New-York tribune., 1907-01-13
WHAT JAPAN THINKS.
Tiers Of America and Some Other
Nations in Mikodo's Empire.

the Japa nese think Of America, and. indeed. the
rest OF the world and what Americans, and. in
deed. the rest OF the world. seem TO think they
think about them. notion appears to prevail
among many IN the United States and In various
European lands that the realm Of the N1ikado
10 truculent. that all japanese ,mbued with
hostility toward the United States, and that the
sacred ambition of every Of Nippon is to
make the Caucasian subject TO the Mon
golsn- 30 far that idea prevails. IL is quito
erroneous There is. beyond doubt. much in-
tignation end resentment at the antf-Japanes
campaign IN California. and there have been
some utterances and demands which must be re-
Karded intenpsrate-perhaps as incorporate
rs those Of some Americans who denounce all
Japanese 'leprous heathens." Thus, cor
respondent Of the "Yorodzu Choho." who pro-
fessed formerly 10 have been resident of San
Francisco and to have seen many indignities in
ficted upon the japanese there. recently urged
that Japanese feet should be sent 70 the Golden
Gate to protect the lives OF the fifty thousand
Japanese residents of the Californian metropolis
<There ara by the way. not fifty thousand Jap
aaese IN San Francisco. or in the whole United
StatesD
Such passions are. however. directed not
against the American government nor the
American nation a whole. but against the
local authorities of San Francisco and Califor-
political factions, etc, chiefly composed of re-
cent Immigrants from Europe. which the Japan
csc understand TO be responsible for the Of
fenstye campaign. The japanese understand.
probably quite as well Americans. the pro-
visions OF the American Constitution. the divls-
ion Of power between the states and the nation
and the unhappy limitations Of the ieoerai
power even In the enforcement Of treaties Ihey
regard the apparent helplessness Of the feoerai
government with wonder and with some
amusement and they cannot resist the making
of caustio comments now and then upon the
anomaly of founding nation upon the principle
of the freedom and equality OF all men, anu
fighting it's greatest war TO vindicate that prin-
cfp,e. 20 destroy racial determinations. and TO
v,ndtcste the national authority above mere
state rights, and then of letting q single state
no,t that fundamental principle in defiance OF
the national authority.
Nevertheless they accept the situation phiio-
sophically, though with fun appreciation OIL
The sordid and selfish motives which are at ths
hack of the whole San Francisco campaign
Thus, the "Kokurnin ShiInbun," speaking OF
what it d,screety called the anu-JaDanese
movement among certain portion OF the Amer
,can ounlic." recently declared that the object
of the movement apparently was 10 pFo'eo'
white Iabcrsrs from the keen competition OF the
tended merely TO pander to the tastes Of tho
,aboring classes and IL argued that the reason
why the question was vociferously mooteo
and enRinsered on extensive scale at tnae
tirne-tnis was Just before the general eiect'ohs
In the United 6tates-was that the eectlons were
at hand and a problem which was always upper
most among Horidngrnen was necessary iacloF
IN nsrty politics. "The antagonism against tho
yellow race" continued the "Rokunlin' may
be regarded political ruse and not as e&-
pressing the real sentiment OF the American
people. It should hardly require explaua-
ton to show that such views arc not actually
held by the majority of the American public.
nor by the educated and intelligent. The causes
OF the anti-Jspanese propaganda among GER
tain portion Of the American public being
have stated, It would be a serious blunder
our part 10 regard * as In any sense an out
break of influential public opinion representing
a majority Of the American people
A similar tone. intelligent. discriminating and
temperate adopted by other influential
Journals. The ''Yonliun." for example. referring
to the action Of the California labor unions and
political clubs IN organizing ant-Japanese
league. said: The reasons put forward for ex-
cudine the japanese reported TO be that the
Japanese frugal people and are possessed
of a genius for learning and practising the arts
OF other peoples, that they therefore the
most dangerous people In the world, and that
therefore Americans must enact law for the
exclusion Of them. Now. frugality is one Of the
most priced virtues of mankind, and is appre-
ciated as such by the Americans themselves.
Surely the japanese should not be regarded as
dangerous because they possess and practise
that virtue! AS for the aptitude Of the japanese
for sgsirniating the arts OF the Western peo-
pies, that is nothing but legitimate desire to
Sg1c-a ft1a hama coSo oix flizorf To
people dangerous because they aspire to
high civilization is surely absurd. Americans
the most progressive people on the face Of
the earth and pride themselves on being the
leaders In the path Of civilization and humanity.
They perfectly entitled TO exclude from their
country all elements which they deem detri-
mental to the interests OF civilization, expe
such elements. But scarcely believe
that people with such advanced ideas as the
free Americans possess be small minded
to exclude dangerous people whose only
faults the virtues Of frusaty and aptitude
for civilization We are confident that such
narrow -nlndedness is confined to a small minor
ity Of the American nation"
The only conspicuous exception TO this tenn
perate tone was provided by the 'Hochi SHIN
bun" That journal early assumed an aggres-
sive and resentful attitude toward America as
a whole. 1t argued that long as the anti
japanese agitation was limited to the labor
unions OF San Francisco IL was not necessary
for Japan TO pay serious attention to II. But
when people representing the upper classes
in society openly avowed such sentiments and
when the actual candidate for the Governorship
OF the chief American state and potential can
didate for the Presidency of the United States
made his campaign largely on the issue Of Jap
anese exclusion. sorne notice must be taken OF
()Ur sagd