Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-04
Ambassador Aoki.

asked him If he would not say something
to the readers of The Evening Star con-
corning the sensa tional dispatches and ar
ticles that are being printed about
the probability of war between Japan and
the United States. These publications seem
to have been taken seriously both in Eng
land and in France and there is a great
deal of apprehension among our own peo-
pie concerning the attitude of the Japanese
government and people because of the San
Francisco school question.
His eXcellency the ambassador laughed
heartily at the idea of war and said that
it was absolute nonsense. I'VE have per-
feet confidence in the President and in
Secretary Root in their friendly DISPOSE
ton. in their sense of justice and in their
wisdom" he declared. I'VE have perfect
confidence in the goodness, the sense of
justice and in the wisdom of the people
of the United States. We know confidently
that they are our friends and that they
know that we are their friends. Japan has
tell you also that the United States has no
San Francisco. 1t gives me pleasure to
tell you also that the United EtateS has no
enemies in Japan. We regard your people
as our best friends. You have always been
our best friends and we are confident that
you will continue to be so. That the Japa-
nese can make war upon their best friends
is absurd and impossible
1.-THE other night at dinner party
lady said to me: You must be very angry
with u.s. Why SOP l asked. Because of
the way the people are acting in San Fran
CISCO she replied. Not at ALL 1 said.
That is only local incident. matter
which your government will take care of,
and therefore it does not give us any con
Germ. We understand 1t, and our people
will not be misled by the sensational arti
Giles that are being published in your news
papers, and in Europe
japanese Not Belligerent.
1.-The Japanese are not beligerent peo-
ple,'' continued the ambassador. I'VE are
not In search of conquest We have had
but two wars since our civilization. One of
those wars was fought for the same rea-
son that the United States fought with
Spain. The other war was fought to COM
pei Russia to carry out pledges made to
your own government, to your lamented
Secretary of State, the late John Hay.
Japan fought Russia to preserve the integ-
rity of the east, to secure an open door for
the commerce OF America as well as the
commerce Of Japan to carry out the ideas
and the principles and the policy so ably
enunciated by Col. Hay The results OF
that war must be preserved and therefore
it is necessary for Japan to maintain her
army and her navy; but our national pol
icy is the same as yours. The United
States and Japan stand together to pre-
serve the integrity of the east and the open
door.
I'VE have not the slightest hostile senti-
ment toward any nation, and We could not
possibly have hostile sentiment toward
America. Japan stands in peculiar situa-
tiOn-in the middle between the east and
the west. 1t is the champion of European
civilization in the east and of the rights OF
the eastern nations in Europe. Our ma
tonal policy is to prevent aggressive DEM
onstrations from any nation. Your Presi-
dent and Secretary Root understand that
perfectly well. Our two nations have been
a unit on every occasion when their inter-
ests were involved. In 1900. when the
Boxer troubles broke out l was minister of
foreign affairs at Toxic. Secretary Hay
telegraphed me to insist upon the integ-
rity of China. / at once responded that
Japan would do so, and we stood together
from the beginning to the end. The Amer
leans and the Japanese and the EnglisA
were thoroughly united against the ag-
gressive policy of Europe and checked it.
But that was no new or strange thing.
Both nations expected it Of each other
They could not have done anything else
because their interests are mutual. their
sense of justice is the same. their principles
and their policy are similar
Il said to Secretary Root the other day
that our friendship was hereditary. We
cannot change it, and we do not want to
change it. There is no necessity to change
It. because any other policy would be to the
disadvantage of both You now have a
national interest in the east because of your
possessions in the Philippines. and it must
be quite agreeable for you to feel that you
are not alone there, but have hereditary
friend nearby. Therefore, all this talk about
war is ridiculous.
Some people say that Japan has designs
on the east?', l suggested.
That Is even greater nonsense. We have
enough to do at home; and in Formosa,
Korea. Manchuria and China in the de-
velopment of resources and civilization.
Besides. 1t is more important for us that
the United States should have that archi-
pelago than to have it ourselves. The in