave of disorder and crime which
recalls the state Of things in 1857, when
recourse was made to q vigilance COM
mittee. As 10 the killing Of certain Japa-
nese sealers In tho north Pacific, they
were shot, of course, not a. Japanese,
but as poaohers caught IN the act Of vio-
latinR the law made for the protection Of
seal life.
There is, then, absolutely NO basis for
the anti-American feeling which, 40
cording TO our TOXIC correspondent, is
expressed by many Japanese news
papers, but which apparently is not
shared by the relatively well informed
members Of the Mikado's Government.
Tho latter know that during the late war
in the Far East a very large majority Of
the American people sympsthiscd with
Japan. They believed her TO have been
wronged in 1895, when Russia, Germany
and France combined to Idaprive her OF
tho most coveted fruit OF her victory
over China. They wsre also convinced
that in her contest With Russia the prov
ooation had come from tho latter Power.
The naval and military showcases OF
Japan were viewed with sAtisfaction on
this side Of the Atlantic andth efficiency
Of her sanitary arrangements was held
up for emulation. The moderation and
magnanimity evinced by the Mikado's
Government in assentinG to the Peace
OF Portsmouth received from us the ad-
mipntion which was their due. II any
thing was needed to increase the esteem
and good will exhibited In this country
toward the Japanese, It was supplied by
the knowledge that they had entered
into an intimate alliance with the British
section Of the English speaking world,
an alliance that has practically put an
end to the Russian dream Of invading
India.
Nothing has since happened TO change
our feeling for Japan. IT, pending the
complete evacuation OF Manchuria, our
access to the old and new treaty ports
opened by China In that region has en-
countered some obstruction, all reason
able Americans have recognized that the
obstruction was temporary, and that
in any event intercourse with southern
| Manchuria, which the Peace OF Ports
mouth left Professionally under Japanese
control, has been and ID now incom-
parably easier than is intercourse with
northern ManohuriA, which was to remain
for a brief term in Russian hands As
for commercial rivalry for the trade OF
the Far East, Japan obviously has as
good a right to compete for II as the
| British or the Germans have. All we
want, and all we ought to have is fair
field and no favor. That the Japanese
arc willing TO give.
Il Ia true that II the late war in the
Far East had ended differently Japan.
finding hJxseK condenned to remain for
an indefinite period an insulsr Kingdom,
must have sought acquisitions in the
islands south Of her, and in that event
the Philippines would have seemed to
her q valuable prize. Since, however,
she has managed 70 secure q foothold
on the Asiatic mainland. having OBJ
tanned not only Corea and the Laotung
peninsula, but asoendency throughout
southern Manchuria a. far north as
Mukden, q marked change has taken
place in the direction Of her national
impulse toward expansion. Japan's face
Is now turned Westward and not south
ward. Henceforth she and the United
States have nothing to gain and much
to lose by indulging in feelings othel
than those Of high consideration anc
cordial friendship. ;....
II the newspapers Of Toxic and otheI
centres Of Japanese education Rnd
thought would pay us the compliment o.
observing American conditions as care.
fully a. we do those Of Japan they/woulc
not fall into the error Of attributing ma
tional importance to a local incident
The union labor element in San Fran
cisco, which has gratified its spite By
segregating Japanese school children, hai
not even influence enough to persuade
the rest Of California to follow its ex
ample. A regards the United States a
large It is an utterly negligible factor
and any attempt on its part to excit'
race hatred against Orisntals would b
treated with derisfon.
Mrs. Hubbard's Route Survey.
Tha Amerioan 0eoRraphical Societ,