Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-31
THE TALK OF WAR
! PURELY SENSATIONAL
So characterized by Secretary
of War Taft.
JAPAN AND. THIS COUNTRY
Are Upon the Most Amicable Rela-:
lions.
THE DEFENSES OF HAWAII
Urged by Secretary Simply in Line
With the Policy for All Guilty.
ing Dependencies.
THE DEFENsEs OF HAWAII

The effort in some quarters to connect
Secretary Tafts appeal to Congress for an
increased appropriation to defray the ex-
penses of fortifying the Hawaiian Islands
with the present state of tension between
the people Of California and the Japanese
there, and the hint that the Secretary $
preparations are really with the view to
resisting a possible Japanese attack upon
Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, has very much
annoyed the officials, and is deprecated by
them as calculated to breed i'll feeling be-
tween two great people whose interests
should run on parallel lines and without
conflict.
Now it is stated at the War Department
positively that Secretary Taft, contrary to
reports that have come from San Francisco,
has never received one particle of evidence
in an official report to show that the Japa-
nese in Hawaii had any Interior design
,,non the government of those islands or
that they were secretly arming and drilling
themselves with the view of seizing control
of the government at some opportune mo-
ment. AS matter of fact. Commissioner
Sargent of the immigration bureau made an
exhaustive report to the Secretary of Com
mence and Labor upon his return from
Hawaii last fall dealing specifically with
the Japanese question.
He said nothing whatever about military
organizations or any effort on the part OF
the Japanese to obtain political control. II
is true that the facts he presented relative
to the number Of Japanese coming into
the United States via Hawaii were regard
ed as sufficiently important to warrant ar
attempt on the part of the administration
to regulate and restrict that immigration
But that was solely from consideration
for American labor and a desire to shield
it from competition with the cheaper coolie
labor from Japan, and there was no sug.
gestion of a political purpose in the direc-
ton of that flow of immigration.
In pursuance of that attempt there have
been exchanges between the State Depart
ment and the Japanese ambassador here
with the purpose Of ascertaining how far
the Japanese government would be willing
to go in the direction of diverting those
Immigrants to other countries. 1t is said
that the prospects seemed favorable of ac-
complishing something in that direction
when the clash occurred in San francisco
as the result of the refusal OF the school
Commissioners to admit Japanese pupils
into the public schools on terms Of equality
with the white pupils.
The effort is now being made by the
President, Secretary Root and Secretary
that incident. to regain the ground which
was lost thereby and to continue with the
preparation of a treaty between the United
States and Japan that should entirely re-
move the subject of cooiie In migration as
a source of danger to the friendly relations
Of the two countries. That Is the situation
at this moment as far as 1t can be gathered
from Official sources. and the President has
so Informed persons with whom he has con-
versed upon the subject
Defense Of Hawaii.
But as to the defenses of Hawaii, which
have unfortunately. according to the Wal
Department ofncials, become associated